French manicures—the timeless combo of a nude base and a crisp white tip—are trending right now. At the time of writing, the nail style is up 100 percent compared to its typical search volume, according to Google Trends. That’s due, in part, I’d wager, to Dua Lipa’s colorful French manicure by celebrity nail artist Mei Kawajiri (a.k.a. @nailsbymei on Instagram), posted on the social media platform by the manicurist herself this morning, and now living in my head rent-free for the foreseeable future.
Kawajiri treated followers to a slideshow of images of Lipa, seemingly on vacation, with glimpses of her manicure from every angle and zoom. Each nail features a different bold, glossy color-block combo: a base shade paired with a contrasting painted-on tip rather than the traditional white French line. The nails themselves are long and almond-shaped, tapering to a rounded point.
Lipa’s French manicure isn't the only colorful take on the traditional that I—and the greater NewBeauty team—have fallen in love with recently. Another was Idina Menzel’s “juicy hot-pink manicure,” brought to life by Los Angeles celebrity manicurist Vanessa Sanchez McCullough (a.k.a. @nailzbyvee on Instagram). The look swaps in a vivid hot-pink base for the classic nude and a deep burgundy tip for the traditional white, set on medium-long almond-shaped nails with a glassy, high-shine finish.
Lipa is no stranger to a playful manicure, either. Besides her recent foray into color, she’s also seemingly been loving different takes on polka dots. Last month, for example, the hitmaker played with pattern courtesy of a polka-dot manicure boasting a milky white base dotted with black circles. And in July, she tapped Kawajiri for a different take on the trend: long, almond-shaped nails with a sheer, milky white base topped with dimensional silver polka dots for a metallic, jewel-like finish.
Whichever version speaks to you, it’s crystal-clear that the French manicure is a trend to try this month if you're due for a nail appointment—and celebrities are leading the charge to make it anything but boring. Will you be booking your own version?
