before your manicure, it's essential to prepare your hands and nails. first, let hands soak in warm, soapy water until cuticles are soft. push back cuticles until you achieve a nice, rounded shape. don't forget to gently push back cuticles on sides of nails, too. you may also want to exfoliate your hands with body scrub or salts.

after thoroughly drying hands, file your nails. i find that nails look best when the tips are mirror images of the cuticles. so if your cuticles are slightly rounded, file your nails so that they are also slightly rounded. remember: always file in one direction - never do the sawing thing. make sure all nails are the same length.

apply one coat of clear base coat over the entire nail and let dry. this will give the polish a strong, smooth surface to stick to.

the next step is optional. with french manicures, some people like the look of a translucent pink polish. apply one coat and let dry.

now comes the tricky part. choose a white nail polish made specifically for french manicures. i use sally hensen teflon tuff ten day nail color in #17 - french white tip. starting with the brush in your non-dominant hand, paint a white stripe on the tip of each nail. let dry for a minute and repeat using your dominant hand. repeat with a second coat if necessary. if you're a little shaky the first time, don't worry. it gets easier with practice. let nails dry fully.

lastly, apply a clear shiny extended wear top coat and voila! you've got a beautiful, long lasting french manicure ruca style!