French mani/pedi- Cheap looking????

[Gym Girl]

Hi, my fellow Fashionistas!

 

I read an article in "Allure," written by their beauty editors- where they gave tips, picks, and opinions. One thing they said was that French manicures and pedicures look cheap, and that you should either paint your nails and toes in a pale pink or neutral shade or bright crimson- nothing else.

 

What do you all think? Jane110- since you're a New Yorker, I'd especially like to "hear" your opinion!

 

thanks all!

 

Betsy

[BlueHerons]

They've also been saying chandelier earrings have been out for the past couple of years but have you noticed the runways and red carpet?

 

I think short nails look nice no matter what the color. I don't know if I'd do both manicure and pedicure all dark or all light but one light and one dark. Example, red tonails and french manicure on my hands.

 

What I think looks weird is the white nail polish.

[bjboothman]

Betsy, my first thought is that if you look back 6 -12 issues, they'd probably tell you just the opposite.

 

My preference is that if you bother with a pedicure polish, it should match your manicure polish, but that's just my personal rule for ME and ME ALONE.

 

Since the experts at Allure no doubt change their tune every few months, I don't PERSONALLY give a lot of credence to what they think looks cheap.

[Gym Girl]

Thanks for the opinions! I tend to to with darker polish in the winter months, and lighten up in the spring and summer. And I usually go French on nails and toes on vacations- it's fresh and clean, and goes with everything.

 

I definitely agree that shorter nails look much better than long "talons." Long, fake nails look really phony, and tacky. But I see them everywhere- esp. with air brush designs- ick!

 

Betsy

[Ehpride]

I don't usually listen to fashion magazines. It can take a little bit of time as far as trends go to get here or leave here so I go more by what I like and what I see in stores than I do magazines.

 

If I had nails, I'd do a french manicure, but alas, I have a bad nail-biting habit.

[windermere]

I think the french manny looks great with a tan. It is my only choice for vacation!

[MamaParrotHead]

I plan on getting BOTH for my trip. :)

[Nliedel]

Why oh why do we, as women, let some darn magazine who is looking for the new stuff and damning the old stuff TO SELL NEW STUFF, dictate what we should feel good in? A clean looking nail, in a French Manicure, if a shorter nail, looks elegant. No I do not like Dragon Lady nails (supre long) in a French Manicure but I am not the "Fashion Goddess" either. It looks nice. It lasts. I would get it if you want to. Don't let the magazines force a look on you.. remember when they said Poly Double Knit was great and everyone should buy it? What about Fullback Shoulder Pads? Thong Bikinis? Oh wait.. Stirrup pants.. now there's a winner...

[Jane110]

HI Betsy,

 

Well, I liked the look of a french manicure in the early stages.... They kind of started out to make nails natural looking, but then got very popular with women who wore fake nails, so you'd have a pale nail with a big white square coming out at the end of your finger (think Barbra Streisand in late 80's/early 90's). By that time, I came to dislike the look, but hey, it's fashion and we all have our likes and dislikes.

 

But when the french pedicure came about......well....... I personally never saw anything uglier. My husband, when he first saw one on a woman, asked me what was wrong with her toes. When I explained she wanted them to look that way, he just rolled his eyes. And he's the type who appreciates all the things women do to make themselves prettier.

 

So, while I appreciate you're asking my opinion, I have to tell you that from a *personal* point of view, I'm glad it's "out" and from a *professional* point of view, yes, the look is out.

 

French manicures are not popular with women who consider themselves to be in the forefront of fashion. They're seen on women who feel they don't care what's in fashion and prefer to wear what's comfortable within their own social circles and I'm making no judgement calls about that. It's an individual choice. Being in the fashion industry and part of a large group of fashion executives, I don't see french manicures anymore on fellow members when I attend meetings and events.

 

I wear a sheer white or sheer pink on my fingernails and red on my toes. I like red on my fingers, but my polish chips too quickly and there's nuthin' uglier than chipped red polish. That's something that'll never be in fashion.

 

Jane

[Bargeo]

I'm with you Jane....light on the fingers and red on the toes. O.P.I. has a beautiful off white shade called "Sensuous". I love it. Just for cruises, I like hand painted flowers on the big toes.

[Gym Girl]

Ladies:

 

Thanks so much for all your opinions-- I appreciate it very much!

And Jane110, since I knew you were in the fashion industry, I was esp. interested in your insight!

 

Still haven't decided- but I do know that when I see a woman with a French manicure- the big chunky tips are not attractive. I prefer more of a low key look.

 

Thanks again!

Betsy

[scarletine]

But when the french pedicure came about......well....... I personally never saw anything uglier. My husband, when he first saw one on a woman, asked me what was wrong with her toes. When I explained she wanted them to look that way, he just rolled his eyes. And he's the type who appreciates all the things women do to make themselves prettier.

Gah, I've got to agree with you on the pedicures, Jane. I think that even if your toe nails aren't that long, the white strip across the top makes them look so...I don't know, I just think it looks so icky. My husband doesn't like it either, and he's told me if I ever come home with that, he'll take me back to the salon for a re-polish. Not that he has to worry. :)

 

On the hands, I still think it looks fine, but personally, I switched my fake nails from the French manicure look to just a clear pink coat a couple of years ago. I think it looks much more natural on the rare occasions that I decide to go without polish, and if it happens to take you four weeks to get your next fill, it's a lot less noticeable.

[Jane110]

Bargeo,

 

I'll check out OPI's Sensuous, thanks. I'm always looking for the perfect white or pink to compliment my milky white skin tone. In the salon I often use their brand of "Like Linen" for white and "Ballet Slippers" for pink.

 

For my toes (or the few times I do my fingers red) my all time favorite red is OPI's "Kennebunk-Port".

 

Most red's are either too dark/burgundy for my pale skin or too bright - like a fire-engine red. The Kennebunk-Port is just perfect for my coloring and I get lots of compliments on it. Chanel used to have an incredible red (forgot the name) but they discontinued it.....I HATE that!

 

Jane

[BlueHerons]

Jane, is it Coco red? That is my favorite lipstick and I bet I've bought 100 tubes of the stuff. I love Chanel's Coco Red because it is a perfect blue red and I don't care for orange based reds.

 

Remember to get your salonist to put a good sunblock on your nail polish. The sunblock you put on your body can yellow pale nail polish.

 

I haven't had a french manicure in years and have never had one on my toes.

[Ehpride]

I was having trouble trying to find a good red for my toes too. What I have now is Maybelline's Wet shine Cherry rain. It's not a true red but it's one of the closest I could find and looks shiny, which I like.

[Gym Girl]

I am always on the "hunt" for the perfect red lipstick! I am blonde and very fair- would "Coco Red" work for me???

 

Thanks!

Betsy

[Jane110]

BlueHerons,

 

I don't think it was Coco Red, but then, my brains seems to be Coco these days, so I can't remember for sure!

 

Sunblock on fingernails? Tell me more about this product as I've never heard of it. I use sunblock on my hands, I sure don't want my nails turning yellowish from it!

 

Jane

[BlueHerons]

Betsy, I too am always on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick.

 

Blue based reds make your teeth look whiter whereas orange based reds make your teeth look more yellowish.

 

Chanel's CoCo Red is the perfect blue red that isn't too shiny.

 

Jane, the sunblock is clear nail polish you put over your top coat or you can use instead of a topcoat. There is something in sublock that will change the color of some nail polish.

 

I was in Aruba and the pale pink shade I had on had turned a horrific yellow. It was awful. Before I could get to a drugstore, it looked like I had painted my nails SpongeBob SquarePants yellow. Gag.

[Happy ks]

I have my first tube of Chanel Coco red and I absolutely love it, probably the best red I've ever worn.

 

I have my fingernails done with a French manicure, but they are gels, not acrylic. I also have them trimmed to what the call a "sport length", which is just a narrow strip of white. They actually just look like a regular fingernail with clear polish, but much stronger.

 

I've never gotten used to the French pedicure even though I see it a lot. It always looks to me like they need to cut their toenails. I change my toenail color with the season, red or coral in the winter and I like them to be a tropical drink color in the warmer months.

[marvholly]

I have been doing manicure/pedicures for my cruises since 1998. Toes seem to hold up over 2 weeks. I generally chose a mauvey or coral tone for my toes as that tends to go w/ everything. I have done french on my fingers for a few years but lately tended (last 3-5 years) to go with sheer or opaque light beigey tones to keep down touch up needs. If I am REALLY luckey it will last 5-7m days after I return home w/ work, cooking and laundry.

[happysinglemom]

Totally agree on the toes - no french pedicure for me - looks kinda weird on toes. Frankly I don't care for it on my fingernails either - I like it fine on other people - just not on me. I prefer a clear or natural color on my fingernails, and usually a mauvey/rose color on my toes, but occasionally I'll go with a good red.

[travelgals]

I think the point is to feel and look well groomed and healthy. I love any really sheer polish for fingers, ie ballet slippers, fed up, delicacy. French manicures, designed to look like healthy nails with a white strip can look tacky even though they were so popular in the past. Although it is my personal preference to have fingers and toes match, it really does not matter, so a bright toenail color is great, even with a sheer, natural fingernail, especially on vacation. Do what feels right, it is most important that you feel beautiful.

[ladycaveat]

Hi ya'll . . . I'm so out of fashion . . . I think my son may be right. He's always told me . . . "Mom, you were born before screen doors and dinasaurs." Oh, he's twenty-eight . . . what does he know? Tee Hee! I'm an attorney and the one thing that really turns me off is bright painted fingernails . . . doesn't matter what color . . . from pink or mauve polish to bright red . . . it just doesn't look good with a suit . . . especially in Court. Again . . . that's just me. Some of my fellow attorneys love their blood red nails. I've had french manicured nails for longer than I can remember (before they were even in vogue years ago). I have acrylic nails after years of gels ($21.00 for refils compaired to $48.00 for the gels). My nails are short (less than 1/4 inch) and I personally think (only my opinion), the crisp, fresh look of a french manicure beats any color of polish. On my tooties . . . oh, anything but bright red or pink . . . I sort of like the soft mauves. On my last pedicure, I just told her to pick anything (my feet are so ugly even with my twice a month pedicure . . . I really didn't care). I shutter (or is that shudder . . . hum) . . . anyway . . . I hate that sandal season is but a couple of months away . . . and my Caribbean cruise just a little over a month away. Ohhhh . . . so sad (not the cruise, just my feet)!

[alylee777]

hey girls,

 

In So Cal the new big thing is the American manicure. Very pretty and much more subtle then the french manicure. You can feel like a patriot and have pretty nails!!

A:D

[RenieRaider]

OK. What is an American Manicure? LOL