Basic French Manicure #1

Orly Bare Rose as a base, Orly Soft White on the tips and Orly Fifty Four on top

French manicures – pornstar or posh?

Um, I have a bit of a confession.  I used to be
a fake nail addict.  Not the gross, inch-thick, very obviously fake, $15 a fill acrylics, but the less obviously fake, super durable, often sparkly $35 a fill gels.  I know that doesn’t excuse me, but for some reason my nails really refused to grow out when I was younger and I was dying for beautiful, long nails.

But even though I used to be a fake nail addict and got French manis all the time, I never rocked pornstar nails – know what the secret is?  Using a soft white for the tip instead of a bright, stark white – I wrote about that a few weeks ago, remember?

Anyway, I’ve been on the hunt for a good eggshell white nail polish for French tips for my natural nails, just like the gel colour I used to get when I had fakies – and it’s not easy.  See, I used to use Essie’s Ballet Slipper but I don’t like that it’s pinkish – I want eggshell, which is more natural-looking.  

So I searched online and took home a few whites to try.  The one I’m sporting here is Orly’s Soft White (over a coat of Orly’s Bare Rose and under two coats of Orly’s Fifty Four).  Unfortunately, this one was very streaky, so going over any booboos would ruin the whole nail and I’d have to start over.  I normally prefer pigmented products but this one was so pigmented that it looked really chalky – precisely why I avoid stark white polishes.

So…the hunt continues.  I do love Bare Rose and Fifty Four, though. :/