Princess Diana was never seen without a perfect French manicure. Whether she was wearing her famous revenge dress, an ice-blue Catherine Walker gown, a fruity-print blouse, a chic skirt suit, or a jewel-toned swimsuit, her polished nails matched her elegant and timeless style.
The French-tip nail design was first created in 1976 by Jeff Pink, founder of the nail brand Orly, and it has evolved a lot since then. Princess Diana, like many women in the 1990s, loved the French manicure. The combination of a neat white tip and a sheer pink base became hugely popular during that decade. We can thank Diana for that, along with supermodels like Claudia Schiffer and stars like Madonna, who also wore the look.
The Princess of Wales’s classic manicure gave her royal hands a polished finish. It went perfectly with every outfit and looked just as glamorous on sparkling nights out as it did soft and subtle for visits to community projects and hospitals. In later years, she sometimes switched to a bolder red, but it wasn’t long before she returned to the white-and-pink combo. Her nails were always kept short to medium length, usually in a squoval shape.
If you’re a fan of The Crown (I’ve just finished another rewatch), you’ll notice that the royal—brilliantly played by Elizabeth Debicki—always wears a classic pink-and-white manicure. Whether she’s on holiday in the south of France with Dodi Fayed, walking the red carpet, or at home in London with her sons.
“The French manicure was—and still is—an easy way to make sure your nails look really put together,” says manicurist Julia Diogo, whose clients include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Maya Jama. “It’s a neutral look that keeps nails clean and chic. Plus, it helps make your fingers look longer.”
“It’s incredibly versatile, flattering on everyone, and never goes out of style,” celebrity nail artist Kim Truong previously told Vogue. “The neutral colors suit every skin tone and outfit, and work with all nail shapes. Plus, it’s easy to refresh, so it always feels current.”
“It’s pretty much foolproof,” adds Tom Bachik, the go-to nail artist for Selena Gomez and Jennifer Lopez. “If you don’t know what to do with your nails, you really can’t go wrong.”
After falling out of fashion following the ’90s, the style made a comeback a few years ago. These days, though, we’ve moved beyond the original pink and white shades that Princess Diana loved. Instead, we experiment with different colors, textures, and nail art to make our fingertips stand out. In the past year alone, trends have included colorful French tips (using seasonal favorites like butter yellow and sky blue), a blurred look, and chrome finishes.
“I think that over the years, we’ve actually managed to elevate the French manicure,” says Diogo. “I’m so glad it’s back—a glossy micro-French is timeless and goes with everything.” There are ways to make sure it looks elegant and refined, rather than outdated. “A thin tip is better than a thick one, and choosing the right base shade for your skin tone is also very important,” she says. “I usually add another coat of my chosen base shade over the white tip to tone down the brightness a bit—it creates a more natural look.”
A good nail technician should be able to recommend the best nude for your skin tone. But if you’re trying the look at home, Diogo suggests Chanel’s La Base Camélia for pale and olive skin tones, Dior’s 108 Muguet for slightly deeper or Asian skin tones, and Bio Sculpture’s Spun Out Of Dreams for darker skin. If you’re doing it yourself, Bachik recommends using French-tip stickers to guide you as you paint. And you want something that’s a little…He says gel polish dries slower than traditional formulas, so you have more time to adjust the shape if you make a mistake. Foolproof French manicures!
A French manicure also made perfect sense for Princess Diana’s beauty evolution. The style was versatile enough to go with her minimal makeup and different hairstyles—from her soft, chin-length blonde layers to her preppy, longer Sloane Ranger look, and her sharp, short power cut.
A good manicure can make or break an outfit, and it can even boost how we feel. While the current Princess of Wales usually avoids wearing nail polish—except for a touch of nude now and then—a French manicure would no doubt look great on her too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Princess Dianas love for a classic 90s manicure style written in a natural tone with clear concise answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What was Princess Dianas favorite manicure style
She loved a classic natural look short ovalshaped nails with a sheer pale pink or barely there polishoften a glossy nude or soft rose
2 Why did she prefer short nails
Diana was very handson with her charity work and her active lifestyle Short practical nails were elegant but didnt get in the way
3 Did she wear bright or dark nail polish
Rarely She almost always chose subtle feminine shades like pale pinks beige or clear gloss She avoided bold reds or dark colors for everyday wear
4 What shape were her nails
She kept them short and neatly rounded into a soft oval or squoval It was a very natural lowmaintenance shape
5 Was her manicure matte or glossy
Usually glossy She favored a highshine top coat that made her nails look healthy and polished but still very natural
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 What specific polish brands or shades did Diana wear
She was famously loyal to Essies Ballet Slippers a sheer milky pink that became her signature She also wore similar shades from Chanel and YSL but Ballet Slippers is the most associated with her
7 Did she ever wear French manicures
Yes but a very soft 90s version It was a natural pink base with a thin white tip not the bold thick white tips popular later She kept it subtle
8 Why was her style called the 90s minimalist manicure
Because it rejected the loud acrylic or heavily decorated nails of the 80s Dianas look was about clean polished simplicitymatching her elegant but approachable fashion
9 Did she have a professional manicurist
Yes she had a regular manicurist who visited her at Kensington Palace Her favorite was