Ariana Grande’s Classic French Mani Is Truly Timeless

Here at George V Magazine, we are always on the lookout for pristine French manicures to add to our inspiration. Whether it’s a pink Y2K remix of the class like Ice Spice just pulled off, a gold foil-dusted interpretation like Jennifer Lopez, or a shimmery glazed donut take like Sydney Sweeney’s, we can never have enough French mani ideas in our back pocket. Despite all the exciting modern versions of the timeless nail look, sometimes we also just need the perfect, classic French mani to drool over, too—and classic French nail inspo is exactly what Ariana Grande just gave us.

On February 29, the pop superstar posted a snapshot of what seems to be visuals from her upcoming album, Eternal Sunshine. Though the outfit and makeup in the stills were unlike anything we’ve ever seen Grande in, we couldn’t help but zoom in on the classic nails she paired them with—timeless classic French nails.

Where Grande usually opts for shorter, natural, or almond-shaped nails, these were a slightly squared squoval shape that was a tad longer than her go-to. A solidly middle-length mani as opposed to short or short-medium. 

In color, the soft pink color extended all the way to where her nails extended past her finger, and then, once there, they sharply transitioned into a bright hue all the way to the squoval tips.

With the nails, she paired the classic look with a not-so-classic outfit and makeup look. With a denim shearling jacket, red Louis Vuitton purse, gray sweater, and an iced coffee in hand, she painted a flower around her eyes in bright pigment. With her eye being the seeds of a sunflower, small bumps surrounded her right eye like pedals. The pop star’s classic slicked-back ponytail completed the look.

Luckily for us, copying her French mani is easy enough for anyone to recreate perfectly.

First, as with any nail look, remove any lingering nail polish with remover. Then, cut and file your nails to the desired length and shape—this would also be the time to apply any tips or press-ons if you want. After that, buff the surface for an even nail bed before applying your favorite base coat.

You can either just leave the base coat as-is, or you could reach for something like Essie’s Ballet Slippers ($11) for a neutral glossy shade. Either way, wait for the base layer to dry, then create the shape of your French tip with tape. With the shape finished, paint a color like OPI’s Funny Bunny ($12) over the top, peel the tape, and let dry. Then, finish off with a high-shine top coat, and you will practically be part of her new album.