French Manicure - a bit passe?

My nails are not looking too bad now thanks to some TLC and I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and do a french.

This was my "to go" for nails about 10 years ago, but as for "to go" more like "stop-everything-mum-is-doing-her-nails" because I used to spend about 2hrs every Saturday doing just that, and woe betide anyone who made a perfectly reasonable request because this was hard core manicure, extreme nail painting, it was fraught with tension and the possibility of failure and then having to repaint the whole lot - for I was a fan of the tipex white tip, my nails were long and looked false and I loved it.

So fast forward and nowadays I am more relaxed about the whole thing, and if I do a french I am after a more natural look. Here is what I used:

First up Leighton Denny Starkers as an all over base and Natural White for the tips

  
I think that this is the most natural french manicure, I have worn this to work and nobody is any the wiser, to me it looks like healthy nails.

Next up Essie, I have a real fondness for Essie varnishes, they last years without the need for anything to thin them.

Sugar Daddy for the base

Marshmallow on the tips

It is very difficult to show the Essie varnishes as they are so pale, Marshmallow is on the left and the much loved Sugar Daddy is on the right.

And here is the finished look, brighter and more noticeable and if I am honest, my favourite. Nostalgia rules okey cokey : )