23 French Ombré Nail Designs to Try

French Ombre Nails — Sergii Petruk / Getty Images

By now, you've definitely heard of ombré hair, but what about ombré nails? Yep—you can ombré your manicure, too. But if bold, gradient colors are a little too much for you, fear not: A fun and fresh twist on the traditional French manicure, the "French ombré" trend has taken over Instagram, and we're seriously swooning.

Similar to a French manicure, French ombré manicures also typically stick to neutral shades of pink, white, and varying nude tones. But as opposed to the traditional line of demarcation below a bold, white tip, a French ombré has a natural fade element instead. The end result? A gorgeous modern twist on a true classic.

You may have even heard of this trend referred to as "baby boomer nails." While it's not entirely known where this nickname came from, it's been rumored to be because during the baby boom (1946-1964) many women opted to paint their nails in shades of pink and white. Ahead, see 23 of our favorite French ombré nail looks on Instagram right now.

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French Fade

Classic pink-to-white French ombre manicure — @nailsbydaisymay

In this classic take on a French ombre manicure, the vibrant white tip gradually darkens to a pretty petal pink near the cuticle. The color-coordinated scrunchies are a nice touch, too.

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Short and Glossy

We love the gradient effect and high-shine topcoat on these short, natural-looking nails.

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A Little Glitter

Adding a holographic glitter accent nail to this pink and white French ombré manicure certainly kicks it up a notch.

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Slay with Subtlety

Light tan to cream subtle French ombre manicure — @nouvelleatl

This is so close to a natural nail look, we had to do a double-take. The shape, the colors, and the glossy shine of the gel are all stunning in the most subtle way.

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Pink and White Coffin French

These long, coffin-shaped nails feature a bright, salmon-pink base and begin a fade midway to eggshell white. We think they're perfection.

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Short and Sweet

Short and subtle neutral French ombre manicure — @sarasnailfun

We firmly believe nails don't have to be long to make a statement. This short and sweet set is perfectly understated, with the ombré effect starting high up, closer to the cuticle.

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A Pop of Color

A spin on the "traditional" French ombré, this gorgeous mani takes the ombré technique to the tip with neon colors that add a pop of fun.

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Powdered and Perfect

You can achieve a French ombré manicure with powder dip, too. We're loving this look and the midway fade.

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Slight Sparkle

Pink and white French ombre manicure with diamond sparkle accent nails — @pixienail

Look closely and you'll see the light reflecting off the perfectly applied iridescent sparkle polish on each ring fingernail. It's a little fun accent you have to look closely to appreciate.

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Be Square

The square shape of these nails adds a little bit of edge (pardon the pun) to the sophisticated trend.

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Perfectly Polished

Pink-toned seamless French ombre manicure on outdoor floral background — @_by_shelley

The expert-level fade here makes this set of rose-toned nails look like a traditional French manicure, but when you look closely, you can see the airbrush-like transition.

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Almost Invisible

Ultra-subtle pale pink French ombre manicure — @rougeparis

Look closer...closer...closer. It''s there, right at the edge. This fade is so sweetly subtle that you have to really look—and we love it.

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Confetti, Anyone?

Light pink to white French ombre with corner dots detail — @charlotte_marlier

In keeping with the classy, subtle theme of the French ombré, these adorable yet eye-catching dots placed at the nail base add the tiniest bit of festiveness to an otherwise demure look.

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