The French tip never really went out of style, but our devotion to all things noughties has put them firmly on top of nail trends. Alongside claw clips and baguette bags, lined tips have become the go-to mani for It-girls, A-listers and our besties.
Credited to manicurist and President of Orly International, Jeff Pink, the French manicure as we know it originated out of necessity in Hollywood in 1975. At the time it was taking too long for actresses to change their nail colour to match their costume, so Jeff created a neutral nail look that could go with everything. Its name comes from the fact that the mani became so popular, it crossed the pond and became synonymous with models on the French runways in Paris. Hence, the French manicure.
It’s easy to see why its appeal endures – elegant and understated, the classic Frenchie not only flatters every nail shape but it also works with all the trends popping off on TikTok, from a nude and white vintage girl or old money manicure, to a brat French tip (just swap the white line out for black). There’s so many ways to wear them, including colourful and multi-coloured, or upgraded with extra nail art, stickers, gems and decals.
The shape itself offers flexibility – we’ve seen it chunky and ‘90s, or micro and delicate. Likewise, we’ve seen it straight and squared, or rounded, pointed or almond.
So, whatever your aesthetic, we have some of our favourite French tip nail designs lined up below…
Squared-off Frenchies A classic pink and white Frenchie made modern with elongated squared-off tips.
Bubblegum pink Frenchie Swap nude and beige bases for cute (but still sophisticated) bubblegum pink).
Bow Frenchies Balletcore and coquettecore remain two major aesthetics, this blends both with silky white tips, pearl details and of course, bows to gift wrap the whole look.
Glazed Frenchies Glazed donut nails are still going strong, but for something a little different, experiment with glazed donut tips.
Short lipgloss French tip We love lipgloss nails that look like they’ve been coated with a slick of sheeny or glitzy gloss, add on a French tip and you’ve got two top trends in one.
Chrome Frenchies How beautiful are these iridescent golden red tips? A must-try manicure for autumn/winter, you really can’t go too wrong with chrome nails.
Classic micro Frenchie More of a minimalist? Short nails with a dinky French tip will never not look chic.
Red vixen Frenchies Red is a classic for a reason, as for a red Frenchie, this chunky, pointed almond rendition is hotttt.
Heart Frenchies Romantic and sweet, the addition of red hearts over a ’90s chunky French is inspired.
Mermaid Frenchies Seriously stunning, these mermaid French tips are guaranteed to get you noticed. Match them with a mermaid beauty look for extra impact.
Cherry Frenchies Super sweet, ask your manicurist to paint cutesy cherries on top of peachy pink tips. It’s giving “spring picnic energy”, as @overglowedit says.