The hack
Creating your own French manicure using DIY tip stickers.
The test
Hold on to your hats: the French manicure – popular in the 1990s before it became passé, forever linked with footballers’ wives – is back.
From experience, I can tell you that doing your own French manicure isn’t easy. One hand would always look pretty good; the other would look like a pigeon pooped on my nails. This hack promises to change all that, but it is still finicky.
The first step is painting your nails with the base coat of your choice – these days the French manicure base coat doesn’t need to be neutral, so go wild. Then take a plastic lid (the original method uses what appears to be a margarine lid) and paint on arcs of white polish just larger than your nail tips. Wait for these to dry, then gently peel them off (I used the edge of a spoon to help lift them). Then apply one to the end of each nail – they should stick on without difficulty, even if the base coat has fully dried – and dip a cotton bud in polish remover to clean up the part that hangs over; it should dissolve pretty easily. Finish with a top coat and have a lie down.
The verdict
Although I embrace the French manicure’s return, life is too short to mess about doing this. Visit a professional for the best results or try a Nails Inc stamper – it’s way easier.
