Optical-Illusion French Tips Are Spring’s Standout Nail Design

In the many years I’ve been getting my nails done, I’m pretty certain I’ve had every French tip design under the sun. Cat eye for Christmas, heart-tipped for Valentine’s Day, “deep” French to satiate my early Y2K yearning — and I’m currently rocking tiger print. But Instagram’s nail artists never fail to inspire my next set, and this spring, it’s all about optical-illusion French tips. Stripy nails are nothing new. Cast your mind back to last summer, when “beach towel” nails were the ultimate serotonin hit, even if you weren’t actually going on vacation. But this season’s take is less vacation vibes and more fairground — think circus tent meets popcorn tub — and it’s way more interesting than your typical stripe pattern. What are optical-illusion French tip nails?  The optical-illusion French manicure involves painting stripes along the free edge of the nail — where a classic white French tip would normally sit — then a