The French Mani is back with a bold new look

Alongside scrunchies, the Spice Girls and Brad and Jen, we thought we’d seen the last of the French manicure.

Guess again. Because just like scrunchies, the Spice Girls and Brad and Jen, the retro beauty trend you thought you’d committed to your high school memory box is hot once again. Thankfully, the 2020-approved French tips bear little resemblance to the angular acrylics of the past.

“We’ve seen a rise in clients requesting alternative French tips in the salon,” says Tina Michael, founder of Shoreditch Nails — the capital’s mecca for modern manicures. “We don’t often see many classic French styles any more, but we get requests for rainbow tips or brightly coloured tips a lot.”

The most popular styles currently on offer include a fluoro-French manicure, with tips trimmed with a fine line of neon polish — which works particularly well on short nails — and gold foil half dips, otherwise known as a “deep French”, which involves gilding the tips with a thicker band of colour.

“A new trend we’re seeing a lot in the salon is confetti tips, which are different coloured dots layered on the tip of the nail,” adds Michael. “This is a super fun manicure style and definitely very different to the classic French.”

Over at Townhouse’s luxury nail salon in Fitzrovia, the classic style is also experiencing a comeback. “The French manicure is a true classic and will never go out of style,” says founder Juanita Huber-Millet. “The ‘Frenchie’, as we call it, is one of the most popular designs at Townhouse and lends itself perfectly to all nail shapes.”

The salon’s lookbook showcases a simple design she describes as “super-wearable” that “looks so chic in the typical colour combo of white and pink”. But the brand’s Instagram feed implies that customers are more inclined to opt for the unusual.

“For a modern fashionable take on this classic, try bolder colour combos such as a daring red tip or stylish tonal colour theme,” Huber-Millet suggests.

One such tonal French includes a selection of soft pastels such as powdery lilac, refreshing mint and periwinkle, with each on a different finger. Glitter-coated tips are also among the most liked.

For something more unexpected, try the French Line — a clean and minimalist yet striking approach involving a fine line traced along a bare nail just below the tip.

Or try underlining white tips with another stripe in a contrasting colour. A second line, drawn at the centre and shaped to mimic the curve of your tip, is another easy yet effective update. A simple dot positioned in the centre at the end of the nail is also a must-try.

How’s that for a hot tip?