Why not give your classic French manicure a pretty pastel update to celebrate spring?  

The white-tipped look has always been popular at nail salons, but adding a pop of colour is a great way to add a playful dimension to the trend. Achieving that crisp line of polish at the tip of each nail can be a daunting task to try at home, but Mavala’s in-house nail expert Lynn Gray has offered her advice on creating this look yourself.  

You’ll need to give yourself time to master the French manicure and Lynn recommends keeping nail varnish remover and cotton wool close by to fix any mistakes.   

If you want to introduce colour to the tips, try pastel shades such as mint green, soft pink, lemon yellow, lavender or baby blue. You could stick to one spring hue, or try a few different ones for a more playful look. Mavala’s Pastel Fiesta Collection has plenty of spring shades to choose from, while OPI and Nails Inc. also offer a range of pretty tints.  

Here is Lynn’s step-by-step guide to the perfect French manicure:  

Step 1:  

Make sure the colour you’re using for the tip is the correct consistency and not too thick. Thick polish is easier to smudge and will make it harder to create those crisp lines you want. If your desired polish is a little on the thick side, use a thinner to help revitalise the polish.  

Step 2:
Use a thin paintbrush to get that perfect smile line at the tip of the nail. If your nails are long enough, just copy the natural guide of the free edge. People with more square nails tend to go for a straight line across the tip of the nail, but if yours are more square-oval then curve round and follow the shape of your nail right to the skin. By using a thin brush to get the guideline, you can easily use a cotton wool tip and make changes if you’re unhappy with the shape you have.  

Step 3:
Once you’re happy with the lines, fill in the area between the tip of the nail and the line. Use the nail polish brush that comes with the polish to paint the line in one motion, with the edge of the brush hugged tight to the line. This will keep it neat and consistent. Work from one side following the curve of the free edge right to the other side in one motion. It is best not to overwork this step, as the more times you go over it, the more room there is for error.  

Step 4:
Make sure the polish is completely dry before applying a topcoat. If nail polish is still slightly wet, the topcoat can drag tiny streaks across the nail, ruining the precise lines you’ve created for the free edge, so be patient when it comes to drying time.  

– Cover Media