This summer, updated takes on the classic French manicure are set to take over. “A French mani is always on trend, and we see different variations on the beloved look throughout the seasons,” says Olive & June VP of Content & Creative and Mani Trend Expert, Olivia Van Iderstine. While classic pink and white French manis are making a return as a result of the current early ’00s craze, there’s something to be said about the brown French tip nails taking over our social feeds. If you’ve yet to see them, you’re in luck!
Ahead, find over a dozen unique brown French manicures fit for summer.
Chocolate Brown French Tips
Not sure brown tips make for a stunning summer nail look? Here’s proof that they do. To perfect this nail look, start with a nude base, then use a chocolate brown polish to create the arched tips. If you struggle with a shaky hand, simplify the process with French manicure stencil stickers. For the best result, wait to peel them off until the tips are fully dry. Then, complete the look with top coat.
Silver Accented Brown French Tips
Want to jazz it up a bit? “Nailing Hollywood artist Rachel Joseph created this look by painting a sheer nude base over stiletto-shaped Gel-X tips,” says manicurist and Nailing Hollywood CEO Mazz Hanna. “She used a brown polish with warm undertones for the French tips and added silver accents with a sparkly silver polish and a liner nail art brush.”
Brown Geometric French Tips
If you have a steady hand, try recreating this geometric brown French mani by Nailing Hollywood artist Hang Nguyen. “Hang created this super simple yet unique look using just the brushes from the bottle and a cleanup brush to sharpen the bottom line,” Hanna reveals, noting that she layered shades on top of each other to perfect the look.
Square Brown Skittle French Mani
“For this look, Morgan used four different brown shades ranging from light to dark,” Hanna says. “She then painted a half-moon shaped deep French onto coffin-shaped nails, alternating colors for each nail.”
Brown Almond Shaped French Tips
These short almond-shaped nails have us craving a nutty chocolate bar. They’re crisp, chic, and glossy as can be. And the gold foil flecks look like a torn wrapper. Fun, no?
Chocolate and Cream Mismatch French Mani
Nail artist Dayanna I. Sapiens is the queen of mix-and-match manicures. For this one, she went with chocolate and cream smiley faces, swirls, daisies, and stars. If you have a steady hand (and are ambidextrous), you can recreate the look with dotting tools and a liner brush. If not, simply drop into your local nail salon to bring the look to life.
Chocolate Drip Ice Cream French Tips
Ice cream nails—manicures with drippy nail art—are trending for summer 2024. When done in shades of brown, it makes for an especially rich take on the popular nail art trend.
Chocolate Ombre Cuticle Cutouts
If you prefer a bit more saturation on your nails, consider extending your French tips down toward your cuticles for more of a cutout mani. This design looks gorgeous in a single shade, as well as in various brown tones.
Dark Chocolate French Tips
Nowadays French manicures very rarely solely feature simple arched tips. Here’s one way to put brown polish to work in a more creative French tip design.
Glittery Heart Brown French Tips
Just because brown is a neutral color doesn’t mean it can’t be paired with a little bling. For some real sparkle, finish off a few of your nails with a chunky glitter top coat. It makes for a confetti-covered neutral mani we can fully get behind.
Glossy Chestnut French Tips
For a warmer take on the brown French tip trend, opt for a glossy chestnut polish. It mimics the appearance of suntanned skin, fresh coconuts, and s’mores—some of summer’s very best highlights.
Metallic Brown Swirl French Tips
We love a groovy, ’70s-inspired mani and this metallic brown swirl French tip design stopped us in our tracks. While the tips and swirls were created with polish, the shimmering stars are actually little pieces of holographic confetti secured with top coat.
Pink and Brown Tort French Mani
Tortoiseshell designs might be more common for fall but if you think about it, it’s a popular material used in summer accessories (think: claw clips and sunglasses), too. As such, we love the idea of a bubblegum pink and dimensional tort French mani. You can DIY the look by layering chestnut, black, and dark brown polishes.
Soft Brown French Mani
If you love the summer pastel trend currently circulating on social media but want to hop on the brown bandwagon, consider combining the two with a soft take on the latter. Here, Sapiens used taupe, sand, and cream tones to create the look.
Straight Edge Brown French Mani
For a more mod brown French manicure, skip the arches and opt for straight lines. You can easily create this look with a lining brush or nail tape.
Tonal Brown Illusion French Tips
How chic is this tonal brown illusion French manicure? To get the look, paint a sponge vertically with two shades of brown polish side by side. Dab it onto each nail. Once dry, apply French manicure stencils to section off your tips. Then, paint another sponge with an inverse of the colors and dab it solely on the tips. Touch up the edges with an angled brush and acetone and finish with top coat.
Tortoiseshell Tips
Love the idea of a tortoiseshell French manicure? There’s always the option to let the design stand on its own without any other extra accents.
Two-Tone Brown Apex French Tips
For something a smidge edgier than solid brown French tips, consider pairing the warm hue with jet-black polish in an apex design. “Hang created this look using a nail art brush,” Hanna says.
Wavy Brown French Tips
If you don’t want to commit to a classic French manicure, consider three brown French tips paired with eye-catching nail art like daisies and swirls. Sapiens created this look with dotting tools and a nail art brush.
Bold Tort French Tips
@lolo.nailedit / Instagram
Meanwhile, if you love crisp white tips but are tired of a sheer, neutral base, you can switch things up with a brown polish or tort design. You’ll want to start with the base, let it dry, then finish with the white tips and top coat.
