hola, isabel

I know what you’re thinking, “What is Isabel doing posting today? Isn’t she on vacation this entire week!?” You’re right, I am on vacation this week. But just because I’m away from a computer for over a week spending time with my little family, it doesn’t give me the right to ignore you, my faithful readers.

So while I’m learning more about our Nations Capital and stalking Matt Lauer in front of the NBC Studios, you are going to be spending this week at hola, isabel doing your own kind of learning.

What are you going to be learning about?

Well, thanks to some of my awesome internet buddies there is going to be a different “How-To” post everyday this entire week.

Awesome, I know.

I have asked a few different ladies to each write up a post about something I think they are good at and that I’ve always wanted to learn how to do.

But to start things off, I wanted to write my own How-To post.

There are few things I’m good at. Really good at. In fact, I think there are only two things I’m good at.

The first thing is this:

I make good babies. There is no denying it.

The second thing is I know how to give a good manicure. It’s true. I know a thing, or six, about nail care. I’ve even given advice about it over at the Amalah’s Advice Smackdown.

Not only do I rock at giving my best girlfriends manicures, I even rock at giving myself a French manicure. And today I’m going to show you how you can save money and trips to the salon and give yourself a beautiful French manicure.

Let’s get started.

While I prefer OPI for nail color, I find that Sally Hansen products are just as awesome and a few bucks cheaper. While Sally Hansen doesn’t have the same awesome colors as OPI, we don’t have to worry about that. French manicures aren’t about color.

Step 1: Supplies –

This is the easiest part. While it might cost you a few dollars upfront, it’s good to always have these items on hand.

L-R: Pink French Manicure polish, White Tip polish, top coat, base coat, wooden stick, file, buffer and a paper towel (to keep your work space clean).

Here is the Before shot of my nails. They are already pretty long. But you don’t have to have long nails to have a French manicure. That’s what is so great about a French manicure. It gives the illusion of length.

Start off with clean nails. You don’t want any polish remnants of any previous polish.

The first thing you need to do if file your nails to give them the right shape. Some people, like my grandma, prefer a more rounded nail tip. I prefer it to be a little more square. Either is just fine. It’s totally your preference.

Next you need to buff your nail beds. The nail bed is the part that is actually attached to your finger. I prefer to use a really fine buffer. You don’t want to scratch your nail up, you just want to smooth it out a little.

You want to make sure you wash your hands after this step. You really need to get rid of all the find nail dust that may be on your fingers and nails. Even more importantly, you need to dry your hand throughly. Dry nails make for longer lasting manicures.

Next you need to apply your base coat. No matter what you are doing to your nails, you should always start with a base coat. It will make your color go on smoother and last longer. I’m all about a manicure that lasts more then 2 days.

I personally prefer the Sally Hansen base coat, but when I went to the drug store to pick up supplies I had a $2 off coupon for Loreal. So of course I bought a Loreal base coat (and a new black polish for fall). Awesome.

Make sure that your base coat is applied evenly and without any bubbles. If there are bubbles, it will ruin everything. You also want to make sure that you apply it to the tips of your nails. If you don’t get the tips, your polish will chip more easily.

Next is the hardest part, and the one that I’m sure you all dread the most; the application of the white tip. Before you start on this make sure your base coat is dry. It dries faster then polish, so this won’t take long.

If the white polish seems too thick in the bottle, I roll it around in the palm of my hands. The heat from your body will thin it out and make it perfect for application. I like to make sure my brush is amply loaded on one side. Then I hold my hand as steady as possible and paint, slowly, the white tip on your nail. The length of your nail will determine how low on your nail bed you’ll need to start the white tip. Since my nails are already long, I will just apply the white to the natural white in my nails. If you have short nails, just start where you want to add the faux length.

The key to getting your white tip to look good is patience (and practice). Just go slow and steady. Also remember that you can always take off the polish on a finger you might mess up and start over (just remember to reapply the base coat). I usually get the polish all over my fingers while I’m doing this. I just leave it until the end and then use a Q-tip to clean up the edges.

If you mess up one little part, use your wood stick to gently wipe away any mistakes or clean up the line. This is vital to getting it to look good.

After you’ve applied the white tip on all of your fingers, give it ample time to dry. The white is usually pretty thick and will require more dry time then usual. I like to paint my nails in the evening while watching a movie. That way I just just chill out and give my nails plenty of time to properly dry.

Remember a dry nail is a good nail.

After you are certain your white tips are dry, look over them to make sure they look good. If you notice a few spots where the line isn’t very accurate or where more polish needs to be applied, now is the time to do that.

Don’t fret too much over this part. The pink coat that goes on next is very forgiving and will make your white tips look awesome. I promise.

Again, give the nails time to dry after this step. After your white tips are done, they will look like this:

Next apply the pink color over the top of your entire nail, including the white tip. I like to choose a light, yet shimmery, pink. You could also go with something more natural like a light brown. No matter what you choose, it is vital to put a color over the white tip. It really pulls the French manicure together and makes it look classy.

While giving myself a non-French manicure I always do two coats of paint. But when it’s a French manicure only use one coat of the color. Any more then that will take away from the tip. Trust me on this one.

After you have applied the color coat, sit back, and without touching anything (I mean it) give your nails plenty of time to dry. They don’t have to be all the way dry at this point, but do devote some time to drying.

Next apply your top coat. The proper application of the top coat is very important as it insures that your manicure will last a long time. Make sure you apply it all the way through the tip of your nail where nail chips usually occur.

Only one coat of the top coat is needed. You can get away with using cheaper brand of polish if you use a decent top coat. I personally prefer Sally Hansen’s Super Shiny Top Coat over any other brand. (Hey, I’m loyal.)

After the top coat is applied I usually lay my hands flat on my thighs and just sit there. Very, very still. There is no way I want to risk messing up my nails after all that has gone into making them pretty.

Drying time may be a little longer then with a regular manicure since the polish on your nail tips is extra thick. Sometimes I’ll even just go to bed and place my hand above the covers so they can dry. This can be fatal, so be cautious.

After you are sure your nails are dry, go back with some polish remover and a Q-tip and clean up any mistakes on your actual finger, not your fingernails. Stay away from your actual nails with any type of polish remover.

The very last step is just to gaze at the glorious French manicure that did you all by yourself in the comfort of your own home while watching TV on your couch.

What I love the most about a good French manicure is it’s ability to wear well. Even if it does chip a little, it’s less noticeable then if you were wearing a more prominent color. I mean, this After photo was taken three days after I gave myself the manicure and they still look great, ifIdosaysomyself!

Make sure to tune in tomorrow when we’ll be hearing from the always fabulous Carrisa. I promise you’ll be dazzled with all the guest posts How-To’s this week. I have a lot in store for you.