More and more American women today seem to preferring French manicures. The reason for this seems to be because of the universal nature of French manicures. They suit any occasion- whether it is a casual jeans and t-shirt affair or whether it is an ultra-formal affair.

The characteristic feature of the French manicure is the light pink or almost nude base coat and the bright white fingernail tips. Go to any American nail salon and they are sure to be familiar with the French manicure. Adding a few designs to your nails will give extra pizzazz to your already-glamorous French manicure.

It may be quite difficult to obtain the professional look of a French manicure by doing it at home. You will be better off going to a salon as all salons have a wide assortment of equipment that is needed to create some unique and exotic designs.

One of the more popular techniques of applying a French manicure is by utilizing an airbrush machine. This innovative machine helps to achieve a smooth, even white line at the tips of the nails. Many manicurists are experts in the art of using the airbrush machine to create some amazing designs.

If you use a stencil on your nails and then use the airbrush machine over it, it can create a dramatic effect of a classic French manicure with a distinct antique look. You can even add color to your French manicure by getting the manicurist to airbrush or to draw a design on your nails.

Some of the more popular designs include letter initials, palm trees and flowers as well as other designs that are symbolic of certain holidays such as pumpkins for fall, Christmas trees in winter and red hearts for Valentines Day.

Sometimes even tiny gems or colorful stones are stuck on to the nails for a more glamorous look. The stones are sometimes applied individually and sometimes they are painted on to achieve the desired effect. The stones are applied using a small pair of tweezers and a drop of glue. After they are stuck on, a clear top coat is applied over them to help seal in the stones and prevent them from getting chipped. Applying these little gems gives your nails a sparkly look that is bound to attract a lot of attention. Some people prefer to have the gems painted on to the nails of only one hand whereas other do not mind applying these gems on to the fingernails of both hands.

Nail tattoos are another design that is popularly used in French manicures. These nail tattoos are basically just transfers that are directly rubbed onto the nails from a printed paper and are similar in concept and application as faux tattoos that are applied to the different parts of the body. A top coat is applied onto the tattoo so that it lasts longer. Nail tattoos come in a vast assortment of designs that you can choose from depending on the occasion as well as your personal preference.

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