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    1. Beauty

    Is The French Manicure Back?

    It's been cast out of our beauty regimes, but is there a way to bring it back from the 90s?

    Anita Bhagwandas's avatar
    By Anita Bhagwandas
    Published 4 March 2015 In News

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    cushnie nails
    cushnie nails
    (Image credit: imaxtree)
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    It's been cast out of our beauty regimes, but is there a way to bring it back from the 90s?

    Ah French manicures. Nothing quite says stripper, glamour-model 90s reject quite like them. They’ve been out of fashion for seasons – nay, years now. And have become a veritable beauty faux pas, in fact.

    Whilst those Tipex-white tips might never return to prominence, the French manicure is making a tentative foray back into our lives – both on the catwalks and on the street – and what's clear is that it's all about how you upgrade it. Look, love and be inspired by our three canny ways to get a rocking French mani. And tweet us your nail inspo to @marieclaireuk #thebeautydesk if you give it a whirl.

    1. Move your arc around…

    Inspired by the Cushnie et Ochs SS15 show? So are we. Simply swap the traditional French manicure tip for a vintage arc at the nail bed to update the look. We're digging the silver too.

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    (Image credit: Ivan Lattuada)

    2. Think texture...

    Your re-imagined French mani doesn't have to be a contrast in colour, it can be a textural change too. Try a shiny vampish polish with a matte black tip. Goth luxe at its best. 

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    (Image credit: Matteo Scarpellini)

    3.Don't worry about being neat…

    Who has the time to use those little stick on strips we used to create our French manicures at school? Nobody, that's who. So ditch the tidy lines and go ombré (see YouTube tutorials galore). It's quicker, it's less hassle and it's ultra-cool.

    (Image credit: Jon Surbey)
    Anita Bhagwandas
    Anita Bhagwandas
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    Anita is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years of experience on some of the UK’s biggest magazines. She explores beauty culture and questions the power that pretty privilege has over our lives, and has written a book on it called UGLY: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards (2023, Blink), which was serialised by The Guardian and Independent and featured by Vogue, Elle, and many more

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