Some manicures are simply etched into beauty history. A classic red nail never goes out of style, and chrome toppers manifested the entire glazed doughnut trend. Right alongside those timeless shades sits the French manicure. As someone who writes about nails for a living, I'm usually drawn to maximalist designs over minimalist hues. And that's exactly why I love French tips: They're the perfect base for just about any nail trend — they don’t need to be a simple neutral base with a white stripe. Add a colorful tip, a chrome finish, or intricate nail art, and suddenly you've got a fresh take on a classic.
French manicures have endless iterations, and so many of them are perfect for summer. Swipe your favorite seasonal shade across the tips, opt for a juicy fruit-inspired design, or go all in with sculptural nail art worthy of an exhibit in a museum. No matter how you prefer your nail designs, there's a fresh French manicure waiting to become your summer signature.
Ahead, all the French nail designs you need for your summer manicure moodboard.
Fruity Tips
With a tiny piece of fruit painted onto each nail, turning your fingertips into the sweetest fruit salad, these French tips are almost good enough to eat. Bonus points if you notice that almost all of the above fruits double as Harry Styles song titles, making this the perfect manicure to wear during his upcoming U.S. residency. “Kiwi” truthers, this one's for you.
Stripes on Stripes
Stripes and summer go hand in hand (pun intended), so adding them to a French tip just makes sense. Layer colourful lines along the top of the nail to elevate the classic single white stripe. Choose two monochromatic shades for an inverted effect, or mix and match bright hues to create beach towel-inspired fingers.
Rainbow Sorbet
Summer is all about embracing colour, making these sorbet-inspired French tips an ideal fit for the season. Choose any array of translucent polishes and mix and match every color of the rainbow for a finish that looks like tiny juicy popsicles for your fingertips.
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Colourful Gingham
Like I said, you can turn just about any trend or pattern into a French manicure by shrinking it down onto the tips, and gingham is no exception. The picnic-ready print makes an adorable swap for a classic white tip, and pairs perfectly with all of your breezy summer dresses.
Butter Yellow
If you’re new here, we consider butter yellow to be a neutral polish. The sunny shade rises in popularity every time summer rolls around, and it’s the cutest way to change up a French manicure without the need for an intricate design. Plus, you can top it off with a layer of chrome for a reflective finish.
Polka Dot Florals
Polka dots and florals are two summer nail staples, so combining them with a French manicure is a recipe for the cutest seasonal set. I especially love this butter yellow design paired with sculptural hibiscus flowers, but you can customise the look with any colour palette or bloom to match your summer aesthetic.
Mix and Match Dots
If you don’t have the patience for meticulously placing a dozen tiny dots on each nail (because same), single-dot nail art is one of the biggest summer nail trends. One on each French tip gives you the playful look of dotted nails without the painstaking nail art. Mix and match colourful tips with coordinating dots, or switch up every nail for a fun, summer-ready mani.
Zebra Florals
Blooming gel (a special gel polish that causes colors to softly spread into a blurred, watercolor-like effect) creates the dreamiest floral designs, and this hot pink bloom layered over zebra-print French tips feels especially fun for summer.
Why Trust Cosmopolitan?
Jasmine Hyman is the assistant beauty editor at Cosmo who covers all things nails—from the latest color trends to new polish launches.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
