DIY French Tip Manicure
Step 1: Prep the Nail
As with any manicure, the first step should always be cleaning the nail plate and prepping it for a base coat. You can swipe the nails with ZOYA Remove + to start the color-locking process. Next, apply a cuticle oil like QTICA Solid Gold and push your cuticles back with an orangewood stick. File your nails in your desired shape. Try the Gelie-Cure 3-Way File with its ultra-fine grit to gently shape your natural nails.
Step 2: Apply a Base Coat
Use a base coat to ensure a smooth surface before you apply your polish. French tips are especially precise and require an even surface so that your tips look smooth and ridge-free. ZOYA has a variety of base coats to prevent staining, fill ridges, and act as a protective layer for your nails.
Step 3: Apply Your Base Color
Depending on the style of your French manicure, you will choose a base that coordinates with the tips. For example, if you’re opting for a classic white tip, you can choose a neutral color that matches your nail beds, like the Naked Manicure Pink Perfector, or use a pale pink like Zoya Madison. Generally the base color is sheerer in coverage or nude to have a more natural-nail finish, but you can use any color you wish. Some may choose a tan color or even a light pink with darker French tips. The idea is to make sure your tip color stands out against the base.
Step 4: The French Tips
Once your base color has dried, you can begin work on the tips! If you have a steady hand and larger nail beds, you may get away with using the ZOYA classic precision brush equipped in the bottle. If your nail beds are smaller or you’re opting for thinner tips, you may want to use a smaller precision brush. Dip your selected brush into the polish, being sure that not too much product is on the brush. If you want a natural white to match your tips, we recommend the Tip Perfector by Naked Manicure. Very carefully, outline your nail’s natural white tip curve. Once the outline is drawn, you can fill in the space. If you need another coat, wait 2 minutes, and then repeat the same process.
Step 5: Apply a Top Coat
It’s very important that you have waited for your nails to fully dry before applying a top coat, as you don’t want the top coat to drag any of polish around and ruin your clean French tips. When you’re sure that the polish is dry, pick a top coat of your choice and apply to the whole nail, remembering to wrap the tip of the free edge.
For a lasting shine and a durable manicure, you may opt to use Naked Gelie as a topper. This will extend the wear time of your manicure, as it requires curing under an LED light. View our Gelie-Cure tutorials to learn more.
You now have a flawless French manicure from home!
Feature photo via @danissa82
