30 French Tip Nail Designs to Elevate Your Manicure (2024)

French tips are one of the most classic nail styles out there. They're simple, beautiful, and will never go out of style. But that doesn't mean they have to be boring; it's fun to spice them up with more out-of-the-box shades and accents. "Nail tip designs are a cool, modern twist on the French manicure," says celebrity manicurist Brittney Boyce. "While French manicures have been popular for years, nowadays, we see people adding their own personal flair with a variety of designs!"

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Mabelyn Alva explains that there are many ways to get imaginative with nail tip designs. "Adding crystals, gems, and metallic accents is a great way to make your tips sparkle without overwhelming the nail design," says Alva. "Graphic designs with elevated color pairings are also really popular." And another thing to remember: If you're working with a base that matches your natural nail color, [French tips give you a cleaner] look when your nails grow out," says Boyce. And who doesn't want to prolong their manicure?

meet the expert

Brittney Boyce is a celebrity manicurist whose clients include Megan Fox and Kim Kardashian.
Mabelyn Alva is a manicurist and the creative director at Paintbox,

Get inspired by browsing 30 stunning nail tip designs below.

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Chrome French

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“My favorite go-to is a chrome French,” says Boyce. “It offers a cool and edgy look while remaining within most people's comfort zones." This look was painted on Aprés Nail Gel-X Tips.

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Flame French

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Boyce made this look with Aprés Nail’s Gel-X Tips and polish in the shade in Pucker Up ($15). “I love hand-painted designs,” says Boyce. “The flame tip isn’t for everyone, but I’m obsessed. If you can pull it off, it’s FIRE!”

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Geometric Tips

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Create this look on your own or buy it in press-on form from Paintbox. The Twosome Press-Ons ($28) feature a geometric nude and coral design. It's one of the brand's latest designs.

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Negative Space Tips

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This nail tip design features two curvilinear lines with negative space between them. It's a nice way to inject subtle color into your manicure.

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Tortoiseshell Tips

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Tortoiseshell nails are inherently glamorous, and having them in tip form just ups the chic factor.

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Hearts

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Although these heart tips are perfect for Valentine's Day, you can get away with wearing them year-round for a simple and sweet pop of red.

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Golden Glitter

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If you don't have the patience to create a crisp, rounded tip, you can apply glitter to your tips and brush it down to ombré effect. Minimal effort maximum impact!

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Floral Tips

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Florals can be a sweet take on tips. This design keeps things delicate and beautiful, exclusively using white flowers and leaves.

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Pastel Over-Under

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Instead of concentrating color just on the tips, this design makes use of the entire border of the nail with razor-thin lines swooping down into the bottom half-moons. It's a minimal, but elevated look.

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Ombré Tips

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With nail polish and a makeup sponge, you can make ombré tips with ease. This look fades a bright yellow into a neutral milky beige.

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Hawaiian Tropics

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Brighten your spirits with this look, which adorns yellow tips with pink tropical flowers. It was created using polishes from The Gel Bottle Inc.

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Tipsy Tips

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This look takes a simple brown tip to the next level with wavy blue and beige additions.

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Cool Blues

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Several shades of cool blue were used to create this gradient double-tip look. It was created on top of Aprés Nail Natural Stiletto Short ($17) gel tips.

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Multicolored French

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Boyce made this look using all Aprés Nail green polishes, including Kung Fu Tortoise ($15), Lime Pop ($15), Gen X Slime ($15), and Luna Luna ($15). “Multicolored nails are super fun and easy to get done,” says Boyce. “You don’t have to search for the perfect nail artist to achieve this look.”

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Outside the Lines

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This look is a really playful take on nail tip designs. The tips themselves are abstract and accented by hot pink squiggles.

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Cloud Nine

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Made with six shades from The Gel Bottle Inc — Blue Steel ($19), Daisy ($19), Periwinkle ($19), Forget Me Not ($19), and Silk ($19) — this design turns tips into ethereal clouds.

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Starry Noir

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Ink London's Nude Flubber ($19) serves as the base of this sharp tip design. Instead of a rounded tip, this look has thin and angular tips painted with Madam Glam's Perfect Black ($22).

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Midnight Snowflakes

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Nail tip designs can also get seasonal. This snowflake design uses three shades from Ink Nails London — Bobby Dallas Shimmer ($22), Nude Flubber ($19), and White ($12) — and is perfect for winter.

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Seashell Tips

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This ornate seashell-inspired pink nail tip design emulates line drawings with thin black outlines separating the ridges of the shell.

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Color Coded

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This colorful look features a different shade on each nail using Gel Care polishes in the shades Granite Purple ($20), Barbara Pink ($20), Kelly Green ($20), Cornflower Blue ($20), Corallium ($20), and Rose BB Cream ($20). Each nail is finished with a matching heart gem from Deco Beauty Jewels Stickers ($10).

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Monochrome Ombré

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This monochrome chocolate brown ombré design creates a bit of an optical illusion.

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Wreath Tips

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The ultimate Christmas manicure, this design features small green wreaths with red ribbons as the tips of a few nails. The red ribbon is enhanced by the addition of two solid red nails.

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Reptilian Tips

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This reptilian look features a mix of bright, punchy colors painted on top of the Aprés Sculpted Stiletto Long ($17) gel tips.

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Lime Jelly

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Because this look features Aprés Sculpted Almond Long ($17) gel-x tips, which are clear, it has a cool effect where the jelly color on the tips (Acid Lime ($15)) is totally translucent.

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Blackout Tips

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This chic look features black wavy tips, and the matte top coat ups the cool factor!

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Celestial Tips

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This celestial design features onyx tips accented with pretty gold stars..

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French Lemons

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This design features thin, baby blue French tips and a little lemon, daisy, and gold leaf accent at the base of the nail.

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Trippy Tips

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These tips get trippy and wavy with a stack of vibrant colors. Although there's a lot going on, each tip follows a similar wave pattern, so the look isn't overwhelming.

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Baby Blue

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Adding a thin white line to these French blue tips gives this look a really nice anchor.

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Retro Tips

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Thanks to the use of muted retro shades of blue and brown, this look is graphic yet subtle. The black outlines add to the graphic effect.

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or expertise. However, I can provide you with information related to the concepts mentioned in this article.

French Tips

French tips are a classic nail style that is simple, beautiful, and timeless. They consist of a natural or light-colored base with a white tip. French tips can be customized and made more interesting by adding different shades and accents.

Nail Tip Designs

Nail tip designs offer a modern twist on the traditional French manicure. They allow individuals to add their own personal flair and creativity to their nails. Some popular nail tip designs include:

Chrome French: This design offers a cool and edgy look while still remaining within most people's comfort zones.
Flame French: A hand-painted design featuring flame-shaped tips for a bold and unique look.
Geometric Tips: Press-on nail tips with a geometric nude and coral design.
Negative Space Tips: A design that incorporates curvilinear lines with negative space between them, adding subtle color to the manicure.
Tortoiseshell Tips: Tortoiseshell nails in tip form, adding a touch of glamour to the manicure.
Hearts: Heart-shaped tips, perfect for adding a simple and sweet pop of red.
Golden Glitter: Applying glitter to the tips and brushing it down for an ombre effect.
Floral Tips: Delicate and beautiful tips adorned with white flowers and leaves.
Pastel Over-Under: Instead of concentrating color just on the tips, this design makes use of the entire border of the nail with razor-thin lines swooping down into the bottom half-moons.
Ombré Tips: Creating an ombré effect on the tips using nail polish and a makeup sponge.
Hawaiian Tropics: Bright yellow tips adorned with pink tropical flowers.
Tipsy Tips: Adding wavy blue and beige accents to a simple brown tip.
Cool Blues: Gradient double-tip look using several shades of cool blue.
Multicolored French: A fun and easy-to-achieve look using multiple colors on each nail.
Outside the Lines: Abstract tips accented by hot pink squiggles.
Cloud Nine: Tips resembling ethereal clouds, created using multiple shades.
Starry Noir: Thin and angular tips painted with black, resembling stars against a dark background.
Midnight Snowflakes: A seasonal snowflake design using shades of blue and white.
Seashell Tips: Ornate seashell-inspired pink nail tip design with thin black outlines.
Color Coded: Each nail features a different shade, creating a colorful and vibrant look.
Monochrome Ombré: A monochrome chocolate brown ombré design that creates an optical illusion.
Wreath Tips: Small green wreaths with red ribbons as the tips, perfect for a Christmas manicure.
Reptilian Tips: A mix of bright, punchy colors painted on top of gel tips, resembling reptilian patterns.
Lime Jelly: Clear tips with a translucent jelly color effect.
Blackout Tips: Chic black wavy tips with a matte top coat for added coolness.
Celestial Tips: Onyx tips accented with gold stars for a celestial look.
French Lemons: Thin, baby blue French tips with lemon, daisy, and gold leaf accents at the base.
Trippy Tips: Vibrant colors in a wavy pattern for a trippy and playful look.
Baby Blue: French blue tips with a thin white line for added detail.
Retro Tips: Muted retro shades of blue and brown with black outlines for a graphic yet subtle look.

These are just a few examples of the many nail tip designs available. The possibilities are endless, allowing individuals to express their personal style and creativity through their manicures.

Please note that the descriptions provided are based on the information in this article and do not reflect personal opinions or experiences.