More often than not, a pink and white manicure is often mistaken for a French manicure. There’s a certain resemblance they share, so it’s easy to get confused if you don’t exactly know one from the other.
Although they share similar colors, there are several differences between these two manicures. It is first important to establish what a pink and white and a French manicure is.
What is a French Manicure?
French manicure is a particular technique of nail design. It involves painting the body of your natural nail pink and the tip, white. This can be done with regular or gel polish.
There are more creative applications of this manicure. One of them is called Reverse French Manicure. Here, the white color is painted like a crescent moon at the base of the nail.
What are Pink And White Nails?
Pink and white nails is a manicure style consisting of a pink base on a white tip. They are typically achieved by sculpting acrylic or gel to a plastic tip.
Differences Between Pink And White Nails and French Manicure
The major differences between pink and white nails and French manicures are the methods of application and their look.
A french manicure refers to a traditional nail design using pink polish with a white tip, while the pink and white nail is a style of nail enhancement using acrylic powder or gel.
Looks Comparison
The classic French manicure is usually of short to medium length. The shape of the nails is either rounded or squared.
Pink and white nails may look exactly like a french manicure or they may be creatively twisted. A pink and white nail is just a manicure style with both colors on each nail.
The nail technician may decide to arrange the colors to look like a french manicure, do it like an ombre fade, or put them side by side vertically.
The length varies according to the customers’ preference and it can be filed into any shape.
Method of Application
A french manicure is applied by using regular nail polish on the natural nails. After nail prep is done, a base coat is painted onto the nails before the colors.
Then, the pink color is painted on the full nail, before the white is added to the tip. Lastly, a top coat is applied to seal in the colors and increase the duration of the manicure.
For pink nails on the other hand…
First, your nails have to be prepared by washing, filing, buffing and using a dehydrating solvent to clean off any remaining oils and dirt.
Then, a nail extension is glued onto the natural nail or a nail form is fit over the natural nail. Then, a brush is used to mix the acrylic liquid and pink powder which forms a bead that is smoothed over the nail to form the pink base.
After making the pink base, the brush is used to mix the acrylic liquid with white powder this time, which is shaped into the tip of the nail.
If nail forms were used, they are taken out now, and the filing and shaping of the nail follow. After all of this is done, two or three layers of top coat are applied and the nails are good to go.
How Long They Last
French manicures typically last around four days. If you don’t do a lot of stressful activities with your hands, they can last a whole week.
The lifespan of your french manicure can be extended by applying a coat of clear nail polish every day or every two days.
Pink and white nails can last two to three weeks, depending on the environment and work conditions they are exposed to and also how fast your nails grow.
If you want to extend the duration of your manicure, you can get a fill-in every two to three weeks or when you see some noticeable growth from your natural nails.
How Long it Takes to Get Done
From my experience, a french manicure can take up to 45 minutes to one hour to get done. This is because of the time spent on nail prep, and most importantly, creating the white tip perfectly.
Acrylic pink and white nails can take one and a half hours to complete. The time taken is for the molding, filing, nail prep, and curing with a UV lamp.
Cost Comparison
A french manicure can cost between $25 to $30 if done with regular polish and $45 to $50 if done with gel polish.
Pink and white acrylic nails can cost $45 to $50 or more, depending on the salon and the type of design.
Here are a few differences between a french manicure and pink and white nails. Hopefully, you will no longer be confused when next you visit a salon and it’s time to make a choice.
FAQs on Pink and White Nails Vs French Manicure
Are pink and white nails the same as French manicures?
Pink and white nails consist of white tips on a pink nail base. They closely resemble French manicures but are created with different materials and different techniques.
Why are pink and white nails more expensive?
Pink and white nails take more skill, more time, and more products which is why your salon or personal manicurist will charge higher than they charge for a French manicure.