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French Manicure: History, Trends, Occasions & Instructions

French Manicure: History, Trends, Occasions & Instructions

French manicure, as you’ve probably already known, has a long history. It is an extremely classy and quintessentially chic manicure design that every woman had in her life at least one on her nails. The phenomenon of French manicure is not so obvious, however. There are women that cannot imagine their lives without it and ask for it every single time they go to the beauty salon. However, there are some that find French manicure a thing of a past. Who is right? Is French manicure still trendy and if so, what is the history of it? In addition if you’re curious, which occasion is the best to have French manicure on your nails and how to do it to achieve a satisfying effect – below you’ll find the answers for all of these questions. In the article you’ll find the information, what kind of nail polishes to choose and how to apply them correctly.

A surprising history of French manicure

Despite the name “French manicure” this kind of a manicure doesn’t come from France. Surprised? Probably yes, that’s why here is the real story of French manicure. It was created in 1975 by President of Orly International Jeff Pink. At that time he used to be an American beauty supplier working in Hollywood. And the reason why he invented French manicure was the fact that necessity is the mother of invention. Whilst the directors of the films that Jeff Pink was cooperating with started complaining on the actresses’ colors of the nails. Changing the manicure for the given costume and scenes was taking too much time. That is why Jeff was asked to think of something that would suit all clothes and stylization. Back then the French manicure was invented.

Due to the white tips of nails and a flesh-tones polish on the whole nail – French manicure started to be chosen by more an more women, not only actresses. As white nail polish was not very popular and available at the time, Jeff Pink decided to produce it and sell on a large scale. He designed the Natural Look Nail Kit – a set of white and nude polishes. Then the trends started to appear on French fashion shows and later on it got the common name “French manicure”.

Trends in French manicure through the years

French manicure appeared quite suddenly. At first, as it wasn’t an Instagram era, it wasn’t spreading so fast throughout the world. However when two popular stars, Barbra Streisand and Cher, wore French manicure on TV, most women’s desire was to try it. And once they’d tried it, they fell in love with it.

Throughout the years French manicure was changing. At first it looked in a different way than nowadays. The white polish used on the tips of nails was visibly cut. The rest of the nail looked extremely natural – there was only transparent polish to cover the rest of the nail and protect the white top of it. However, during the years French manicure was constantly changing. The transparent polish used to be replaced by other colors, like milky, nude or light pink, yet the white tip was still there.

Then, at some point, French manicure disappeared. Probably women got bored with it and decided to change it for other kind of manicure. However it came back. Yet in new, fresh version. Nowadays there are a lot of possibilities to create something more than just a regular, classy French manicure.  

How to make a perfect French manicure?

French manicure requires a little bit of experience. To make a perfect white tip, cut in the place it should be is a difficult task. However, there are methods and tools that make it easier and possible to do even at home.

First step to make a perfect French manicure is to take care of your nails. Remove cuticles, shape your nails and polish it with a tile. If your nails are too short to make French manicure visible – you can extend them. There are special nail forms available that will allow you to do it with almost no effort. Secondly, choose the white nail polish and the cover one – it only depends on you, which one you’ll decide for. You can also add some twist to it. For example, small French words on tips of nails are the most wanted way to make French manicure look more modern. To do this you’ll need only thin brush to paint the words precisely. There is also an idea to make the snowy French manicure – instead of white nail polish on tips use a glitter. That twist will notice only the most perceptive observants. You can also use any other color instead of white or glitter or even make an ombre pattern on tips of your nails. The only limit here is your imagination. 

What occasions is French manicure suitable for?

French manicure is classy, elegant and nowadays can even become a little bit extravagant. Yet, it is suitable for every occasion. If you don’t like your nails to be covered with one color, choose French manicure. If you prefer natural looking manicure – the French one will also be the best option. It is the best for every day. When you go to work, change your clothes, wear sporty and casual uniforms. If you work in a company that requires elegant clothes – French manicure will also fit this situation. And what about some special occasions? As you can guess – French manicure will also be a great choice then. It suits every color and every style, so you can do it once and don’t think of your nails for a few weeks.