- French manicures have become extremely popular again over the last few years.
- In addition to the traditional french manicure design, new takes on the nail-art style have emerged.
- The side-tip, double, inverted, and two-toned french manicure are a few of the most popular iterations.
If we had to crown one beauty trend the fan-favourite of 2021, it'd have to be the french manicure [1]. This nail-art trend had quite the powerful resurgence over the last few years and it's still going strong. Not only did we see lots of the classic version of the old-made-new-again nail design, but countless spin-off iterations [2] of the french mani [3] popped up. And truthfully, they've been hard to keep track of.
Side-tip, inverted, double, two-toned — these are just a few of the popular twists people put on the french manicure recently. All you have to do is open Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest and we guarantee you'll spot at least one of these — and if you follow stars like Megan Thee Stallion [4], Lizzo [5], and Dua Lipa, you're bound to see them daily. Identifying each nail-art trend by name that way you can request it at the nail salon takes some studying, but luckily, you don't have to feel out of the loop anymore. We created a guide to all of the different types of the french manicure trend ahead.
Once you know exactly what you want and can express that to your manicurist at your next appointment, the only thing left for you to do is decide on a colour scheme. Rainbow french manicures are popular for the spring and summer months — though you can rock them whenever you choose — and metallic french designs are proving to be the go-to for winter. Experimenting with different styles of nail art is one of the best (and easiest) ways to express yourself so don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and go bold. The options are never-ending.
Get ready to be a pro at calling out all of the trendiest french manicure styles out there.
Double French Manicure Trend
The double french manicure [6] involves two lines at the tip of the nail. They can either have negative space between them or hug closely together.
Deep French Manicure Trend
The deep french manicure [7] looks a lot like a traditional french mani — the only difference is the tip of the nail is much thicker and extends deeper into the base colour.
Inverted French Manicure Trend
With the inverted french manicure trend, your cuticles are lined in a solid colour of nail polish instead of the nail tips.
Glass French Manicure Trend
The glass french manicure trend [8] uses clear gel nail extensions to give fingertips the look of glass.
Filigree French Manicure Trend
The "filigree" french manicure is described as "delicate, open lines [9] done at the tip," celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein [10] previously told POPSUGAR. The nail-art trend is inspired by the intricate art style that traditionally uses metalwork or wire-detailing to trace a specific pattern onto an object.
Neon French Manicure Trend
The neon french manicure trend [11] uses neon nail polish hues to create different nail-art designs. It can work on all different types of french nail art.
Glitter French Manicure Trend
Instead of using plain white nail polish, the glitter french manicure [12] incorporates a glittery nail polish on the tip of your nails for extra sparkle.
Floating Tips French Manicure Trend
The floating tips french manicure trend [13] is similar to the glass french manicure. The difference is, with the floating tip version, the base of the nail is painted a solid colour while only the tip of the nail is clear.
Crystal French Manicure Trend
With the crystal french manicure trend, you create the french tip using rhinestones or crystals instead of nail polish to create an extra-glam look.
Metallic French Manicure Trend
The metallic french manicure trend is a favourite of celebrities. To get the look, simply use a metallic nail polish shade, like gold or silver, instead of classic white.
Two-Toned French Manicure Trend
The two-toned french manicure uses two tones of the same nail polish colour to create a double line at the tip of each nail.
Pointed French Manicure Trend Trend
The pointed french manicure trend is traditionally done on coffin- or square-shaped nails, but it can be done on any other shape you choose. The trend features a tip that comes to a point in the middle.
Ombré French Manicure Trend
The ombré french manicure looks especially beautiful on short nails [14] and fades the tip colour into the base.
Side-Tip French Manicure Trend
The side-tip french manicure [15] features straight lines drawn diagonally across the nail running from one side to the centre of the tip.
French-Moon French Manicure Trend
The french-moon french manicure [16] is perfect for winter. It's "where black or metallic hues are used to trace a crescent shape along the cuticle line," Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of nail brand Olive & June, previously told POPSUGAR. "It's fun and festive while still being sophisticated."