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If you were a fly on the wall at the Allure<\/em> office in the early 2010s, you likely heard editors talking about the French manicure\u2014but not the way we do now. The look, characterized by an arc along the tip of the nail, \u201cwas always on the \u2018tacky list\u2019 of every story,\u201d says Sophia Panych, who was our staff assistant at the time and is now our content director. \u201cI learned quickly that the senior team considered a French manicure tr\u00e8s gauche.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrench manicures were for porn stars, Jersey girls, or bottle blondes with blue eye shadow,\u201d 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. \u201cIt was just a snapshot of a moment,\u201d 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 \u201ca display of wealth, but not a display of class,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n In retrospect, these notions were unfair all around\u2014toward nail art lovers, manicurists, and sex workers. \u201cThe French manicure has such a dazzling history,\u201d Panych says. Here\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n The look went on to inspire multiple generations of nail artists. \u201cWhen I was a kid, I spent every waking minute trying to figure out how to do a French manicure,\u201d says Miss Pop. \u201cI\u2019ve spent so much of my career reimagining it\u2014it\u2019s hard not to. It\u2019s the most natural shape you can possibly do.\u201d<\/p>\n 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. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing nails since 1988, and the French was the look my clients requested most. Then J.Lo\u2014who was not [known as] J.Lo at the time\u2014saw my work and wanted the pink-and-whites she\u2019d seen at her salon in Manhattan.\u201d For a red carpet event in 1999, Jennifer Lopez asked Gerstein for the manicure, and it ultimately made headlines.<\/p>\n From there, the look made its way to concert venues. \u201cBarbra 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,\u201d 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\u2019s go-to nail art.<\/p>\n As with all trends, though, people got tired of French manicures. Let\u2019s go back to the Allure<\/em> office in the early 2010s\u2014remember, you\u2019re a fly on the wall, listening to editors put together a magazine. \u201cThe 2010s were a time when you had to fight to get nail art into the magazine,\u201d Panych remembers of making the case for nail art in print pages. \u201cIt was really the focus on nail decoration\u2014and the idea of nails as an art form\u2014that helped steer the conversation away from it being tacky.\u201d The French manicure managed to make a comeback, regaining real traction before the global shutdown\u2014and continues to be a mainstay.<\/p>\n The French manicure has evolved with the times and survived trend fatigue, thanks to how adaptable it is. Today, though, the look isn\u2019t about having nails that match every outfit. Choi says it best: \u201cThe French manicure [of 2026] feels fresh, artistic, and less \u2018perfect.\u2019 It\u2019s about playful interpretations, tonal pairings, and unexpected textures.\u201d Ahead, artists interpret the look for 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n