Nail Corner: 2 colourful ways to update the French manicure with purple chevrons and orange hearts
Ah, the French manicure. Is there a beauty technique that’s more divisive? While there’s no denying that when done well and in moderation it’s a flattering look, its reputation has been tarnished by aggressive acrylics and—shudder—the growing popularity of French pedicures. So bring on the reinvention! This week we’re exploring new approaches to painting the tips of your nails. By changing up the colour and the shape, you’ll still achieve the optical illusion of longer nails—without the dated look of a conventional French mani.
Clearly, I’m already thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day. This manicure was born out of a desire to practice nail polish hearts—which, conveniently, are an extremely flattering shape when painted at the tip of your nail. Keeping in tradition with French manicures, I used a sheer polish as my base colour. Once this was dry, I used a nail art brush to outline the heart shape (which looks somewhat like a McDonald’s “M”) and then filled it in. Two coats of a clear topcoat ensure these hearts stay shiny.
CND “Putty” ($12, cnd.com)
Deborah Lippmann “Lara’s Theme” ($18, lippmanncollection.com)
There’s a great trick behind these chevron tips: quick dry topcoat. Because Rachel used scotch tape as guides for creating the two-tone tips, she applied quick dry topcoat between each layer to cut down on drying time. (Think: 10 minutes between coats instead of hours!) After applying the lavender polish and letting it dry, she formed a chevron with two pieces of scotch tape and painted on the metallic polish—as well as a coat of quick dry polish. Once this coat was dry, Rachel applied another set of scotch tape guides, this time forming a smaller chevron for the indigo polish. She finished the look with—what else?—a final layer of quick dry topcoat.
Nicole by OPI in “Miss Independent” ($11 at drug stores)
Orly in “Lollipop” ($9, nailpolishincanada.com)
0 comments for " Nail Corner: 2 colourful ways to update the French manicure with purple chevrons and orange hearts "