Micro French

A micro French is a French manicure that paints a very thin line of colour along the free edge only, so the tip reads as a fine outline in place of the wide white band of a classic French.

Also known as: micro French manicure, micro French tips, skinny French, thin French tip

A micro French keeps the shape of a classic French manicure and shrinks the tip to a fine line. The classic French uses a wide white band across the free edge, traditionally on a square nail¹. The micro version follows the same curve with a line so thin it reads as an outline. The rest of the nail is bare, sheer or milky.

The look suits short nails, where a wide white tip would take up most of the plate. It also suits oval, almond and squoval shapes, because the thin line follows the curve of the free edge. The tip can be white, milky white, black, a bright colour or a metallic. A milky-white tip in place of pure white was a manicurist prediction for 2025².

Painting a micro French by hand needs a fine liner brush or a striping brush, not the bottle brush. The steps are: base coat, one or two coats of sheer colour, dry, then one pass along the edge with the liner brush, then top coat. Holding the brush flat and pulling it from one corner to the other in one motion gives an even line. A small amount of remover on a clean-up brush tidies the edge.

Gel gives the sharpest micro French because the line can be corrected before curing. In regular polish a quick-dry top coat protects the line while it sets.

Written and fact-checked by the India Anaïs editorial team. Every number and rule is linked to its source. How the guides are made.