The “Phantom” French Manicure Takes Cat-Eye Tips To The Next Level

They say you can’t beat a classic, but if my Instagram feed is anything to go by, the humble French manicure is undergoing something of a makeover. It began with the “French fade”, a look that blends the French manicure’s signature white tip into the nail’s neutral base for a soft, melted ombré effect. Another recent favorite is the “deep” French: a chunkier take on the traditional tip that pays homage to the early ’00s. Fast forward to February and another trend has entered our radar — what we’re coining the “phantom” French — and it’s one for French manicure and cat-eye nail obsessives alike. 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, cat-eye French tips are nothing new, relying on a magnet to maneuver metal particles into formation, creating a reflective, velvety effect — much like a cat’s eye in the dark. In that instance, however, the cat-eye polish is usually painted as a French tip over a neutral gel base. The “phantom” French is a little different. This time, the entire nail is coated in cat-eye polish, but the magnet is used in a way that draws only some — not all — of the particles to the tip, creating a French tip effect. Depending on the light or the movement of your fingers, the French tip seems to appear and disappear, hence the “phantom” part. 

Natalia Mercedes, nail artist and founder of Sad Girl Nails Studio in New York City, has a theory about why we’re gravitating toward a more subtle take on the French manicure: “There’s definitely a renewed interest in softer, more understated French tips,” says Mercedes, “but at the same time, bold and graphic French designs are just as relevant.” Its recent popularity stems from its subtlety, Mercedes adds. “It’s a modern evolution of a classic that feels especially sleek right now,” she says, “but it’s less about one trend replacing another. Instead, it’s about the range of expression people are embracing.” 

The “phantom” French manicure requires a skilled hand, and everyone seems to do it a little differently. On Instagram, digital creator and nail artist Melanie Graves paints her nails with silver cat-eye polish, then places a magnet on either side of the nail to draw the particles inward into a reflective formation. Before curing, she positions a longer magnet at the center of the nail, pushing the magnetic pigments toward the tip to create negative space. The result? A cat-eye French tip that’s only visible at certain angles. 

Mercedes has her own method. “The ‘phantom’ effect in cat-eye French tips comes down to both layering and magnet technique,” she says, adding, “It’s about guiding the magnetic particles with intention, then letting light do the rest.” As the nail catches different angles, Mercedes explains, the design appears to shift, fade, and re-emerge. “This creates an illusion of movement.” 

While it might sound a little complicated, a qualified nail tech will know exactly what to do. If in doubt, arrive armed with plenty of reference images. The phantom French manicure works on all nail shapes, from almond, like these by Koleva, to squoval, like this set posted to Instagram by @Nai__Spa.

Here are a few more of our favorite “phantom” French tip nail looks for your perusal. 

Nail artist Sisa Koleva, aka @koleva.nails, used a lilac cat-eye shade to create a subtle French tip on these satisfyingly square nails. Swipe to see the phantom French tip in action — one minute it’s there, the next it’s gone. 

We love this neutral set posted to Instagram by Polish’d Nail Bar. The cat-eye polish closely matches the gel base, subtly blurring the line between the tip and the rest of the nail.

The way the magnetic particles on Ami Kai’s nails are drawn toward the tip to create this French effect makes them look as though they’ve been topped with pixie dust. 

Meraki Nails Cardiff layered The GelBottle’s Sterling gel over builder gel in Dolly to create this frosted French effect, which disappears and reappears depending on the light. 

Here’s another phantom French tip by Koleva, this time in a pink champagne finish on long, squoval nails. 

Content creator Jade’s nails look bathed in sunlight, thanks to a layer of champagne gold cat-eye polish that catches the light at just the right angle to reveal these phantom French tips. 

Syd, a nail artist at Land of Hands, created this blush pink almond set using a rose quartz cat-eye polish.