You Don't Have To Stick To Just One Color For A Stunning French Mani
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French manicures have remained a mainstay in nail art for a while now, and it doesn't look like they're going anywhere soon. What started off as Orly International founder Jeff Pink's attempt to find a nail polish color that would seamlessly complement all costume changes for an actress on a film set has now evolved into a trend that's loved by many across the globe.
Although white tips are the classic look, over time, modern French manicures have taken a new and interesting turn. Trends like pastel-colored French tips, reverse French manicures, metallic manicures, and black tips have given people different colors to play with. The next step in the evolution, quite naturally, is combining different colors in your manicure. Who says you have to stick to just one?
Rainbow tips are one such take on creating a French mani with different colors. It's all about painting your nails all the different colors you can dream of — one fingernail at a time — just the way you would if you were painting your tips white. Founder of Olive & June, Sarah Gibson Tuttle, talking about the allure of rainbow French manicures, told InStyle, "Looking at a rainbow French mani instantly lifts your spirits." Here's how you can try a rainbow French manicure at home.
Start by choosing your colors
The first step is to select the shades you want to work with and then get right down to it. You can either choose the same colors for the same fingers on both hands or get completely creative and choose 10 different colors for each nail. You'd be left with a stunning manicure regardless. Variations of the rainbow French mani include using gradient colors in every nail, painting two different hues of vertical lines on your nails, and even choosing four standard colors and painting them in stripes on your tips. If you're not too fussed about perfect lines or prefer a tousled look, you could also try roughly applying the colors you like on a nail stamper and pushing your tips into it.
You'd start, as always, by prepping your nails and applying a base coat. Next, paint your tips the desired shades, and then finish off with a top coat. If you struggle with getting the tips perfect with polish, opt for nail art pens instead (you can find plenty on Amazon).
There's something timelessly classy and elegant about a French mani. The clean corners, minimalist design, and natural feel of the manicure make it appropriate for all skin tones, clothing choices, and occasions. Adding more than one color is one way to elevate this classic look.
Try psychedelic patterns and different base colors
There is no end to how you can mix and match colors once you get on the bandwagon, and TikTok and Instagram have stunning content that can provide the perfect inspo.
The psychedelic nail art trend is one very intriguing twist to the classic French mani, and you may need to get creative with how you're going to apply a blend of different colors on your tips first. You can either paint the colors onto a nail stamp and run lines across them to mix them up before dipping the brush in there and painting your tips, or you can even use dip powder to get the desired effect. Follow the usual process up until you have your white tips, and then simply dip your brush in the different powders and shade the tips as you see fit. Finish with the top coat to keep everything in place.
While most colored French manicures err on the side of caution and stick to the classic nude shade when it comes to the base color, there are also those hue-enthusiasts who are completely turning things around and opting to pick two shades for one nail — one for the base and one for the tip — like kristinkuyper_ demonstrated on TikTok. You can either revamp your spring manicure with pastel French tips that blend with a lighter shade on the base or go in the complete opposite direction and choose complementing shades instead. Either way, your nails will be vibrant and daring.