Nails

50 French Nail Designs For When You Don't Want Plain White Tips

Upgrade your mani game.

by Olivia Rose Rushing
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
matte black reverse french tip nails

Throughout the 1990s, classic French tip manicures were worn by the biggest stars of the time — like Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and more.

Since then, white French tips have woven in and out of popularity. They were briefly dubbed “cheugy” in the 2010s, but with a new decade came renewed interest. Today, Frenchies are firmly back in the beauty zeitgeist — in fact, they’re leading it.

Today’s A-listers and mani lovers alike are rocking every iteration of the trend — from traditional white tips to more creative variations of the beloved look. Aside from switching up colors, cool girl 3D textures and mirror-like chrome finishes are *major* RN — especially when paired with French tip details. But that’s just a taste of how you can switch up the classic aesthetic. The design makes for a perfect base for any adornment you can dream of: think fruit decals, coquette ribbons, pearls, celestial details, and animal print.

For some celeb inspo, both Beyoncé and Hailey Bieber have recently worn cherry red French nails, formally ditching the more obvious white polish choice. Kendall Jenner prefers the very minimalist micro French tip. Margot Robbie, on the other hand, painted her tips a Barbiecore hot pink. Ice Spice brought her Y2K-loving Gen Z approach to the French tip obsession, painting chocolate milk-colored lacquer on duck-shaped nails.

For the ultimate French mani inspo ahead of your nail appointments, you’re going to want to save this story.

50 French Tip Nail Designs

1Gilded Leopard Print

ICYMI: leopard print nails are basically considered a neutral these days. These gold-colored animal spots are a decidedly elevated take on the trend.

2Crystal-Clear 3D Texture

Whether or not you choose a palette of pink polish, try topping your French tips with crystal-clear, 3D texture that almost goes undetectable.

3Black Ribbon Frenchies

Hop on the coquette ribbon nail art wave with these ultra-thin black bows painted right where a French tip would normally begin.

4Caramel Latte Ombré

Whether or not you’re a coffee lover, these caramel latte-inspired ombré nails are a total vibe. Bonus points for the glitzy silver gemstones.

5Pearl-Lined Pastel Tips

Give your go-to French manicure a pretty-in-pink makeover, with pearls lining every single tip. It makes for a chic finishing touch.

6Angled Hot Pink Lines

Take cues from the Barbie girl herself, Margot Robbie, and try some hot pink French tips (though the unique angles would be all your own).

7Tiny Red Hearts

Wear your heart on your manicure year-round (and not just on Valentine’s Day) with these adorable red hearts.

8Silver Chrome Mini French Tips

Add just a hint of on-trend silver chrome to your next set of French nails with understated micro lines painted atop a sheer pink base.

9Gray Galaxy Ombré

These black-to-gray ombré French nails have hints of purple glitter at each tip, making it look like you have a galaxy on your nails.

10French Vanilla Mani

With the rise of the “vanilla girl” aesthetic, vanilla French tip nails (which replace the white color with a creamy off-white shade) have now become a viral staple.

11Pastel Skittles Nails

The Skittles nail trend uses a different polish color on every single tip — and it looks even cuter with French tips and pale polish.

12Tropical Hibiscus Flowers

Try painting on some hot pink hibiscus blooms for a mani moment that will have you dreaming of sunny beach days.

13Jewelry-Inspired Gold Waves

These 3D textured waves — done in an eye-catching gold chrome — are perfect for those who love to rock a stack of gold rings.

14Soft Girl Glazed Donut Finish

For those who want something different, but don’t want to stray too far from the norm, these faded French tips are an A+ choice. They have the prettiest glazed donut finish.

15Cherry Mocha Micro Frenchies

Micro French nails are Kendall Jenner’s current signature mani, making these cherry mocha-colored mini tips supermodel-approved.

16Edgy Heart-Shaped Cutouts

Although these are technically classic white French tips, the heart-shaped cutouts and chromatic details make this set anything but basic.

17Warm-Toned Tortoiseshell Details

Coordinate your tortoiseshell French tips with your favorite accessories for a chic matching moment.

18Monochromatic Black-On-Black

If “black nail theory” manicures are your thing, try some black-on-black monochrome Frenchies that use matte and glossy finishes.

19Golden Invisible French Nails

Invisible French manicures use a statement-making polish shade to outline where a typical French tip would be — and these fine gold lines are as pretty as they come.

20Minimal Zebra Print Art

For the total manicure minimalists who still like a bit of uniqueness and edge, these fine-line zebra print tips are most definitely the move.

21Red Tips Covered In Pearls

Easily elevate a classic cherry red French tip manicure with itty bitty pearl adornments glued atop every single nail.

22Cool Girl Silver Chrome

Silver chrome nails epitomize the cool-girl aesthetic — and adding some trendy 3D dew drops into the mix takes things to the next level.

23Every Shade Of Green

Next time you’re in the mood for a green-colored polish, try choosing five different shades for a mani that’s all your own.

24Chocolate Brown Crocodile Print

Shades of chocolate brown are always a chic option. Add a luxe touch with crocodile print details.

25Red-Hot Flames

Bring some serious heat to your nails with these dark red tips topped with orange and yellow flame outlines.

26Abstract Chromatic Details

Still in your “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” era? These silver chrome details have an alien-inspired quality would surely be Beyoncé-approved.

27Gothic Black Hearts

These see-through nails feature tiny opaque hearts that are inspired by sultry lace lingerie. Hello, high-fashion mani.

28Cool-Toned Watercolor Swirls

Keep things earthy and cool-toned with these blue, white, and brown swirls that mimic the whimsical look of watercolor paintings.

30Glittering Gold Tips

Bring the drama to your nails with a glittering gold look that’s perfect for both the sun-kissed days of summer and winter holiday parties. It’s always in season.

31Fully Bejeweled Tips

If you’re in dire need of a manicure that’s just as extra as your personality, try gluing on a bunch of rhinestones and pearls for a fully bejeweled vibe.

32Tiffany Blue Chrome

This specific shade of turquoise is reminiscent of those iconic blue jewelry boxes of Tiffany & Co. — making this colorful mani distinctively luxe.

33Abstract French Tip Nails

These abstract nails are truly perfectly imperfect, with raw lines that nod to the mani trend in a modern way.

34Colorfully Chromatic Drips

This manicure truly has it all: vibrant color, three-dimensional texture, and a shining chromatic finish that will have all eyes on your nails.

35Chromatic Butter Yellow Tips

The only way to make a glazed donut manicure any cuter is by replacing the white tips with a soft, butter yellow color.

36Daring Dark Cherry

Very much in your “cherry girl” era at the moment? These high-shine nails use two different shades to create the look of juicy red cherries.

37Cartoonish Pop Art Tips

Try this creative approach to French nails, straight from the pages of a pop art comic book.

38Marbled Purple Swirls

If shades of royal purple and soft lavender are forever your fave, try this whimsical, heart-shaped design.

39Double-Lined Denim Blue

Match your everyday denim wardrobe staples with nails that feature double-lined tips. This set combines navy and electric blue polish.

40Coquette Scalloped Lines

These adorable French nails are truly coquettecore, with sweet scalloped edges, pink thread details, and itty bitty strawberries painted all over.

41Fruity Tips

Go for a whimsical vibe with colorful French tips, taken a (cute) step further with a different fruit painted on each nail.

425 Stars

This French nail set gets five stars for proving the celestial shape looks totally cute when paired with the classic design.

43Delft French Tips

Channel chic delft porcelain with a set like this, complete with vibrant white and blue tips.

44“V-Tip” French Nails

Also known as tuxedo nails, these “V-tip” Frenchies are chic and subtle — yet still make a statement on your fingertips.

45Cherry Blossom Nails

It’s easy to combine floral nail art with the French tip design, and this pretty cherry blossom mani is proof.

46Shroom Frenchies

As it turns out, fungus-themed Frenchies are a total vibe. These red mushroom-style tips are actually adorable.

47“French Fade” Nails

By going with an ombré white tip — also known as the “French fade” — instead of a sharp line, the traditional aesthetic gets a modern upgrade.

48Power Clashing

Mani maximalists, rise up. This fun set features a different black and white design on each tip, including flames and a checkerboard print.

49Y2K Blue

With its glittery base, square-shaped baby blue tips, and flower adornments, this mani is so Limited Too-coded.

50Jelly French Tips

Rock the jelly nail trend with French-style tips for a head-turning set that’ll earn you tons of compliments.

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