{DIY} french manicure

back in high school i used to love to get my nails done at the salon. i wasn't much into fake nails because i would always bite them and they would pop off long before they should have which was totally not worth the money. but getting french tips painted on was only $10 and that was worth it to me. 

after several times getting my nails done i realized what they were doing wasn't really rocket science and i could totally do it at home. {which comes in handy on our student budget these days}

well it's been about 6-7 years and i think it's about time i share this money saving technique! 

{btw} i have learned that doing my fingers takes a bit more time and patience since i'm not the most coordinated with my left hand. usually i don't do my finger nails that often because they only last about a week {sometimes longer with touch-ups} but it only takes about 30 min. for my toes and they pretty much always last for a month. 

so here's the stuff i use. 

q-tips, nail polish remover, white nail polish with a regular brush, clear nail polish. 

i have tried different kinds of nail polish and "sinful colors" white is my favorite because it isn't too thick and it is easy to take off with the q-tips. "sally hansen"{diamond strength} clear nail polish drys pretty quickly and i really think it is the reason the polish stays on so well. 

 step 1: {after you have clipped/filed}paint the tips of your nails with white nail polish. 

on my toes i go side to side.  on my fingers i start a little lower than the middle and pull towards the end of the nail. do two thin coats. 

 step 2:  pour some nail polish remover into the cap and dip the q-tip in. then immediately begin rubbing back and forth on the nail to make a straight line. {also remove any nail polish from the skin}
*at the salon they use a small makeup/paint brush thing and dip it into polish remover i just found out from a friend that you can buy one at Sally's*

 step 3: finish with two coats of clear nail polish....and some lotion because the nail polish remover makes your skin dry out: )

bonus tip: apply another clear coat after about 2 weeks to make them last!

{old instgram pic after doing my finger nails}