In the ever-evolving world of beauty, no other manicure trend has stood the test of time quite like classic French tips.
The sheer pink mani with crisp white tips dates back to as early as the 1930s, though in 1975, Hollywood manicurist Jeff Pink — who happens to be the founder of nail polish brand Orly — coined the name of the design. Since then, the look has remained a constant go-to for A-list celebs and nail lovers alike.
Years later, French tips solidified themselves as *the* manicure style to have amongst ’90s-era stars (think Pamela Anderson and even Princess Diana). After fading into the nail art background, however, the trend has had a major resurgence over the past couple of years — and has taken off with countless iterations.
There has been everything from Frenchies with a modern glazed donut finish, the addition of sparkling rhinestone studs, tuxedo-esque V-tip details, colorful tips, and more variations taking over BeautyTok. On the social media platform, however, the girlies have most recently been all about the “floating French tip” manicure.
The “Floating French Tip” Manicure
Put simply, floating French tips ditch the chunky white edges for something much more simple: a single, ultra-thin line of the same or different polish hue near the base of where the tip would begin.
Essentially, floating French nails are a lot like the traditional version, yet are more of a whisper of the look — making them even more perfect for the mani minimalist.
If you’re a total nail aficionado, you may realize that the look is quite similar to the also-trendy “invisible” Frenchies — though there is one major difference. While the floating version features a single fine line in place of the typical filled-in tip, invisible French nails fully outline exactly where the tip would be with two thin lines.
5 Unique Ways To Nail The Trend
Aside from drawing a simple curved line in place of a traditional French tip, there are different ways to tap the trend that feel unique and artful, yet simple all the same.
For a cool girl version of the minimalist trend, pair a cool-toned glazed base with deeper silver chrome floating lines that curve along every nail.
Take the floating French tip trend to new abstract heights by painting the white line in varying directions on each nail.
For a bit of edge to your look, try trading in the stark white floating line for a deeper shade, like an on-trend glossy black.
With floating details, invisible outlined French tips, and a few traditional Frenchies, this eclectic mani balances multiple variations in one.
Whether you opt for a vibrant shade of lemon yellow or another on-trend hue like toasted caramel or bronze plum — a colorful floating tip adds the prettiest pop to your nails.
