Would you like to get the perfect French manicure Shellac nails but don’t know where to start? Here is a complete guide on CND Shellac French manicure, including the best Shellac and Vinylux colors for a French manicure. Let’s jump right in!
French manicure is a popular style of natural-looking manicure. It has a sheer nude or light pink polish as the base. And the tip of the nail is painted white. It’s called the smile line of French manicure. This style of nail design is a timeless classic. It’s an ideal match for any outfit and suits any occasion and dress code. French manicure is also a hot choice for weddings, as it looks gorgeous with any gown.
CND Shellac French manicure
CND Shellac is the perfect nail polish for a French manicure because with the right application it can stay on your nails for at least 14 days, as CND promises.
And your manicure will stay classy, clean, and tidy for these two weeks.
The nails will look natural but better and shinier.
Before Shellac and other gel nail polishes were invented, it was a pain to do a French manicure with ordinary polishes.
They dried too quickly and it was too hard to paint the smile line.
You had to use special strips to contain the smile line.
However, Shellac is a gel nail polish and it dries only when it’s cured in a UV lamp.
So you can easily paint the smile line and correct it as needed before you dry your French manicure Shellac nails.
Shellac is a durable gel nail polish with a wide array of light pink and nude colors.
So you can select the shade that fits you best.
Shellac has a sister polish CND Vinylux, which has absolutely the same color palette as Shellac. All the colors are identical.
Vinylux is a new-generation gel-like polish that lasts longer than regular polishes (for up to 7-10 days) and has amazing shine but doesn’t need UV light to get cured.
Here are the best Shellac and Vinylux colors for French manicure nails.
White colors for painting the smile line on Shellac and Vinylux French manicure nails
CND Vinylux Cream Puff
Cream Puff is CND Shellac’s and Vinylux’s most famous shade of white in their huge array of nail polishes.
It’s an opaque pure white polish. Not milky, with no cream or pink undertones. Just simple pristine white.
Cream Puff is the perfect white color for painting the French manicure nail tip, which is also called the smile line.
It goes on very smoothly.
Since it’s an opaque white color, it’s often enough to use just one layer of Cream Puff to paint the smile line on each nail. It instantly offers full coverage.
However, some people prefer two layers of white polish on the tips for even better coverage.
Applying it:
Just make sure it’s two thin layers, not thick, to prevent a visible ridge from appearing between the smile line and the base color on the nails.
Also, be careful to avoid bubbles when picking up a bit of this nail polish from the bottle. Wipe the excess polish off before applying it.
The brush should have almost no polish on to ensure smooth application.
Again, apply very thin layers of Cream Puff and you won’t get any bubbles or ridges.
CND Vinylux Studio White
CND Shellac and Vinylux have another white color named Studio White.
It’s different from Cream Puff because it’s a softer white.
It looks less bright than the super-white Shellac Cream Puff.
Natural-looking white:
Some people don’t like super bright white even for their French manicure nail tips.
So Studio White is a great, more natural-looking alternative.
Studio White is also easier to apply than Cream Puff.
In addition to using Studio White for painting the French manicure smile line, you can use it as a base color and make a white on white French manicure with Cream Puff on the tips.
These two shades are different and create a nice subtle contrast. With Studio White being a more subdued, neutral looking white.
Base: best Shellac and Vinylux colors for French manicure
What colors should be used as the base:
CND Vinylux Negligee
CND Shellac and Vinylux Negligee is my favorite Shellac and Vinylux color for a French manicure and my preferred shade of nude-pink overall.
It’s a sheer pinky nude with a bit of pastel blue shimmer.
You barely notice the blue tint of the shimmer, but it looks so cute!
Absolutely gorgeous!
Negligee is the most glamorous of all pinky-nudes. And it’s ideal for weddings.
It’s so sheer that I prefer applying it in 3 layers instead of the usual 2 (that CND recommends) when wearing only this polish, without the smile line.
But just one layer of Negligee looks fine for a clean and natural French manicure. Two layers are the best though.
CND Vinylux Beau
CND Shellac and Vinylux Beau is perfect for a dainty French manicure.
Beau is a sheer creamy iridescent neutral pink nail polish.
It’s so sheer that it’s almost clear, with just the right amount of pink to look clean and natural on the nails.
But it looks so pretty!
Photos can’t do it justice at all.
Shellac/Vinylux Beau is a good choice for a wedding manicure too.
CND Vinylux Romantique
CND Shellac and Vinylux Romantique is a sheer light milky pink nail polish color.
It looks great on its own. And, of course, it’s a perfect nude base for a French manicure.
This color reminds me of delicate porcelain.
Top choice:
There are many nail techs who believe this is an ideal shade for a classic French manicure. Another hit on our list of the best Shellac colors for French manicure.
Romantique is another nice option for a wedding.
It’s not the easiest color to apply, as it often comes out in streaks.
Some people go as far as applying up to 4 coats of Shellac/Vinylux Romantique for a smoother look because it’s so sheer.
So don’t forget to apply it in very thin layers, wiping the brush before you do it. The same as you do with Cream Puff.
CND Shellac Nude Knickers
CND Shellac and Vinylux Nude Knickers is a sheer natural beige nail polish color with a pink undertone.
Really classy!
This peachy nude is a bit muted and looks best when you apply it in 2 layers.
It’s very subtle and close to the natural nail color.
Some nail salon clients ask their techs to apply it in 4 layers for better coverage when wearing only this polish.
Cake Pop
If you prefer a pink French manicure rather than a more natural-looking one, then CND Shellac/Vinylux Cake Pop is for you.
So pink!
Cake Pop is a cute light candy cotton shade of pink with a slight violet undertone.
It’s very delicate, sweet and feminine, and it’s more opaque than the pink colors listed above.
Apply Cake Pop in very thin layers for smooth coverage.
Applying it in 2 layers is the best option for this color, or it would look too uneven.
CND Vinylux Blush Teddy
CND Shellac and Vinylux Blush Teddy is a delicate light shade of pink with a slight shimmer.
Blush Teddy is another Shellac/Vinylux gel nail polish for those who prefer a pink French manicure.
It’s more subdued than Cake Pop though.
Blush Teddy is also warmer in tone than Cake Pop. It’s a lighter version of blush pink like Rose Bud, the popular feminine Shellac/Vinylux polish from our list of 15 most popular Shellac colors.
CND Vinylux Naked Naïveté
CND Shellac and Vinylux Naked Naïveté is a pinky beige color. I’d call it a peachy pink.
It’s really nice on its own as a nude polish, but looks pretty good as a base for a French manicure.
Shellac/Vinylux Naked Naïveté is close to white, so the smile line wouldn’t have too much contrast with the rest of the nail.
You should apply it in very thin layers too because otherwise this Shellac and Vinylux color would make streaks and won’t provide even coverage.
Bare Chemise
CND Shellac and Vinylux Bare Chemise is a very light peachy nude nail polish color.
This polish looks very nice on its own. Just use it as a nude manicure color.
Nude base:
And, of course, it’s ideal as the nude base shade for a traditional French manicure.
In fact, Shellac/Vinylux Bare Chemise is also a perfect base shade for a French manicure with colored tips, such as red, hot pink, etc.
Clearly Pink
CND Shellac and Vinylux Clearly Pink is the brand’s most natural-looking sheer pink.
It’s an excellent base for a classic French manicure.
Almost clear:
Clearly Pink, as the name suggests, is actually closer to a clear polish with an addition of a pink tint. It is really sheer.
I don’t recommend applying only one layer of Clearly Pink. It would be barely noticeable on the nails. So 2-3 layers are the best.
Using this color for a French manicure makes your nails look very elegant and clean.
Choose this color if you want your nails to appear as natural as possible. For example, when you have dress code restrictions or prefer to do a more subtle French manicure.
Colored CND Shellac and Vinylux French manicure
One of the latest trends in nail design is doing CND Shellac and Vinylux French manicure with a colored smile line instead of a white one.
The base color usually stays the same neutral pink or beige.
You can use any color in CND’s vast palette for the nail tips when doing this style of French manicure.
It could be a vibrant red, a bright yellow or a hot pink.
Or a dark shade of blue or burgundy.
And even a light pastel color like lilac, pink or mint would look great.
Just make sure that the pastel colors contrast the light pink or neutral base color.
How to apply Shellac
Shellac requires a multi-step process to apply it to your nails and to ensure it looks great and stays on the nails for at least 14 days, as CND promises.
No need to remove the top layer of the natural nail for better bonding, like you may have to do with some other gel nail polishes.
Prepare the nails
Before you apply the Shellac base coat you need to remove any excess cuticle and hangnails and purify the nail plate by using nail cleanser with a lint-free wipe.
Base coat
Then you need to apply a thin layer of the base coat, and cure it in the CND UV lamp, as the manufacturer suggests.
It’s best to use lamps manufactured by CND for curing Shellac because they are set up precisely for working with Shellac.
Shellac color polish
After that apply 2 layers of the color Shellac polish, curing each layer in the lamp, before applying the next one.
Some sheer polishes may require 3-4 layers for the perfect look.
Begin the application of each layer by swiping the brush against the tip of the extension edge of the nail to seal it.
Top coat
Finish your manicure off by applying one layer of Shellac top coat, curing it under the lamp, and wiping the nails with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol by using a lint-free wipe.
This is necessary to remove the top film that makes your nails sticky.
How to do a French manicure with Shellac
After you have applied the base coat layer and held it under the lamp, apply two layers of the pink French manicure base color. Such as Shellac Beau, Clearly Pink, Romantique, Negligee, Ice Bar.
Actually, some people even prefer applying only one layer of a pinky nude polish to make their nails look as natural as possible.
Smile line
Paint the white tip, also known as the smile line, with a couple of swipes along the edge of the nail (from side to center) of Shellac Cream Puff or Shellac Studio White.
You can see how to paint a white French manicure smile line in more detail in the video embedded above.
Correct the smile line with a gel nail brush lightly moistened with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
You can also draw the smile line with a nail art stylus AKA the dotting pen tool dipped in white Shellac nail polish.
When applying the opaque white Shellac Cream Puff color, make sure you don’t produce any bubbles.
The smile line is often applied in one layer.
But it’s OK to apply two layers of white color to fully cover the tips.
Then cover the nails with a thin layer of Shellac top coat.
Cure each layer of the base color, the smile line and the top coat in the lamp after you apply them.
CND Shellac French manicure: Colored smile line
If you want to make a colored smile line instead of the white one use any bright or pastel-colored Shellac instead of Cream Puff or Studio White on the tip of the nail.
Just make sure the color contrasts the base pink color well.
Shellac French manicure short nails
Doing French manicure on short nails involves the same steps as when doing it on long nails.
You also need to apply the base coat, add two layers of the base color, such as light pink Shellac color, paint a smile line with Shellac Cream Puff or Studio White and apply the top coat, curing each layer as you go.
However, you are more dependent on correcting the smile line with a gel brush dipped in Isopropyl Alcohol.
And you also need to make sure no polish is left on your skin, especially when you seal the edge and paint the white tips.
Wipe off the excess polish from your skin before you cure it with a lamp. Otherwise, it would peel and your manicure won’t hold for the promised 14 days.
It’s a lot more difficult to do a Shellac French manicure on short nails.
You need a lot of practice.
It requires so much precision that you feel like performing surgery.
You have to have a steady hand.
And sealing the edges isn’t easy either.
How to remove Shellac
Put a cotton ball moistened in acetone-based Shellac removal liquid to each of your nails and wrap the tip of each finger in a piece of foil. Hold it for about 5 minutes to soak Shellac off.
I hope you’ll be able to do amazing French manicure shellac nails with the help of these tips and this selection of the best Shellac colors for French manicure.
Recommended reading:
Most Popular Shellac Colors – The Ultimate List Of 15 Best Shellac Colors For Fantastic Manicures
Best Professional Gel Nail Polish Brands Used In Salons
Best Gel Base And Top Coat: The Updated List Of The Best Gel Nail Base And Top Coat Sets
Best Nail Dryer Table: Choose A Perfect Nail Drying Table Or A Nail Drying Station For Your Salon
Pedicure Trolley Cart Buying Guide: Get The Best Pedicure Cart For Your Salon
Best Small Salon Reception Desk: Make An Amazing First Impression
Best White Salon Reception Desk: Create The Perfect Focal Point For Your Salon
