Zee French Manicure

    Combien Beau! Zee French Manicure :)  For non-nail painters (Don't feel like I'm alienating you, I used to ignore my nail beds too...) the French Manicure is a nail design that mocks unpainted nails, glamorizing the natural look of a fingernail. The nail tip is painted white while the rest is painted a pink or shade of nude, making your fingernail look whiter, shinier, and cleaner than humanly possible!

      Yes, I admit that I have always found French tips to be a bit ridiculous (are we in denial that dirt gets under our fingernails? We can't come to grips with the fact that our nails are naturally off-white and dull?) but they can be no more ridiculous than mascara or high heels or lipstick or any of those wonderful things! So, despite the fact that French tips are totally unconvincing, I have completely converted to the French way of thinking :)

    About a year ago, I got lessons on how to do my own French Manicure from Sister Hansen, a member in my local congregation. I had tried many times before to paint the tips of my nails white using my own creative techniques: Taping off the bottom part of my nails to make a sort of stencil (messy and ineffective), using a very thin brush and delicate strokes to paint a precise line (impossible), and buying French-tipped stick-on nails (cheap). After learning from her, though, I can now paint a perfect set of French tipped nails that will last at least a week (and I don't have to go to the salon to do it!)

Ancient Egyptian manicurists and pedicurists

   Before I share my account of how I shared this valuable piece of folk knowledge, I first want to give a brief history of the manicure. No one knows for certain where the French Manicure originated, but the style became popular in America in the 1920s and 30s. The history of the manicure itself, however, began 5000 years ago.

Dowager Cixi and her manicured nails... Cute, Cixi!

 
 "Manicure" is derived from the Latin word "Manus" meaning "hand" and "curas" meaning "care". India is where we find first documentation of manicures being performed. Using henna, women would color their nails. 4000 years ago in Babylonia, manicuring tools were crafted out of solid gold. Men and women painted their nails in China and Eqypt, with different colors of polish and varying lengths indicating rank. Ancient Roman commanders painted their nails and lips the same color before going out to battle. The Dowager Empress Cixi of China (1861-1908) was famous for her long, well manicured nails.

   Nowadays, manicures have become a part of our hygiene. Men and women are expected to have clean, tidy nails. Dirty nails imply dirty hands, which we can assume is a health concern. Nails don't have to be painted or even well-shaped to be acceptable, but a nice manicure (for women, of course) is the icing on the cake, the finishing touch for any look.

Me doing one hand...

Her doing the other...

Looking good!

   This week I taught my roommate, Jennica Lang, to do her own French Manicure. Yes, it's silly and girly but this is the time of our lives for us to look our best! French Manicures provide that added sophistication and source of confidence that's important right here and now in our lives. Not only is this a useful skill that not many girls know how to do well on their own (French Manicures, not just painting), but manicures and pedicures are such a social thing in the world of women. For example, last Saturday the girls in my hall and I all piled into one dorm to watch the football game and paint nails. By the end of the game none of us knew the score but we all had freshly manicured nails! Painting nails is also a form of service, I used to go to "Glamour Gals" meetings where we did nails for women in Nursing homes. There is no better way to get an old lady to share the secrets of her life than through sharing acetone with her :)