If we had to crown one beauty trend the fan favorite of the year, it'd have to be the french manicure. This nail-art trend had quite the 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 spinoff iterations of the french tips have popped up, creating an entirely new kind of modern french manicure. And truthfully, they've been hard to keep track of.
The side-tip, inverted (aka "reverse"), V-cut, double lined, two-toned, baby french, naked — these are just a few of the popular twists people put on the french manicure recently . . . and that's only the tip of the iceberg. 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, Lizzo, and Dua Lipa, you're bound to see them daily. Identifying each nail-art trend by name 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 french-manicure designs 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 color scheme. French-manicure colors change with the season. In the spring and summer, rainbow french manicures are popular — though you can rock them whenever you choose — and chrome finishes are proving to be the go-to for the spring and summer months. 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. If you need french manicure ideas of your own, you have options. You can wear french manicures on short nails and even french manicures on your toes if you choose.
Get ready to be a pro at calling out all of the trendiest french-manicure styles out there.
The naked french manicure may sound spicy, but it's actually as vanilla as they come. The variation uses a soft pink or nude that's almost exactly the same as your natural nail color, creating the illusion of a barely-there smile line.
The double french manicure involves two lines at the tip of the nail. They can either have negative space between them or hug closely together.
The deep french manicure 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 color.
With the inverted french manicure trend, your cuticles are lined in a solid color of nail polish instead of the nail tips.
The "deconstructed"-french-manicure trend is an abstract take on the nail-art look. It features a neutral base with blobs of color at the tip of the nail in place of the smooth stroke you traditionally see.
The glass french manicure trend uses clear gel nail extensions to give fingertips the look of glass.
The "filigree" french manicure is described as "delicate, open lines done at the tip," celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein 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.
The "baby" french manicure sees a super-thin line of color at the tip of the nail as opposed to the thicker line of color that you see with deep french manicures.
Instead of using plain white nail polish, the glitter french manicure incorporates a glittery nail polish on the tip of your nails for extra sparkle.
The neon french manicure trend uses neon nail polish hues to create different nail-art designs. It can work on all different types of french nail art.
The floating tips french manicure trend is similar to the glass french manicure. The difference is, with the floating tip version, the base of the nail is painted a solid color while only the tip of the nail is clear.
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.
The metallic french manicure trend is a favorite of celebrities. To get the look, simply use a metallic nail polish shade, like gold or silver, instead of classic white.
The ombré french manicure looks especially beautiful on short nails and fades the tip color into the base.
The two-toned french manicure uses two tones of the same nail polish color to create a double line at the tip of each nail.
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.
The side-tip french manicure features straight lines drawn diagonally across the nail running from one side to the center of the tip.
The french-moon french manicure 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."
Chrome nails are having a moment, but the chrome-french-manicure trend combines two popular looks into one. It's a favorite of stars like Lipa, Chlöe, and more.
Invisible french manicures feature a tip that's painted with super-subtle polish, like this glitter option.
The "micro-french" manicure trend features a thin line of color just on the tip of the nail over a neutral base. It's great for natural and short-nail enthusiasts as it doesn't require much length. It's incredibly simple but chic.
Shadow french manicures are an optical illusion on your fingertips. The look features a gradient of colors that give your nails a trippy, shadow-y look.
A matte french manicure has a regular french tip with a matte topcoat over it.
Glazed-doughnut nails were popularized by Hailey Bieber, but since the nail look took off, many people have been putting their own spin on the trend. The glazed-doughnut french manicure features a glazed base and a white tip.
The V-cut-french-manicure trend doesn't have a traditional french tip. Instead, at the end of the nail, it has two lines that cross in a V shape.
The split-french-manicure trend has a single line at the tip of the nail, but instead of using one shade for the smile line, you use two complementary colors that meet in the middle for a split look.