15 Neutral French Nail Ideas, From Cream to Chocolate

A French manicure with brown-caramel tips and a gold line accent — @glammertized / Instagram

French tips are arguably the most timeless nail art of all time, a classic that suits almost everyone. And while the look can be achieved in any color of the rainbow—from red to purple and everything in between—keeping it truly classic has often translated to standard white tips.

But allow us to present another option: Neutrals. There are creams, nudes, shades of caramel—the list goes on. You can even play around with various designs. Keep reading for 15 of our favorite neutral French nail ideas.

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Dark Caramel Chocolate

Close up of a brown-tipped French manicure with gold outline details — @glammertized / Instagram

Who says French tips have to be white? Consider giving brown a go (or dark caramel chocolate if you prefer your trends food-oriented).

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Vanilla Swirls

Close up of a French manicure with textured vanilla tips — @nylove_nails / Instagram

These aren't your average vanilla French tips: If you look closely, you'll see 3D swirl accents. The key to getting the look? Using Apres GelX and IBD Builder Gel. The artist warns that it may take a few hours on your own, though, so it's probably best to visit the salon for this one.

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Two-Tone Gradient

If you have plenty of polish, why not paint each of your nails a different complementary nude shade? Take the look up a notch by creating a French effect with French tip guides and a matte top coat.

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Chocolate Tips

Close up of a French manicure with dark brown tips — @amyle.nails / Instagram

As the weather gets cooler, it's important to sport a shade of brown as often as possible. An easy way to do so is by painting your tips chocolate brown using a polish like Essie's All Checked Out.

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Polka Dots

Looking for a quick way to add some personality to your usual French tips? Adding polka dots is always a great idea.

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Gold Details

A French manicure with milky tips outlined in gold — @amyle.nails / Instagram

Outlining your neutral French tip with a bit of gold polish is an easy way to jazz up your look. All it requires is a steady hand, a good liner brush, and some gold polish. We're partial to something that can be spotted from a mile away, like this shiny metallic from Ingzy.

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Tortoiseshell Tips

Close up of a French manicure with a tortoiseshell base — @lolo.nailedit / Instagram

Spin the concept of a neutral French manicure on its head by keeping the classic white tips but opting for a neutral base instead. This set features the trendiest neutral print—tortoiseshell—and crisp white tips.

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Half-and-Half

A French manicure with half brown, half white tips — @overglowedit / Instagram

What's better than one neutral shade? Why, two, of course. This cute design features a creamy brown and white, but think of all the color possibilities.

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Curved Cream

Get creative and ask your nail tech to curve your neutral tips down the sides of your nails.

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Pearly Whites

A French manicure with pearlescent white tips — @phoebesummernails / Instagram

These dreamy pearlescent nails are sure to be the envy of everyone. All you need is a fine liner brush or a dotting tool to create swirls in the polish (the artist used the shade Freshwater Pearl by Gelcare).

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Chocolate Chrome

A French manicure with brown chrome tips — @myprettyset / Instagram

Wavy builder gel accents, French tips, and chocolate chrome? This set brings together many of the year's hottest nail art trends (and does so beautifully).

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Classic White Swirls

A manicure with white French tips and swirly accent nails — @disseynails / Instagram

Classic white French tips make excellent accent nails, as demonstrated by this wavy white set.

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Off-White

While these may look like basic white French tips from far away, look a little closer, and you'll realize it's a pretty eggshell shade. This is a great option for those who don't like to stray too far away from the classic French comfort zone.

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