What Is a Black French Manicure?

A black French manicure is an alternative version of the traditional French manicure. Instead of the usual white-and-pink color combination of conventional French manicures, black French manicures feature black paired with some other color such as white, pink, or even another shade of black. Basically, for a French manicure to be considered a black French manicure, the color paired with black is less important than the presence of the black itself. Manicurists can combine the black French manicure style with other manicure fashions, such as applying faux jewels to the nails or painting elaborate designs. People can obtain black French manicures at professional beauty and manicure salons, or they can take the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach and give themselves manicures at home.

Similar to all types of French manicures, black French manicures emphasize the two parts or sections of the nail. The first part is the tip of the nail, and the second part is the nail bed. A traditional French manicure features white tips and pink nail beds, but a black French manicure offers more options. For example, a black French manicure might feature black tips with pink nail beds, white tips with black nail beds, or black tips with black nail beds. Typically, the color combination is up to the person getting the manicure.

Traditional French manicures and black French manicures also share the characteristic of offering multiple style options. For example, the manicurist can style the tip of the nail straight across or in a slightly angled way, as is the case with a normal French manicure, or she can give it an angled, pointed, or even jagged edge. Manicurists can also apply various decorations to black French manicures including jewels, stickers, or intricately-painted designs.

Customers can get black French manicures at most professional manicure salons or beauty shops that provide manicure services. Those who aren’t sure about the different color combinations and styles can talk with trained manicurists. Usually, manicurists have model hands that feature various styles of manicures, and a customer can use these models to get a clearer idea of the kind of black French manicure she wants.

Some people prefer do-it-yourself (DIY) manicures. Although plenty of beauty and salon magazines provide information about DIY manicures, websites might be the best sources of information on how to create a black French manicure. Various websites, from professional beauty sites to personal blogs, provide written and visual tutorials on creating a number of black French manicures at home.