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Subtle French Manicure

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Giada

Giada

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
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410
I am in a wedding next weekend and the bride has asked that all of the bridesmaids have a French manicure.

I''m not fond of the bright white look and I was wondering if anyone has a good color combination of a more subtle French manicure.

Thanks!
 
i''m not into the bright white look either but i love french manicures. so i just get them at places have the option of using a less bright white nailpolish. you can ask around your local places or usual nail salons if they can do this. i have heard it referred to once as american style but i usually just say that i want a lighter white color
 
I am not fond of the painted white tips, so when I want a more subtle version of the French manicure, I paint the entire nail in a pale pinky-beige color and then use a white pencil under the tips.
 
Thank you both for the tips!

I normally wear a sheer pale pink such as Mademoiselle or Allure by Essie. Maybe I can just incorporate an ivory color for the tips with one of my "usual" colors.

Thanks again.
 
You can use one coat of your color, do the tips and then apply the second coat of your color. This will tone down the whiteness of the tips and look very natural.
 
American manicure
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These glitter tips are cool. Maybe not for a wedding, but possibly for New Year''s Eve.
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glittertips.jpg
 
Oh, Giada, I have the perfect combo for you. I use 2 coats of Essie Ballet slippers on the tips. Follow with one coat of Allure and one coat of Mademoiselle. If I am in the mood for a pinker nail I use two coats of Mademoiselle instead of one Allure and one Mademoiselle. This is my favorite combo. It really makes the nails look fresh and not overdone like some french manis can. Have fun at the wedding!
 
Rimmel makes a more subdued, milky, translucent white polish called "snow queen" that is *perfect* for a more natural french manicure that you can combine with your essie colors. I bought mine at Target if you have one nearby.
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Essie''s Waltz is a white that''s less super white than most. I''ve used that before to avoid the "white-out" french mani look, and for the nail bed portion I have used Ballet Slippers and a top coat of OPI bubble bath for good measure, just subdues the whole stark-contrast-between-white-and-pink look, imo.
 
I don't like the white-white/pink-pink mani either. I use Orly Beverly Hills Manicure. The tips are a sheer, natural white. The base is a sheer reddish (they call plum) that gives a healthy, natural look to the nail.

They have a small kit (small bottles, cheaper price- lasts quite a long time)... it has the sheer white, sheer red, a "bonder," which keeps the polish from chipping/peeling off, and I think a top coat. Make sure and use a top coat (I have theirs called Magnifique... it blurs the border between the two colors and makes it more natural).

ETA: The color blob of the plum color looks really deep in color... it's really not at all.
 
OPI''s Bubble bath is a little lighter than Essie''s Mademoiselle. You could do bubble bath and then use a white nail pencil underneath the tips. I do that a lot during the summer because I love the look but can''t do the white tips because they feel too bold and chip too soon on me.
 
There are Essie whites that are not as bright...picket fence, waltz, marshmallow.

You can also do a very sheer pink on the whole nail and do the white pencil. You can refresh the white at home since it will come off.

I do not like super white tips with very clear beds, it makes the white look way too bright.
 
Date: 4/18/2008 3:59:29 PM
Author: MC

American manicure
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These glitter tips are cool. Maybe not for a wedding, but possibly for New Year''s Eve.
9.gif
Click to expand...
I do that sometimes... i''ve done silver and purple glitter. What do I is called ''pink and white'', where they use pink acrylic powder for the nail bed and white, silver or purple powder for the tips, no paint at all. That''s for people with acrylic though not natural.
 
Those glitter tips are so cute! I am not a fan of the bright white against the natural nail look, so I usually get a light pink base coat which seems to help.
 
Thank you all for the great suggestions.

Miranda, I actually have all of the colors you mentioned! This may save me a trip to the beauty store. I always use Ballet Slippers on my toe nails and I use Allure and Mademoiselle on my fingernails. I''m going to try this combo tonight! I''m sure I''ll need to get the mani for the wedding done professionally, but surely I can give it a good enough test run to see how it will look.

I like the idea of the American Manicure as well, so I might have to look into that, too.
 
Does anyone mind sharing photos of their nails? I would love to see the actual look and what you used to get the look.

Sorry, if I hijacked the thread!
 
I don''t like the bright white either. My manicurist does what she calls a "Monterey Manicure," (the spa is in Monterey) where she paints the nail a very subtle and natural looking pink color, the on the tips she puts a soft white that has a pearly sheen to it. It looks so much more natural, and when she was describing it to me for the first time she said it''s how she imagined that mermaid''s nails would look. LOL!

It looks fantastic.
 
Date: 4/21/2008 10:28:38 AM
Author: Daydreamer7130
Does anyone mind sharing photos of their nails? I would love to see the actual look and what you used to get the look.

Sorry, if I hijacked the thread!
Click to expand...

I''d love to see photos, too!!
 
Date: 4/19/2008 3:48:33 PM
Author: carabella
OPI''s Bubble bath is a little lighter than Essie''s Mademoiselle. You could do bubble bath and then use a white nail pencil underneath the tips. I do that a lot during the summer because I love the look but can''t do the white tips because they feel too bold and chip too soon on me.
Click to expand...
What is a nail pencil? thanks.
 
Date: 4/21/2008 11:28:55 AM
Author: star sparkle
I don''t like the bright white either. My manicurist does what she calls a ''Monterey Manicure,'' (the spa is in Monterey) where she paints the nail a very subtle and natural looking pink color, the on the tips she puts a soft white that has a pearly sheen to it. It looks so much more natural, and when she was describing it to me for the first time she said it''s how she imagined that mermaid''s nails would look. LOL!

It looks fantastic.
Click to expand...
Does she do that on acrylic too or just natural? What''s the name of the shop and can you take a photo of your nails? I''d love to see them!
 
Date: 4/21/2008 1:24:07 PM
Author: violet02
Date: 4/21/2008 11:28:55 AM

Author: star sparkle

I don''t like the bright white either. My manicurist does what she calls a ''Monterey Manicure,'' (the spa is in Monterey) where she paints the nail a very subtle and natural looking pink color, the on the tips she puts a soft white that has a pearly sheen to it. It looks so much more natural, and when she was describing it to me for the first time she said it''s how she imagined that mermaid''s nails would look. LOL!


It looks fantastic.
Click to expand...

Does she do that on acrylic too or just natural? What''s the name of the shop and can you take a photo of your nails? I''d love to see them!
Click to expand...

Hey violet!

Unfortunately I didn''t ever take photos of the finished product and haven''t gotten them done recently. I can''t imagine that they WOULDN''T do it on acrylic nails, but I am not sure on that. She kept telling me that my nails were super perfect and that I didn''t even NEED the french manicure, but I got it anyway.

The place is called Spa on the Plaza (link), and I went there the first time because it was just down the street from where I used to live. I''ve also gotten facials and pedicures there, and they''re heavenly!
 
Soo...I tried the "Miranda Manicure" and I think it will work very well! My skill at applying the tip polish leaves a lot to be desired, but I think the color combo was a good one.

I also tried Waltz on the tips with Allure over it and that looked really nice, too.
 
Date: 4/22/2008 11:33:07 AM
Author: Giada
Soo...I tried the 'Miranda Manicure' and I think it will work very well! My skill at applying the tip polish leaves a lot to be desired, but I think the color combo was a good one.

I also tried Waltz on the tips with Allure over it and that looked really nice, too.
Click to expand...
Can you post a pic? I'm curious how the softer color looks on the tips. I always get the white polish at the tip of the nail (see pic)and Madmoiselle on the bed.

nails fm madm.jpg
 
I removed the polish because I didn''t do an outstanding job with the tip line. I was just checking for colors. I''ll have them done professionally on Friday and will post pics then.
 
Date: 4/22/2008 12:20:21 PM
Author: baby monster


Date: 4/22/2008 11:33:07 AM
Author: Giada
Soo...I tried the ''Miranda Manicure'' and I think it will work very well! My skill at applying the tip polish leaves a lot to be desired, but I think the color combo was a good one.

I also tried Waltz on the tips with Allure over it and that looked really nice, too.
Click to expand...
Can you post a pic? I''m curious how the softer color looks on the tips. I always get the white polish at the tip of the nail (see pic)and Madmoiselle on the bed.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pic!!! I LOOOVE when the tip of the nail is very thin.... BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Thank you!!
 
I always do American manicures instead of French. I hate the white-out look lol. I managed to find a nude nail polish that once painted on, resembles an American manicure because it makes my tips look more opaque while the rest of my nail looks nude.
 
Date: 4/22/2008 10:01:32 PM
Author: MoonWater
I always do American manicures instead of French. I hate the white-out look lol. I managed to find a nude nail polish that once painted on, resembles an American manicure because it makes my tips look more opaque while the rest of my nail looks nude.
Click to expand...
That sounds interesting, MoonWater. Would you mind sharing the name of the nude polish?

Thanks!
 
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