While spring has presented us with many a stylish pastel, if subtlety is more your speed, Ruth Langsford's nails offer the best of both worlds.
If you've kept up to date with the 2025 nail trends, you'll know that French tip nails have continued to dominate this season, alongside several milky spring nail colours. There's one iteration, in particular, that is garnering more attention than others. Dubbed the 'ice-cream manicure' for its blended and, well, creamy look, this trend combines the minimalism of an ombre French tip with equally understated pastels and neutrals. The effect is perfect for the warmer months, but also every month thereafter.
By the sounds of this trend, you'd think it couldn't get much chicer, but Ruth Langsford has indeed found a way to elevate it - and we're taking notes for our next nail appointment.
Why Ruth Langsford's subtle French mani is a spring/summer must
Taking to Instagram on May 11th, 2025, to share her go-to routine and beauty essentials for a 'day-off makeup look,' Langsford not only informed our next makeup haul but also our next manicure.
While most people were likely concentrating on the exact makeup products she was using - or transfixed by her radiant skin - as manicure-enthusiasts ourselves, it was Langsford's nails that caught our eye.
As we can see, she is sporting a French tip manicure, but unlike some variations, which feature a very bright and obvious white tip (or bright colour), this is a subtle cream. Opting for a milky, off-white hue offers a natural finish, which we think is very luxe and expensive. It's akin to spring's trending ice-cream manicure (which sees a creamy tip and base colour seamlessly blended).
Langsford has opted for sheer pink polish as her base colour, but what really elevates this manicure to iconic heights is the choice of nail shape. Short, square nails have been having quite the renaissance lately, but even before their surge in popularity, square nails went hand-in-hand with a French tip design.
One could argue that a short square French tip is the most classic of manicures, on par with a soft nude or signature red. The fresh, subtle pink look is perfect for spring (with cherry blossom nails still in high demand) but will also transition beautifully into summer. So, if you're stuck for ideas for your May nails, Langsford's square French mani is the way to go.
Recreate Ruth Langsford's manicure
RRP: £10.99
If you love the idea of a sheer pink French manicure, essie's Sheer Fantasy shade offers the perfect wash of petal-pink, complete with a luxe gel-like shine.
RRP: £14.90
For more of a nude-pink, opt for OPI's iconic Bubble Bath shade, with its long-lasting finish and glossy gleam.
RRP: £8.99
To achieve a similarly subtle, milky French tip to Ruth Langsford's, opt for a soft, sheer white, like Essie's Marshmallow, instead of a very bright, opaque shade.
If you're hoping to recreate Langsford's manicure at home, we would recommend investing in a thin nail brush to help create that signature French tip. A sheer nail polish - like OPI's Bubble Bath - is also a must-have, as is a good quality nail file, for shaping your talons into a sleek square style (like this sapphire file from Boots).
