May’s French-tip moment is officially here, and we’ve rounded up 20 viral designs to keep your mani game on point all month long. From cat-eye arcs and butter yellow pops to 3D florals and metallic accents, these looks bring peak spring-to-summer energy—aka, your May French tip nails are about to eat. Let’s go.
1. Hot Pink
May’s pre‑summer energy = saturated pink French tips sprinkled with floral art and stark white accents. The white acts like a built‑in ring light, spotlighting the pigment so your floral Frenchies basically glow on IG Reels.
2. Textured French
It’s late spring and pastels are doing their farewell tour, so send them off with a lavender‑to‑lilac fade. Clear, raised‑gel squiggles add the 3D texture TikTok’s obsessed with, giving your May mani depth without piling on extras.
3. Foggy French
The viral foggy French you saw on your FYP last month? Keep it rolling. Milky‑white tips with blurry edges that dissolve into the natural base—perfect May French nails for fans of BIAB, soap nails and the whole clean‑girl aesthetic.
4. Emerald Green
Emerald green (May birthstone flex!) drip-effect French tips outlined in whisper‑thin gold chrome. Metallic details amplify the jewel tone and tie into the gilded‑micro‑detail craze we’ve seen all over socials and awards‑season carpet.
5. Colorful French
Pick five high‑chroma shades, paint each French tip a different one, and you’ve got a Skittles pack on your nails—just perfect for festival selfies and the easiest way to beta‑test summer’s full palette. No two tips match, but every May outfit suddenly does.
6. Peach Frenchies
Google Trends has peach nails on a sharp rise since April closed, and May’s grad‑prom‑wedding rush is only adding fuel. So go with glossy peach arcs, then add sculpted bow accents—instant coquette energy straight out of K‑beauty feeds.
7. Pink Gradient
Instead of one static pink shade, stack five different shades across your French tips arcs to fake dimension. Best part? You get cute-girl energy without looking like every other basic Barbie set on the explore page.
Dark‑polish loyalists, stay seated. Navy French tips work negative‑space cutouts, croc‑print slashes, and 3D gold lines for maximum trend mileage. Proof you can keep your dark signature and still clock the texture, animal‑print, and metallic waves dominating May feeds.
9. Butter Yellow
Butter‑yellow nails are up over 200 % on TikTok YOY, so stake your claim with solid French tips, peekaboo cut‑outs, textured flowers, and chrome stars. You hit the color craze, texture trend, and the still‑booming celestial motif in one swipe.
10. Florals & Animal Print
Print‑clash is peaking, so mash mocha tortie or croc French tips with pink‑and‑white florals on accent nails. Earth‑tone anchors the look while the petals keep it spring‑coded—proof opposites attract (and photograph) beautifully. Ideal vacay mani.
11. Red French
Classic, but never boring: swap the white french arc for fire‑engine red and leave the base sheer. TikTok’s red‐nail theory (apparently red mani = instant attention) is still charting, so May’s the moment to test the hype at every grad party, wedding, and Memorial Day cookout.
12. White & Gold
Marbled white French tips traced with squiggly gold chrome and topped with metallic bows hit three trends at once: luxury marble, micro‑metal detailing, and coquette accents. Ideal for May events or any day you feel extra fancy.
13. Black & White
Pastels and bright colors not your vibe? Alternate black and white arcs, then layer contrasting abstract florals or doodle lines on top. Florals in mod B&W palette keeps things season‑appropriate while serving the cool‑girl energy.
14. Textured Flowers
3‑D texture just steam‑rolled into the floral season. Combine raised gel hibiscus petals (the vacation motif of 2025) with classic French arcs and a few textured swirl overlays. Stick to a punchy pink‑yellow‑orange palette so the texture feels tropical.
15. Celestial Mani
Light‑blue Frenchies get a gold‑chrome star makeover—easy math for May French tip mani that nails both color‑of‑the‑season and the never‑ending celestial mani craze. The baby‑blue base makes it spring‑coded, while the metallic stars add extra bling you know we love.
16. Orange French
Pinterest Trends just reported a 20 % monthly jump in orange‑nail saves, so trace those French arcs in juicy tangerine. Drag a second line halfway down the nail for double‑decker dimension—micro French × graphic accent in one swipe. Works on long and short nails, so no one’s left out.
17. Matcha Green
Matcha in your cup, matcha on your French tips: soft green arcs with white accents so the hue looks brighter and wellness‑influencer fresh. Scatter mini florals across one or two nails to feed the cottage‑core flower craze simmering on IG.
18. Cat-Eye Effect
Magnetic cat‑eye polish = built‑in light show. Shape it into a pink drip French, edge it with ultra‑thin gold chrome, and every hand wave throws a glimmer. It’s movement, color, and metallics—hyper‑current without feeling busy.
19. Chrome French
Yellow French tips + glossy chrome glaze + tiny cherry art. The reflective finish cements chrome as a forever classic, while the fruit motif taps the cherry‑everything craze rolling over nails and street style alike. The cutest May Frenchies on the block.
20. Coral Mani
Coral makes its annual May comeback like clockwork. Paint coral orange or pink French arcs, then float blooming‑gel florals and raised clear swirls. The hue looks hotter as the UV index climbs, so expect your mani to glow by the first beach weekend.
That’s the full May French tip nail lineup, bestie. Smash save, share with the group chat, and let me know which look is booking your next nail appointment.
SEE ALSO: The Best French Nail Trends
