All about Nails

[Mara]

For top coat, I use Gena Top Coat with UV Blockers, it's great with french manicures and doesn't thicken up in the bottle like alot of other top coats I have tried. I hate when polishes thicken up in the bottle...I find that using thinner doesn't necessarily enhance the performance of the polish and either it chips off easier or it gets kind of streaky?

 

[MrsFrk]

I have never had luck with thinner, you're right- it just ruins it and makes the polish chip immediately.

I use a different top coat for french manicures and light colors, since the dark ones tend to bleed onto the brush. I like Creative Super Shiny and Seche Vite. I've never tried the Gena, I'll have to give it a whirl. My husband was watching me give myself a french manicure (I can now do my right hand as well/neatly as my left, and I'm right handed)- he was mesmerized.

"Honey, HOW do you learn to do that? Is there a class?" Oh, my darling, clueless boy.

 

[Mara]

haha MrsFrk...I do my frenches on the weekends when we are hanging out on the patio and Greg is reading his 'brain book'...he just shakes his head at how painstakingly I am doing my nails..I can do a pretty good freehand french if I don't feel like scrutinizing it too closely for the next week, but sometimes I actually spend the time and do the salon style where I mini-brush it perfectly which takes me forever. I am not that great with my right hand at all yet and that usually takes me 2ce as long as my left.

Practice makes perfect!

 

[MrsFrk]

Exactly. Practice makes perfect. Greg''s a musician, right- he should know that!

I do the brush dipped in remover thing, and I have it down to a science. My smile lines are perfect. My husband details our car with Q-tips, he''s not allowed to make fun of me doing my nails as if I am disarming an explosive device.

 

[cute330xigrl]

What kind of mini-brush should I buy for frenchies. I tried snipping the brush in the bottle.. that didnt help. I have no idea where to find this brush. I''ve been trying to practice frenchies... it takes me like an hour or so to do it.

I CONSTANTLY have to erase a nail and start over. Even Dre tells me Im not using the right tools. Someone recommended getting the tape-off for the french lines... Tried that, but I soon realized there is also a method at which to apply the tape. After I pulled the tape, the lines were jagged. Like some of the polish had leaked uinderneath. CRAP! It''s so annoying. An entire hour wasted. lol!

I''ve been going to the salon every week lately... just cos I''ve had so many engagements back to back... can''t mess around. But now I''d like to get back on track doing it myself. So lemme know what I''m buying. Ready to start tonite!

 

[Mara]

very true MrsFrk...re the musician side of G. I will have to point that out. Precision!

cute...I just got my brush at the beauty salon, I don''t know if they had a ''specific'' french manicure brush but basically it''s a very small makeup brush with a flat tip, it''s not a rounded brush or puffy, it''s very flat with only one line of bristles and its maybe 1/4 of an inch wide? It works great.