PARDON MY French!

“French nails but make them glam,” said Kanishka Ramchandani as she ventured into glamourous waters with chic nail art, in collaboration with The Nail Art School by Dipika Parihar. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the look.

Dipika Parihar, a self-taught nail art expert and educator and the head of The Nail Art School, believes in well-rounded nail education that encompasses both techniques and trends. As we planned an exclusive nail art session with Parihar and her team, their dedication and passion were reflected in the way they were eager to share their expertise with our readers and create a look that blends minimalism with high street fashion.

Let’s look at the step-by-step of creating modern French manicure with acrylic tips:

STEP 1

The consultation process began with Mansi Nidke, Nail Educator, The Nail Art School by Dipika Parihar, as she examined my existing nails. We looked up a few trending styles on Instagram, and since I wanted something minimalist yet eye-catching, we decided to go with French nails with a chic twist.

STEP 2

Sanitising the hands – this step is nonnegotiable!

STEP 3

To prep the nails, she applied the Glam cuticle remover on the cuticle area, pushed back the cuticles with the pusher and cut the cuticles with a cutter. She also clipped my nails short and kept their length uniform.

STEP 4

She picked the right size of Glam acrylic tips as per the nail bed of each individual finger. After selecting the tips, she smoothed and buffed them to remove shine.

STEP 5

She applied the Glam dehydrator to my nails, which is crucial to remove moisture from the nail bed and ensure easy sticking of the nail tips.

STEP 6

She then glued the acrylic tips onto my nails and proceeded to cutting and shaping them into a rounded square shape, and smooth buffing them for the next step.

STEP 7

The acrylic tips were now ready for the nail art.

The process started with a layer of the gel base coat and curing.

STEP 8

Two layers of Glam No 26 gel polish in pale pink, with curing done after both applications.

STEP 9

Blood red gel polish for the French tips was the perfect contrast to the pale pink base. Nidke applied the Galm No 04 gel polish and shaped it around the square tips to create a stunning effect.

She worked meticulously with a thin applicator brush to create precise curves and even distribution of colour. She also ensured that the curves of the French tips were uniform

STEP 10

This is part of the above step. Each nail has to be cured separately, making it a timeconsuming process. However, Nidke worked on the fingers on each hand alternately, saving on the overall service time.

STEP 11

The last step was one layer of the top coat. A neat application of the top coat and its curing left my nails looking elegant and glamourous.

STEP 12

She finished the look with generous application of the Glam 11-in-1nail care oil for moisturisation.

Any kind of nail art requires technical expertise and precision. However, it is up to the nail artist to take the process notches higher with their creativity. Not only was I happy with the end result but I was also impressed by the way Nidke did each step with finesse, while maintaining hygiene and cleanliness.