Kaia Gerber Wears Micro French Manicure in Venice

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Kaia Gerber and actor Lewis Pullman made their relationship red-carpet official at the Venice Film Festival Sept. 1, but in between all the PDA, we couldn’t stop staring at her nails. The model debuted a micro-French manicure, and it’s kind of inspo you’ll want saved for your fall salon refresh.

Gerber’s almond-shaped nails were painted with a sheer nude base and finished with the thinnest white stripe across the tips. The line was so fine that if you blinked, you might miss it — but that’s exactly the appeal. It’s chic, minimal, and pairs just as easily with a Givenchy gown in Lido as it does with jeans and sneakers on a coffee run.

If you’re new to the trend, the micro-French (sometimes called the “baby French”) is basically the French manicure’s cooler little sister. Instead of the thick, Y2K-style tips, it’s what nail tech Mariela Bosnjak from Rawr Beauty described as “a thin ribbon of color to the tips of your nails — simple but so chic.” A classic white line, like Gerber’s, will never go out of style, but you can also swap in neons, metallics, or deep fall shades to stay on-trend.

Celebrities have been backing the micro-French for years. Rita Ora paired hers with a milky nude base earlier this summer, and even mani-maximalist Katy Perry jumped on the look in 2023. This summer, the French manicure trend as a whole had a renaissance. Sabrina Carpenter debuted a “drunk French,” a softer, blurred-out version of the classic, while Kylie Jenner introduced a “twisted French,” complete with extra stripes for a graphic, triple-layered effect.

The best part? You don’t need an A-list glam squad to try it. Ask for a sheer base and ultra-thin tips at your next salon visit, or DIY the look at home with Glamnetic La Perle Press-On Nails ($18) for a classic white look or Kiss Impress All Day Long Nails ($10) for a colorful twist. With French manicures getting reinvented every week, the micro version is a minimalist upgrade that won’t compete with your new fall outfits (or the partner you might be hard-launching on Instagram).

Olivia Tauber is a freelance writer based in New York, pursuing her Master’s in Journalism at NYU. She’s the contributing assistant beauty editor at PopSugar and contributor to New York Magazine’s The Cut, Interview, Bustle, SELF, and HuffPost. Her career began in corporate publicity at Showtime, followed by production for “The Pivot,” an Emmy-nominated series.