Women seem to be split into two camps as far as their choices of manicures are concerned; some prefer the look of a French manicure whilst the other women prefer the look of an American manicure.
With a almost nude, pale pink base color and nail tips painted the whitest of white, the French manicure looks elegant and stylish. Moreover the look is very versatile and suits all kinds of outfits whether casual or formal.
Some women however, find this look very overpowering and they prefer a look that is a big more toned-down. They prefer the look of an American manicure.
Although American manicures have some similarities with French manicures there are a few major differences. French manicures, with their bright white tips can be rather bold. American manicures, on the other hand paint the nail tips using an opaque white nail polish. In an American manicure the tips are painted first and then the neutral shade or light pink shade is applied on top of it. The result is a look that is soft, simple and glamorous.
If you want to get an American manicure done you can easily do this at home by yourself. However if you feel you'd rather get your nails manicured in a professional salon, it would set you back $10, without applying acrylic tips and about $30 with acrylic tips. When you go to a salon you also get the extra bonus of a luxurious hand massage free.
American manicure sets are available at almost all department stores or drug stores for a do-it-yourself manicure. Most kits are quite reasonably priced and can do a pretty decent job. If you want to buy a top of the line kit like the one that you saw on the table in the beauty salon, you would have to go to a beauty supply retailer. The manicure sets they sell are similar to the one you saw at the salon.
Here are some of the requirements necessary to give yourself an American manicure:
* Nail polish remover- preferably one that is non-acetone based
* Cotton balls
* Basic manicure equipment including nail scissors, nail clippers and a nail file
* Nail polish in a soft white or opaque color as well as a light pink color.
* Stencils, also called manicure adhesive strips for applying the white paint on the nail tips
* Clear top coat that offers the manicure protection and makes it resistant to chipping
If you are giving yourself an American manicure, make sure you first clean your nails thoroughly and remove all existing nail polish. After filing your nails down to the desired shape and size, apply a think base coat in the chosen color. Then you apply the adhesive strips and paint the white over them. Remove the strips when the nail polish is dry and then apply a fine protection layer.
The soft, simple look of an American manicure looks classy with any outfit and enhances your nails beautifully.
