For the longest time I’ve wanted pretty nails. I have always been envious of those people who are able to create intricate designs with seemingly no effort whatsoever. Whenever I tried nail art it would end up a sticky uneven mess with flooded cuticles and a sticky, bumpy surface.
One thing I’ve always wanted to try is the classic French manicure, but with clumsy hands and no funds to go to a salon I thought French tips were forever to remain a fantasy.
What is the solution you may ask? Cheat. Yep. I admit it. I cheated. Today I achieved what I thought was the impossible. French tips that look good, and I’ll tell you how I did it – with sticky tape!
Things you will need:
Base and top coat – I’m using Sally Hansen’s Double Duty. (This is a little pricey but the results really make the price worth it, you can use this with any colour of polish from any brand and this will make it look beautiful)
Sheer nude coloured polish (I used Essie’s ‘Sugar Daddy’)
White nail tip colour (I’m using Rimmel’s Brit Manicure Nail Tip Colour in ‘Porcelain’)
Sticky Tape
Cotton buds and nail polish remover for any polish that may get on your skin
Method:
Step 1. Apply your base coat evenly on all nails.
Step 2. After the base coat has dried, take your sticky tape and stick it down so that one edge lies along the smile lines of your nails (where the white/clear part starts). This is a good opportunity to tidy up any unevenness of your smile lines.
Step 3. Apply your nail tip colour to the tips of your nails.
Step 4. Allow the tips to dry and remove your tape (tip: it’s actually best to do this just before the tips are 100% dry, allowing for a sharper edge and less chance of cracks).
Step 5. Apply your sheer nude colour over the whole nail.
Final step. Once your nude polish is dry, apply your top coat to smooth out any unevenness and a longer wear. (Tip: Its’ very important that all the layers underneath are completely dry before you do this!!). If you got any polish on your skin, simply dip a cotton bud into nail polish remover (or small paint/unused makeup brush with stiff bristles) and gently wipe it away.
Et voila. You have successfully cheated at French tips. This method means that even if you are blessed by the nail gods and have steady enough hands to free-hand one side, you can still do your non-dominant hand neatly with no stress at all.
The Fud Magazine 