French Manicures Are No Longer Minimal For Black Women

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 maximalistdecoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/GettyImages-2180187732-scaled.jpg" alt="French Manicures Are No Longer Minimal For Black Women" width="400" height="500" />NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 21: Megan Thee Stallion, nails detail, is seen arriving to the God’s Love We Deliver Golden Heart Awards at Cathedral of St. John the Divine on October 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images) 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.”

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.” 

As for the future of the French tip? “French tips are forever evolving,” says Haug. “Everyday a newrel="tag">french manicures French tips nail trends

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