While we will always be obsessed with the classic French manicure that is a constant feature on our social media feeds, there's another trend that's taken our fancy, too. What is it you ask? The reverse manicure. You basically take your classic French tip and flip it. Spotted at fashion weeks and on the pages of our favourite nail artists, the style sees the smile line (where your nail bed begins) become the new 'nail tip' while your regular nail tips are left bare. The result? Elongated, chic nails with a modern twist on a timeless look. You'll want to make it one of the sets you try out this year.
What Exactly Is The Reverse French Manicure?
Marian Newman, the nail artist behind the manicure at the Halpern SS20 show explains, ‘You can’t leave French as it is, you’ve got to move it on, and that’s exactly what we did by reversing it. It’s different from the cuff (a thin line across the nail bed) – which was around for a while – as we’ve reversed the shape of the smile line.’ It works best on a round or pointy-shaped tip, rather than a square, as you’re mimicking the shape at the base.
How To Do The Reverse French Manicure
To recreate the look yourself, Marian recommends painting the coloured tip on first before taking a small eyeshadow brush and carving out the shape. ‘So, don’t use a base coat. Go straight in with the colour, taking it half way up the nail, then carve it out with a flat eyeshadow brush dipped in nail polish remover before applying a top coat.’
To keep it cool, mix up the nail bed colour and play with texture. The nails at Halpern had a shimmering, metallic finish – pressed on with pigment. 'You can do this at home,' says Newman. 'Take a shimmery eye shadow and just as the nail polish dries, gently dab on the shadow with a sponge and you’ve metal-ised it.' Over at Gucci, nail artist, Jenny Longworth, started with a nude base before adding white just along the nail bed for a clean, polished finish.
The Best Ways To Wear A Reversed French Manicure...
Whether you opt for neon ombre tips a la Kylie Jenner, or prefer a simple French reverse manicure, take your cue from the below #nelfies.