The Most Popular Type of Manicure

Nails are more than just beauty accessories: they allow us to express ourselves. So selecting your nail shape, color and design is deeply personal.

No matter what style of manicure you desire – from classic French to something completely novel – there are endless choices out there for you. We consulted three manicurists about popular types of manicures in order to help you discover your ideal look.

French Manicure

The French manicure is an elegant and timeless nail look beloved by many. Achieve a perfect French manicure is an art that requires practice to master, so to achieve salon-quality results follow these essential steps and avoid common errors to achieve a polished and professional finish.

Starting off a French manicure requires prepping your nails by cleaning them thoroughly with gentle soap, then applying two layers of polish – including base coat. Once that step has been taken, add base coat and two more layers.

Sheer or nude shades are a classic choice for French manicures, but you can experiment with various color choices to personalize and differentiate your design. Pastel colors like pink or peach add feminine charm, while bolder looks might use white nail polish with eye-catching hues like red or blue for a truly standout statement. Alternatively, try opting for a gel manicure for durability and high shine finish!

Gel Manicure

Gel manicures are increasingly becoming popular for those seeking long-lasting and chip-resistant manicures. A technician typically applies two to three coats of thicker gel-based polish before curing under an LED or UV curing light for drying time.

Gel manicures use specialized polish and curing processes that help minimize chipping and peeling, but their longevity depends on a number of factors such as exposure to water and chemicals as well as physical activity performed with hands.

For maximum lifespan and success with gel manicures, gloves should always be worn, cuticle oil applied, and nails left undisturbed by picking. Regular visits to professional nail salons will also keep nails strong and healthy; remembering a top coat application also extends its lifespan and ensures a longer-lasting manicure without cracking or becoming dull over time.

Acrylic Manicure

While acrylics have long been the go-to manicure option, recently there has been an upsurge in popularity of another form: gel. While acrylic manicures use monomers to form a sticky paste that must then be shaped over your nails using monomer tools, gel nail polish is applied directly onto each nail and then cured using UV light for an extremely durable, shiny mani.

Sculpted acrylic nails use a form to shape natural nails, making it an excellent option for creating longer or curvedier nails or applying intricate designs. A standard set costs anywhere between $100-150 according to Kandalec.

To extend the longevity of your acrylics, take steps to care for both nails and cuticles in a manner appropriate to them. Apply cuticle oil or moisturizer as appropriate. Wear gloves when performing chores to avoid moisture seeping under your nails. Furthermore, schedule refill appointments every two or three weeks in order to avoid lifting and brittleness of acrylics.

Shellac Manicure

Shellac polish, known for its glossy finish and 14+ day lifespan, has quickly become one of the hottest manicure trends. A Shellac manicure resembles traditional gel polish manicures but instead of applying traditional nail polish the technician applies a base coat, two color coats, and then topcoats as part of this trend.

Before applying a layer of Shellac, the technician will prepare the nails by buffing and applying cuticle oil or vaseline to protect cuticles against damage. A layer of Shellac will then be applied and cured under UV lights.

According to Seney, this process takes around 15 minutes. Next up is applying a clear topcoat that protects and lengthens nails for long-term success.

For effective Shellac manicure removal, all that’s required is an acetone-based nail polish remover and cotton pads or squares of aluminum foil. While you could try the “soaking method” at home (using cotton pads soaked in nail polish remover and wrapping them around your nails for approximately ten minutes), this tends to be less successful than visiting a salon for removal services.