If you were a fly on the wall at the Allure office in the early 2010s, you likely heard editors talking about the French manicure—but not the way we do now. The look, characterized by an arc along the tip of the nail, “was always on the ‘tacky list’ of every story,” says Sophia Panych, who was our staff assistant at the time and is now our content director. “I learned quickly that the senior team considered a French manicure très gauche.”
“French manicures were for porn stars, Jersey girls, or bottle blondes with blue eye shadow,” adds David Denicolo, a longtime contributor and former editor-at-large of our print issue. Back in the day, he polled editors on what they thought of the look for a story. “It was just a snapshot of a moment,” he recalls. Miss Pop, an editorial nail artist who has keyed fashion shows for more than two decades, watched the look fall from its elite status: It was “a display of wealth, but not a display of class,” she says.
In retrospect, these notions were unfair all around—toward nail art lovers, manicurists, and sex workers. “The French manicure has such a dazzling history,” Panych says. Here’s a refresher: Manicurist Jeff Pink created the look in 1975 for his clients in California (no, not France). He wanted a style that Hollywood starlets could wear throughout an entire production, even across multiple wardrobe changes. Also, the skin-tone-colored base of the look made it easy to hide any grow-out from the camera.
The look went on to inspire multiple generations of nail artists. “When I was a kid, I spent every waking minute trying to figure out how to do a French manicure,” says Miss Pop. “I’ve spent so much of my career reimagining it—it’s hard not to. It’s the most natural shape you can possibly do.”
Nail artist Elle Gerstein, whose clients have included Michelle Williams, Kate Hudson, and Shay Mitchell, says the French manicure helped her stand out in the industry. “I’ve been doing nails since 1988, and the French was the look my clients requested most. Then J.Lo—who was not [known as] J.Lo at the time—saw my work and wanted the pink-and-whites she’d seen at her salon in Manhattan.” For a red carpet event in 1999, Jennifer Lopez asked Gerstein for the manicure, and it ultimately made headlines.
From there, the look made its way to concert venues. “Barbra Streisand is known for her long nails, often shaped round or almond, and she frequently wore a thick white French tip that became part of her signature beauty look,” says Jin Soon Choi, nail artist and brand founder, of what she recalls as one of the most memorable French manis. Its popularity even reached Buckingham Palace, where it became Princess Diana’s go-to nail art.
As with all trends, though, people got tired of French manicures. Let’s go back to the Allure office in the early 2010s—remember, you’re a fly on the wall, listening to editors put together a magazine. “The 2010s were a time when you had to fight to get nail art into the magazine,” Panych remembers of making the case for nail art in print pages. “It was really the focus on nail decoration—and the idea of nails as an art form—that helped steer the conversation away from it being tacky.” The French manicure managed to make a comeback, regaining real traction before the global shutdown—and continues to be a mainstay.
The French manicure has evolved with the times and survived trend fatigue, thanks to how adaptable it is. Today, though, the look isn’t about having nails that match every outfit. Choi says it best: “The French manicure [of 2026] feels fresh, artistic, and less ‘perfect.’ It’s about playful interpretations, tonal pairings, and unexpected textures.” Ahead, artists interpret the look for 2026.
