Pardon My French: At Home French Manicure.

You look at them every day, you bite them when you are nervous, you tap them when you are anxious and you raise the middle one when you want to tell someone in a universal language where to shove it...that's right, we are talking about your nails ladies!

We know that every girl can't help but have an extra bounce in her step when she looks down and her nails are manicured but there are things that get in the way between being busy and on a budget. Here are fool proof steps to give yourself a gorgeous french manicure at home, save some money and bypass being talked smack about in Vietnamese by your manicurist!

Pardon My French: At Home French Manicure

You will need:
An orange, nail file, cuticle pusher, scotch tape, white nail polish, sheer peach nail polish and a top coat.

1. Remove all polish and soak your hands in a small bowl of warm water and lemons. The warm water will soften up your cuticles and nail beds while the lemon will detoxify dirt and oils.

2. Clip and file your nails before tending to your cuticles. it is not recommended to trim your cuticles at home unless you are well versed and confident you won't turn the manicure into a CSI Crime Scene however if you feel comfortable..go for it, otherwise you can take a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick and gently push back your cuticles since they are softened and flexible.

3. Create your guide and template for the white paint using Scotch tape, taking the strips of tape and placing it in the middle of your nail bed, leaving the tip of your nail exposed. I suggest starting with your index finger as your starting finger since you have more control on that angle as a practice nail and then can continue as you like. Apply the white nail polish on the exposed tips. Then, follow with a second coat.

4. Remove the tape carefully and take a cotton swab dipped in alcohol..no, ladies..not any alcohol though I think Jack Daniels would make a fierce manicurist, we need rubbing alcohol for this job! Take the lightly soaked cotton swab and clean up the inner line, shaping it with the natural shape and curvature of your nail bed.

5. Then simply add a clear top coat if your natural nail bed is of even tone or if your nail tone needs evening out paint a very light opaque neutral peach color over and then add a top coat to dry. The most important note to look for when picking out your peach color is that it is transparent enough that it does not cover up all that snazzy work you just did with your white tip.

...Voila! An at home French Manicure without the salon. The best part is if you chip a little bit of your color you can touch it up at home while you are catching up on your favorite trashy reality show! So flash those digits ladies..all ten perfectly manicured digits that is!

Lala xoxo