nail art
retro french
not your mothers french manicure—this ultra modern twist crosses the quintessential clean flattering nail with a pop of color and a graphic-cool twist. colorful french manicures are having a major moment right now so trend queens lean in. colored-tip french manicures look ambitious but actually not that hard to pull off. just follow these steps.
![retro french](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/articles/nail_art/retro-french/ess-usa-nailart-retrofrench-v2.png?h=500&w=500&la=en-US&hash=9C8940C793E80278EEF14CFC69B520E0)
step 1: after basecoat, polish a french tip across each nail with a fine detail brush dipped in blanc. feel free to refine the shape with a cleanup brush and acetone if needed.
step 2: with a dotting tool dipped in wink of sleep, add dots across the tip of one nail in 4 small rows, getting smaller and smaller with each row. use a double sided dotting tool and varying amounts of pressure to achieve varying dot sizes.
step 3: repeat step 2 with licorice, playdate and pencil me in. each nail being a different color except two.
step 4: finish with glossy topcoat.
![blanc](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish/enamels/whites/blanc/essie-nail-polish-blanc-095008000107-av4-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=BEAF96126988E609E7FEA71287D2052F)
![wink of sleep](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish_hd/enamels/purples/wink-of-sleep/essie-enamel-girls-night-in-wink-of-sleep-front.jpg?rev=0fb7a27a8ff149159bd4be0b6799b933&h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=87A8A086C89B075450C1B170943B0F73)
![licorice](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish_hd/enamels/grays/095008000978/essie-nail-polish-licorice-095008000978-av4.jpeg?rev=6bc479f53e1144b6b33dfed1d0cb699e&h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=AD2D19A5D3826EA7E54B2FA40E14CF51)
![play date](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish/enamels/purples/play_date/essie-nail-polish-play-date-095008002903-av4-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=E592CEB1C9AE54BF49A0EC645EB23216)
![pencil me in](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/collections/handmade_with_love/pencil-me-in/essie-enamel-pencil-me-in-front-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=DB8C7DC7B40C7A9E5807F751FC011002)
![smooth-e](/-/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/essie/americas/us/products_nailpolish_hd/base_coats/essie-nail-polish-care-smooth-e-upc-av11-530.jpg?h=320&w=320&la=en-US&hash=C038695564BBC6551C37D08DDF820E3D)