Reinventing the wheel is tough, but when it comes to a French manicure, nail artists everywhere are putting their own unique twist on the classic. Just this year we’ve spotted ‘ice cream nails’ (a subtle ombré French that melts — excuse the pun — into a glossy pink base), not to mention Kylie Jenner’s ‘deep French manicure’, essentially chunky, ’90s-inspired French tips.
As we head into party season, you might expect frenchies to get louder and glitzier. But if London’s booked-and-busy nail artists are anything to go by, the look is actually becoming even more understated, and one trend is about to flood salons everywhere. Enter: the ‘tucked French manicure’.
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What is the tucked French manicure?
Also known as the ‘hidden French manicure’, we first spotted the ‘tucked French manicure’ trend on London-based manicurist Carmelina’s Instagram stories in October. Carmelina explains that it all starts with a simple clear base coat: “After the base coat, add a milky white [nail polish] for the tip, followed by a nude colour of your choice over the top,” she says.
The first subtle tweak lies in the colour of the tip itself. Instead of the stark white hue reminiscent of the early 2000s, a milkier, more gauzy shade of white gives the nail a creamy, soft-focus effect. But it’s the addition of the nude polish that earns the manicure its name, tucking the tip beneath a sheer layer that allows it to melt seamlessly into the rest of the nail — almost like your natural tip growth. Of course, a lick of glossy topcoat seals everything in.
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What are the benefits of the ‘tucked French manicure’?
Georgia, a pro artist at Luna & Wilde nail salon in Belgravia and Brixton, says that the hidden manicure trend has blown up over the last year: “It gives the illusion of a blended and more subtle, sophisticated traditional French mani, which artists and clients are both loving.”
Unlike a traditional French manicure, the extra layers of polish over the French tip itself provide a little more protection against chips. When she did this on my nails, Georgia used The GelBottle’s new Hard BIAB collection. She likes to work with its neutral shades like Teddy, Dolly, Grace and Bonnie as an initial base and then applies the same shade over the French tip.
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