Gabrielle Union's Stone Gray French Manicure Is a Cool Twist on a Classic

Stone cold.

Nail trends come and go, but French manicures are forever—often adapting with the times. There's the classic French that never really leaves the trend cycle, and trendy twists like chrome French tips, mismatched multi-colored renditions, and also monochromatic ones. However, some of our favorite takes on the trend are when the latest hot girl nail color combines with the timeless mani—like Gabrielle Union-Wade’s "stone gray" French tips.

On March 1, the star posted a quick pic to her Instagram story showing off her latest manicure. Alongside the caption “when the nails match the coat,” the manicure next on our “to try" list was front and center: a combination of then trending stone gray color and a classic French tip.

Done by her go-to nail artist, Thuy Nguyen, the actor's short, natural-shaped nails were covered in a moody stone gray color from cuticles to tips. Her gray of choice was a medium-tone gray that was neither too bright nor dark, a classic gray color with blue undertones. When paired with the white French tips taking up the last few centimeters of her nails, it made for a look that was just as chic as it was unique.

Luckily for us, copying her stone French mani is easy enough for even the least talented nail artist to recreate perfectly. Plus, we have you covered with the step-by-step. 

First, as with any nail look, remove any lingering nail polish with remover. Then, cut and file your nails to the desired length and shape—this would also be the time to apply any tips or press-on if you want. After that, buff the surface for an even nail bed before applying your favorite base coat.

With your nails prepped, you are going to start by creating the gray base. For this, we recommend a shade like OPI's Suzi Talks with Her Hands ($12) or Jin Soons' Grace ($18). Then, wait for the base layer to dry and create the shape of your French tip with tape. With the shape finished, paint a color like OPI's Funny Bunny ($12) over the top (you may need two coats), peel the tape, and let dry. Then, finish off with a high-shine top coat, and you will be as stone-cold as it gets.

Read the original article on Byrdie.