French tips: classic, minimal, and natural. Much like a red lip, the French manicure cannot be understated. Since its inception in the 70s, we’ve seen an evolution of the white-tipped look, from 80s press ons to squared chunky 00s tips, and even a decline in popularity in the 2010s.
Now, French tips are back—but they’re no longer minimal. Traditionally, “a French tip is seen as a minimalist nail because it is a classic go-to that is supposed to create the illusion of an elevated natural nail,” nail artist Kinaya Haug tells ESSENCE. But, in 2025, “the maximalist style is in right now.”
Read on for celebrity-endorsed inspiration and how to achieve a maximalist look.
The History Behind the French Manicure
French tips aren’t really French. Film producer Jeff Pink created the manicure in 1977 Hollywood to help actresses speed up the time between wardrobe changes. As Haug mentioned, the pearl white tips and pink, natural base was supposed to make the actress’s natural nail look real, but better, without upstaging the costume.
Gaining quick acclaim with Hollywood’s most famous, the manicure arrived at fashion shows in Paris the following year, which then turned the American look French. However, the nails never left Stateside. Over time, the look has been played with, made chunkier and skinnier, more colorful and detailed, and even straitening the classic curved line.
What makes a French tip different than other manicures?
“A French tip isn’t the easiest nail to do,” says Haug. “It requires a lot of focus and attention to detail because each line must be perfectly curved and symmetrical.” Other than the line, she says picking a base color that compliments your skin tone is just as important. Because of this, “a French tip is the perfect nail style to get when you want to extend the life of your nails,” she says, with the nude base blending into your natural nail grow out.
Why are maximal French tips trending now?
Since French tips are simple, it’s easy to dress them up while still making the style recognizable. “Maximal French tips are trending because people are using nails as a form of self expression more and more each day,” she says. Now, instead of down staging your outfit like in 70s Hollywood, French manicures are staging up.
“Nail techs started adding their own flair to French tips because it gives a flawless blended clean look at the cuticle and the tip gets to be the star of the show,” she says. “They give more room to express the clients creativity and still have that classic French tip feel to them.”
How to Achieve Trending Styles
Hyperrealistic French Tips
Most people’s natural nail is more dimensional than just a pink base and white tip. “Hyper realistic French tips are one of the coolest nail styles I’ve seen yet,” says Haug. The look, as seen on Doechii, makes the transition between the base and tip much more seamless.
“To accomplish this look, you need to find the right colors to match the base of your natural nail and the color of your nail’s free edge,” she says, with artists often mixing colors to achieve the look. “This is usually a nude pink for the base and an off-white, light creamy/yellow color for the free edge.”
Hyperrealistic nails are for the ones who want people to question whether their nails are naturally long or not. Using nail extension systems, like Gel-X instead of acrylic, can help give the nail a much more natural look.
Colored French Tips
“Colored French tips are a go to for most of my clients because the seasons change and they want a flawless effortless French tip look that matches the vibe of the season we’re in,” she says.
For example, in the fall, she says her clients tend to prefer brown, olive green, burnt orange, burgundy and even black tips with matte finishes. Then, in the spring, colors like baby blue, light pink, light yellow, pastels and lavender French tips are more popular.
Bejeweled French Tips
Whether your tips are colored or classic, “jeweled French tips are a go to nail for the boujee beauty queens and kings,” she says. From trinkets to decals and pearls, jeweled nails are the ultimate beauty accessory. To achieve this look, “a lot of nail techs tend to do a glitter French tip and then bedazzle on top of the French,” she says. “There are endless ways to customize a French tip.”
What nail shapes and lengths are the most popular?
From square to coffin, nail shapes are almost entirely personal, depending on what looks best on your hands. But, “I feel the most popular and versatile nail shape is a round/almond nail,” she says. “They look flawless when they are long, medium or short because they resemble natural nails.”
Seen in magazines, commercials, the office, round nails are the most common shape. However, “my personal favorite nail shape is the tapered square,” she says. “Tapered square nails became really popular when people were transitioning out of the duck nail shape into a skinnier square and now they are one of the most requested nail shapes in the industry.”
The Future of French Tips
As for the future of the French tip? “French tips are forever evolving,” says Haug. “Everyday a new style of French comes along and nail techs find new ways to elevate and customize the classic French tip look.”