How can I nail the perfect manicure?
How can I do a French manicure without getting white polish all over my nails? The brush just seems to smudge all over the place?
New York's top nail technician, Ji Baek (owner of Manhattan's hippest nail salon, the Rescue Beauty Lounge, and responsible for the manicures at countless catwalk shows), suggests getting rid of the traditional brush altogether. Instead, take an eyeliner-sized brush and paint on a fine line of the white in a single stroke, following the white of the nail as closely as possible. Then, when this polish is still wet, clean the brush in nail polish remover before running it along the near edge of this white tip. This will leave you with perfectly even, accurate white tips, ready to paint over the whole nail in a sheer, pale pink polish (I've yet to find better than Chanel's Flamme Rose for a flawless finish).
Another top tip I'd like to mention: don't go for a too-bright white on the tips, as it'll look fake and too 'Malibu'. More natural (and therefore much more chic) is to use a slightly off-white, chalky shade such as Revlon's White on White (it was the UK's top nail technician, Leighton Denny, who introduced me to this classic and it really does make all the difference). Happy painting!
Why not chat to other iVillagers about nails on the Beauty Talk message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:
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