French tip nails have long been considered a classy yet simple manicure style. The defining characteristic of French tip nails is having the nail bed painted a neutral color like white or nude, while leaving the tip of the nail, usually about 1/4 inch from the top, unpainted to match the natural nail color.
This basic yet elegant nail art creates the illusion of elongated fingertips by drawing attention upward towards the perfectly polished nail beds while allowing a person’s natural nail color and uniqueness to show through at the tips. With French tip nails, the contrasts in nude and natural colors complement a variety of fashion styles both casually and formally.
Can you get a French manicure on short nails?
French manicures are a versatile option that can be done on both long or short nails. In recent years, short nails have become increasingly popular as some prefer the most hygienic nail length. A French manicure also has the benefit of allowing your nails to grow out naturally between salon visits.
Whether your nails are bare or lightly polished nude, the white tips can be painted on as your nails lengthen without creating an awkward look that would demand an immediate return to the salon. The low-maintenance quality of a French manicure makes it a practical choice for those wanting flexibility in their nail appointments during periods where their nails are growing out.
How to do French tips at home
For those wanting to try applying French tip nails themselves, renowned nail artist Lolly Koon from New York City recommends starting with a simple technique. She advises beginning by placing the tiny brush in the center of the nail and making a small dash of white polish. Then, draw crescent-shaped arcs on each side of the nail that connect to the central dot.
Koon warns against drawing the polish across the full width of the nail in one fluid motion, as this can cause the coat to be uneven in thickness from one edge to the other. Instead, apply the arcs separately on each side to avoid overloading more polish onto just one edge.
French manicure inspiration
This collection of French manicure trends is sure to include a style that aligns with your personal aesthetic. Whether you prefer a classic look or are open to embracing bold innovations, peruse the diverse options showcased. After selecting your favorites, consult with your trusted nail technicians to bring them to life professionally.
For those wishing to experiment on their own, many of the trendsetters provide easy to follow instructions for replicating their unique French tip designs at home. Browse innovative takes on the timeless trend that put an individual spin on this versatile and endlessly customizable nail art.
Patterned
Celebrated nail artist Natalie Minerva, known for her work on the hit HBO series Euphoria, is a fan of the “flat French” technique. Rather than the classic curved French tip, she splits each nail lengthwise with a straight line before filling the upper section with a creative pattern. Minerva draws inspiration from textures found in clothing prints, wallpaper designs and beyond.
One such look presented here appears to take cues from the bold red and black wallpaper of the legendary Moulin Rouge, translating its harlequin motifs onto the nails with precision. As Minerva explains, this “flat” French style has the added benefit of growing out more gracefully over time since the cuticle area remains bare.
Underlined
Nail artist Sophie Dos Santos took the classic French manicure in an innovative direction by incorporating a dimensional accent. Working at Destination BTY salon in London, she opted to separate the white tipped portion from the base color with a wavy, mismatched chrome strip. Rather than a precise, uniformly straight border, Dos Santos created an eye-catching unconventional take on the traditional lines.
She explains that both 3D and chrome nail effects have been enormously trendy throughout the summer season. By thoughtfully merging these popular elements, Dos Santos revealed one of the salon’s most successful style reinventions. Her unique chrome-highlighted French design proved a hit with clients seeking to put their own twist on the timeless technique.
Watercolor
Blake painstakingly avoided applying any color to the bare foundation in order to get the desired abstract watercolour effect, swirling five different polish tones together.
Fleur-de-lis
Expanding upon the French motif, Jema Baynes, a nail artist based in the UK, painted a precise and orderly fleur-de-lis, with the petals spilling into the nail bed and the “stem” at the nail tip. Regarding the method, Baynes said, “I pull the droplets into sharp points at the bottom and apply the gel slightly thicker at the top.
Drippy
We couldn’t decide if these would be graffiti drips or ice cream drips,” says nail artist Manami Bloom, who is based in London. Whatever your interpretation of that specific Rorschach test, the design conveys the impression that your French is melting gradually (and stylishly), a la mode for cake frosting these days.
Lava Lamp
While lava lamp nails invoking the fun vibes of the 1970s era have emerged before, this look adds a fresh twist with an elegantly blended French tip influence. Nail artist Zbobinails, based in Marseille, combined her retro vision with the timeless tradition. She selected varying neon shades to gradient from each tip to base in an ombré effect.
Within the longer nail bed portion, bursts of colorful bubbles float as if suspended in wavering liquid form. Zbobinails cited the carefree spirit of summer as her muse but acknowledged the concept could just as easily suit an autumn evening with richer, more moody tones.
Sequin
It should go without saying that Minerva did this glittery French manicure for a customer to wear to Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour because of its inventiveness, glitz, and overall badassness. She also loves using beading to fill in the French tip, which is another method to achieve a striking three-dimensional impression.
French by the ocean
This iridescence, replete with pearl, resembles the interior of a conch shell. The cat-eye method was employed by Portland-based nail designer Alyssa to achieve this look. She painted many diagonal lines across each tip to construct the fan-shaped shell. Alyssa said, Trying to fit designs inside such a tiny section of the nail proves to be a challenge and pushes me to create outside of the norm.
Neon
Inspired by British manicurist Michelle Humphrey’s Day-Glo lemon or San Diego-based nail artist Nyah’s electrifying lime, choose your favourite bright shade and substitute it for white tips. Rather than choosing just one, emulate Riley Miranda of Villa Alemana, Chile, and opt for a neon Skittles effect, or paint your brilliant tips onto a nude foundation like Amy Le of Los Angeles.
Red Fruits
As Miami-based nail artist Kimberly Thu did on a handful of her customers, finish off your traditional French manicure with an array of miniature cherries or strawberries. Other coloured fruits, such as grapes, oranges, lemons, and watermelons, will undoubtedly be just as delightfully entertaining.
Negative Space
Consider encircling the conventional half-moon section with a narrow frame rather than a solid color. While Le and Nyah opted for neons, Hang Nguyen, a nail artist based in Los Angeles, highlighted her French manicure with traditional rainbow hues. Nyah also experimented with the orange and blue gradient trend.
Tie-Dye
Although tie-dye may have long since taken over your clothes, have you given thought to incorporating the vintage style into your nails? Le and Rosie Lynall, also known as Nails Bab, a nail artist from the UK, painted the arcs of ROYGBIV and then swirled them together to create the colorful rainbow tips.
V-Shaped Tips
Whatever the form of your nails almond, coffin, round, or square you can master a French manicure with anything from crisp Vs that highlight the same region to rounded slivers at the tips. Miranda tried to get the most vibrancy in her artwork by using a beige background.
Pria B, also known as ThumBNails, is a nail artist located in London. Her rainbow points were enhanced with eyeballs. In the lower-left corner, Anouska Anastasia, cofounder of London’s Nuka Nails, demonstrates how nicely this style works on square nails.
Butterflies
Thanks to the influence of 1990s fashion on nail trends, butterfly manicures are becoming more popular. But according to nail artist Honey of New York City, who spoke with Allure, she thinks there’s more significance to the comeback. She says, Butterflies symbolize rebirth.
In order to truly experience any kind of novelty, we must first endure the struggle. Miranda covered her French manicure with glitter in the shape of butterflies. And Pria B’s V-shaped take is covered with stickers. For Dua Lipa, Humphrey used a similar strategy, and Nyah painted her gold half-moon tips and interconnecting wings by hand.
Mix and Match
You shouldn’t be forced to choose just one pattern for your French manicure since, as we’ve already established, you may use any hue. (Miss Pop has given you permission.) It is certainly possible to embellish each finger differently.
Brittany Hancock painted a light pink background with adorable crescents of eggs, clouds, and sparkles, while Oakland, California-based nail designer Miya Adams, also known as, added ’90s touches to the combination. Lynall paired flowers and a cheerful face with a cow design and cherries on the bottom row. Thu, however, thought it would be better with flames and strawberries.
French x 5
Hot girl color, as nail artist Jessica Washick puts it, is the nail art equivalent of “hot girl summer.” By using more striped tones, the style increases the traditional French style. Five colors make up this medium-length manicure, but you could use longer nails or thinner stripes to increase the number as much as you’d like. Try to emulate these vibrant hues or try pastel girl, Christmas girl, Pride girl, and so on.
Holographic French
While on vacation, she snapped this glittery French manicure (thanks to Cirque Colors in Subculture), but a Burgundy Ombre Nails is always a good idea. The new French style is embodied by this appearance, which maintains its sophistication and recognition while adding a contemporary touch. Burgundy Ombre Nails offers a updated yet modern take on the classic French tip look by fading the deep plum shade into a lighter pinkish-nude at the base. The subtle ombre effect gives the nails a polished, dimensional appearance perfect for any occasion.
Sixties Pop
Looking at his photo doesn’t have to cause you to feel depressed. Carla M. Negrón created this happy manicure, drawing inspiration from the most recent collection of fashion designer Tyler McGillivary. We were inspired by the colors and fabric of one of her designs, Negrón explains. The vibrant combination of flowers and French here, with or without the matching clothing, is guaranteed to make everyone smile.
Pointilist
This contemporary French version is surprisingly easy and calls just one more item above and beyond the norm: a dotting tool (or a toothpick or bobby pin). Nail artist Jessica Beard began with a regular French (although one from Gel Bottle Inc. in Madonna with hot pink tips), which she alternately covered in pastel yellow Queen Bee dots and royal blue Bolt dots. This French is practically rendered in three dimensions, bringing it into the twenty-first century.
Cheetah girls
Nail artist Hope Jung, of Wisconsin, adds, I’ve encouraged my classic French clients to try a twist and attempt something new. For this fortunate customer, that meant including a hand-painted cheetah print—which, to be honest, is very different from your classic French à la Essie Ballet Slippers. [Something new might be] a different color tip or adding a contrasting color to the design to give their nails a pop of color, Jung explains.
Fall Fire
The color palette’s browns and greens bind this collection of designs together, much as in a mix-and-match design. Nail artist Nessa tells Allure, The client brought in an inspiration photo, but she wanted a rustic, retro feel. I changed the colors and used more muted tones to match her vibe. The designs are not muted, despite the tones being so. This combination is so extravagant with dots, zebra stripes, flames, and snakeskin that it eventually returns to being neutral.
Holiday-Themed
This adorable Halloween manicure is a hybrid of French and ombré, including 10 life-size painted-on candy corn pieces created with holographic white, pumpkin orange, and neon orange. This is a great way to pay homage to French without getting too caught up in tradition, whether you reserve this for October, change the colors to suit your own festival, or just wear candy corn all year long.
Floral French
The best compliment I know is that this spring-ready manicure looks like it came right out of the Delias catalog. It gets a youthful, charming makeover with just a few changes, like changing up the colors and adding little flowers. Emily Zheng, a nail art company with locations in Seattle and Los Angeles, says, There are so many possibilities with the French tip that it’s one of my favorite nail art designs.
Line Item
Emily upgrades this French by, say, a hundred years, with a few brushstrokes. Sometimes, I enjoy leveling up a classic French with a fun color palette, like rainbow pastel or neon, she explains. Other times, I incorporate geometric or organic shapes for a funkier twist. Here, she matches periwinkle Kanpai OPI! with basic black.
Half French
I tried to create a modern twist by experimenting with variations, she explains. The goal was achieved. It maintains the classic French two-color scheme, but the inventive use of negative space creates a highly modern flourish.
Abstract Neon
The patterns on this set initially give the impression that they may be flames. Then I considered that it may be malachite with a neon tint. Or are they waves in the ocean? Gabriel Medina, an artist located in Las Vegas, claims that the design is merely abstract, hence D) all of the above is the correct response.
I matted it out after curing from a milky, nude pink foundation. After that, I used an opaque white, sketched a French shape, and added some abstract lines, Medina states. I went in with neon pigments and a tiny brush, packed the pigment in, and ombréd it. Medina finished by adding a few of bright pink crystals.
Snakeskin
For those of us who are afraid of snakes, limiting the art to a few nails will assist; however, feel free to wrap this pattern over all ten fingers to transform this style from vibrant French to zoological French.
Grandma’s Little Helper
The traditional French manicure is taken to the next level by Eagle Mountain-based nail artist Ester, who adds thoughtfully selected glitter and a variety of blue and purple hues. If you’re not scared to color beyond the lines, you can easily recreate the beauty of the color frenzy at home.
The free-painted Mickey Mouse design, which features an extremely torn rendition of everyone’s beloved mouse, isn’t subject to the same restrictions. [My client] was going to Disney with her granddaughter, so I offered her a six-pack ‘bodyguard’ to match the Disney theme, Ester explained.
Heart on Your Finger
This design cleverly utilizes the pointed tip of an almond-shaped nail as the foundation for a hand-drawn heart. Four OPI tones were used by nail artist Natalie to achieve the romantic look (left to right). It’s Aurora Berry-alis, OPI Red, Tagus in that selfie, and Pink PM. As Natalie puts it, she approached it the same way you would draw a heart, starting with one half of the heart and then the other. Natalie used a fine nail brush.
Skinny French
Thanks to a barely noticeable accentuated tip, Goldstein entirely innovates the French manicure in this instance all without the need for a flashy nail design, neon color, or abstract inspiration. Although the traditional red-and-white combo is classy, we advise sticking with an opaque base coat to prevent the white of your nail from showing through.
FAQs
What is the easiest French nail design?
A classic single coat French with a straight lined tip requires minimal polish and brush control for a polished look.
Are French tips still in style?
The French manicure endlessly adapts to trends while retaining its timeless elegance, from glossy solids to textured 3D finishes.
Can French tips grow out nicely?
Leaving the lower portion of the nail bare aids the natural growth process, allowing simple fills to maintain the look for several weeks.
Conclusion
The French manicure remains a favorite amongst many. Its simple yet polished appearance suits both relaxed weekends or smart evenings out. Variations continue inspiring designers and clients alike. From classic solids to artistic watercolors, the style shows its versatility.
Whether painting them yourself or visiting talented professionals, French tips offer an endlessly customizable way to showcase individual flair one manicure at a time. Countless nail artists worldwide put their creative spin on the foundation first introduced decades ago. Their innovations breathe new life into the foundation.
Some fuse traditions while others craft totally unexpected visions. But the basic white half-moon shape at the heart stays ever-fresh. French manicures prove their longevity stems from both timeless elegance and ability to reflect current self-expression. The trend excites with each contemporary twist on its classic and convenient canvas.
