"French Moon" Nails Are the Dark New Twist on the Classic French Manicure

"What's old is new again" seems to be the motto of the year, not only for dainty anklet jewelry and getting back together with your ex, but also the oft-forgotten french manicure. (Luckily, we're safe from the resurgence of shoulder pads. . . for now.) Yet, while the white-tipped nail art of the early aughts has populated our Instagram and TikTok feeds more readily these last few years than the seeds of a strawberry, there's a darker twist on the trend you can expect to see more of this winter: the "french moon" manicure.

Think of it as the mysterious, much sexier cousin to the traditional nail look that's perfect for the upcoming season: "We're now seeing dark colors reign supreme, with metallics adding a pop of fun," said Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of nail brand Olive & June. "We're seeing a big reboot of the french mani with the french moon, where black or metallic hues are used to trace a crescent shape along the cuticle line. It's fun and festive while still being sophisticated."

Of course, your options don't have to end there. You could try black tips with crystal details a la Lizzo or give the chrome finish everyone's been talking about a go. Whether you want to keep it simple with a single black stripe or add a little something extra like glitter or rhinestones, every iteration of the french moon nail-art look (which you can sift through below) is just as stellar as the next. Someone call NASA . . .

French Moon Nail Art

A chrome finish adds a holographic luster to your french moon nails.

French Moon Nail Art

Adding a few delicate details on varying fingers, like gold stripes or pearls, gives the french moon manicure a black-tie feel.

French Moon Nail Art

Punctuate the black stripe with tiny dots in a contrasting color.

French Moon Nail Art

A play on metallics is the perfect addition to this dark manicure, whether it goes above or below the black polish.

French Moon Nail Art

Splice up the black polish for a geometric-looking french moon manicure.

French Moon Nail Art

Who says your french manicure has to have the traditional c-shape?

French Moon Nail Art

You can also keep it simple with a thin black stripe on your tips.

French Moon Nail Art

Playing with chevron shapes, lines, and negative space add extra dimension to the look.

French Moon Nail Art

Give the look a sophisticated spin by using black polish as the outline to your french tips.

French Moon Nail Art

Gold chain decals level up the manicure's glam.

French Moon Nail Art

Black polish, meet metallic foil.

French Moon Nail Art

Accentuate the french moon nail art with a clean black dot at each of your cuticles.

French Moon Nail Art

Add a little sparkle to one or two accent nails.

French Moon Nail Art

Rhinestones are always the answer.

French Moon Nail Art

A matte top coat keeps the nail look simple and chic.

French Moon Nail Art

Swipe on a darker beige polish as the base to play up the deep colors.

French Moon Nail Art

Perfect for date night: heart shaped black tips.

French Moon Nail Art

Assorted decals in your design of choice, like a skull or half-moon, elevate your french moon nail art.

French Moon Nail Art

One superthin line of black is the subtlest take on the trend.

French Moon Nail Art

Experiment with rhinestones of varying sizes and colors, all in one manicure.

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art

French Moon Nail Art