I love the way a nicely done french manicure looks on a woman, it just looks so clean & pretty.  I have attempted many times  to do this on myself, always failing miserably    I am wondering if anybody has any tips, suggestions, or secrets on how to do this yourself and have it look nice.  I have bought the kits that come with the two different polishes (the white for the tips and the sheer pink for the rest of the nail), and also the guide strips- it seems like it should be so easy, but not when I try!  OK, this is what I do, so someone can tell me if I'm doing something wrong...

First I apply a clear base coat & let dry.  Then I put the sticky guide strips on and apply the white to the tips and let dry.  Now, next you're supposed to pull the strips off and apply the sheer pink over the entire nail to seal in the white tip- but when I peel my strips off there is not a clean line at the edge of the white polish.  There is a sharp ridge at the edge, & usually some of the white manages to get under the strip and leave smudgy blotches.  So, I never even bother w/ the pink part, because I always end up with the nail polish remover taking the white tips back off, and extremely frustrated that I even wasted my time (again)! 

I'm hoping that one (or some) of you hair divas are nail divas too, and can shed some light on this manicure mystery for me!  TIA!

Thanks BB, the quest goes on........

Well my nails are "perfect" so I rarely get a manicure myself. however, when you put on the guiding strips, do you do it after the pink part has dried, because I think it's supposed to be ike that. or you might try painting the white part firsta nd then putting the in the pink. I also see that the left had or the weaker hand gives people trouble when it's time to use it.

That's a good idea! i tried it once freehand and it worked!

First of all, maggie, I must say that you are one lucky lady if your nails are long and healthy enough to do a French manicure on in the first place. 

Secondly, when I did my own French manicures, many years ago, I would do just the opposite and cover the entire nail with the sheer pink first, then let it dry and apply the sticky strips. Then apply the white tips and let them dry completely. This may be where your problems come into play. You have to allow the tips ample time to dry! Then finish with a clear coat all over, and you're good to go.

The last time I tried to do this, however, I noticed that they started making the strips a lot thicker and stickier, so it's harder to pull them off without completely ruining your delicate work! Dear me...

These days, I'm perfectly happy with blood red and black. 

A long time ago, I tried strips and freehand.  Strips are definitely hard to work with. 

I found this page that shows how to do it by first applying the white (doesn't have to be perfect) then you use a different brush and acetone to slowly remove the paint and form the tip shape. 

http://trangalang.com/tuts/cosmetics/french.php

Cynde

lol maggie, you're definitely not alone on the "getting ready" point. I totally hear you there.

What sux most (I think) is waiting and waiting for your nails to dry. Meanwhile, you have countless things to do, all of which require the use of your hands. 

But indeed, you are lucky to be able to grow your nails long naturally. Your hair must be in excellent shape! 

My nails are so thin that all I can do is keep them short....which works because as an artist/typist/musician, I work with my hands a lot. 

Best of luck on the freehand method. Let us know how it turns out!

Ok, I finally gave it another shot.  What I did is I put on a base coat of clear ridge filler (Avon Smooth Beginnings), then put a coat of a sheer neutral shade on, let dry well, and then did the tips last (using the free hand method).  But, instead of using bright white, I used a french vanilla, which doesn't stand out as much (wich means the imperfections don't either!)  I was really happy with the results, except my lack of patience kept them from staying nice for very long.  Tip:  don't decide to do laundry like 4 minutes after carefully painting your nails...just does not work out.  Nope, not at all.  Not in the least.  At all.  Nope.