French manicure and babyboom with Nord Nails

The French manicure and the babyboom are the two looks that keep coming back in every salon. With Nord Nails you build both on BIAB: the babyboom from two BIAB shades, the soft French from BIAB Soft Nude with a white tip. Here is how, layer by layer.

What you need

• BIAB Soft Nude: the warm nude base for both looks.
• BIAB Milky Veil: the milky-white veil for the babyboom and for the soft French tip.
• Pure White gel polish: crisp opaque white for the soft French tip.
• Builder Gel Soft Nude: instead of BIAB Soft Nude on long or weak nails.
• Top Glossy: every look is sealed with it, with no sticky layer.

The French and babyboom set bundles one BIAB, Pure White and Top Glossy. The babyboom needs both BIAB shades.

Babyboom, step by step

The babyboom is a soft fade from natural to milky white, built from two BIAB shades. No gel polish is involved.

1. Prep: dehydrator and acid-free primer on the clean nail.
2. Base: one thin coat of BIAB Soft Nude over the whole nail. Do not cure yet.
3. Fade: BIAB Milky Veil from the free edge towards the middle, thin, into the wet Soft Nude. Feather the transition with a dry brush so the milky white runs into the nude.
4. Cure: both layers together, at least 60 seconds under the LED lamp. Because the two shades blend wet into wet, the gradient stays soft and streak-free.
5. Seal: Top Glossy over the whole nail, cure.

Soft French, step by step

The soft French is the classic French with a softer, creamier tip: BIAB Soft Nude as the base, Pure White on the tip.

1. Prep as for the babyboom.
2. Base: one thin coat of BIAB Soft Nude, cure. A second thin coat when the nail needs more support, cure again.
3. Tip: Pure White gel polish with a thin liner brush along the free edge. Work from both corners to the centre and correct with a clean brush before curing. Cure.
4. Seal: Top Glossy, cure.

Soft French without white

For an even softer tip, build the French entirely from BIAB. The tip sits under the base, so it shows through the nude.

1. Prep as above.
2. Tip: one thin coat of BIAB Milky Veil on the free edge only. Cure.
3. Base: BIAB Soft Nude over the whole nail, tip included. Cure. On long or weak nails use Builder Gel Soft Nude here instead of BIAB, for more strength.
4. Seal: Top Glossy, cure.

Where it goes wrong

Coats applied too thick. Both Milky Veil and Pure White cover in a thin coat; a thick coat shrinks at the edge and pulls the tip out of shape. Work the babyboom wet into wet and feather the transition before curing both layers together. And do not skip the Top: Top Glossy gives the high gloss and protects the layers underneath.

Every product is HEMA-free and made in the Netherlands. Browse the shades by family on white, nude and pink.