Animal French Tips: Orange and Brown Nail Art Tutorial with Olivia

With autumn just around the corner, Olivia is slowly introducing some browns in this funky set of orange and brown animal French tips. The design is very mix and match, combining a blooming gel French, airbrushing, mirrored French tips and a little bit of bling, so you can easily put your own twist on it.

Animal French tips are a fun way to update the classic French manicure for the new season. Instead of a single tip colour on every nail, Olivia uses a variety of techniques across the hand, all tied together with warm oranges and browns. The result is a playful, slightly retro set that feels perfect for the change from late summer into autumn.

This set shows just how versatile a French tip can be. A soft blooming gel French on the pinky, airbrushed nails, crisp mirrored French tips and carefully outlined designs all sit together on one hand, and a few gems add a little sparkle. Because each nail is different, the set feels full of personality without losing its cohesive autumn colour palette.

It's also packed with useful tips that will improve all of your nail work, from dusting the nails properly to checking symmetry from every angle and filing after top coat for a sharper finish. Whether you recreate the animal French tips exactly or borrow a few techniques, there's plenty to learn from Olivia's approach.

Start by grabbing your base coat brush and dusting off all of the nails. Don't skip this step, as any bits of dust left behind will show up in your design.

Apply base coat to the nails you'll be doing a design on, such as the French tips. This allows for a nice, smooth application of the colours that follow.

Apply a nice even coat of Blooming Gel to the pinky, only applying it in the shape of a French tip. Olivia recommends doing your blooming gel design one nail at a time.

Next comes the most exciting part of the design: the airbrush. Mix your gel and acetone at a ratio of about 1 to 6. Before you cure, wipe off any excess that has gone onto the skin, otherwise you won't be able to get that gel off.

For a mirrored French tip look, go in with one line down the middle and do a French as you usually would. Then mirror that same design on the other side, looking at the nail from each direction to make sure it isn't lopsided. Once your base is down, fill in the extra little bits.

For the outline, paint two lines down either side, then slowly flick your brush inwards. Once the base is down, go back in and fill in any gaps.

Do a similar thing at the top end of the nail where the cuticle is, but be a little more careful around this area so you don't flood the cuticle. Don't worry if you don't get it first time; it took Olivia quite a while to neaten everything up.

Use AcryGel to place your gems. Olivia loves how thick it is compared to other rhinestone glues, which makes it easy to place gems without them sliding around everywhere. Cure.

After curing, finish with top coat to bring the whole design together. Once the top coat is cured, file the nails right at the end to sharpen up the shape and make your animal French tips look much more crisp.

• Never skip the dusting step. Any dust left on the nail will show up in the finished design.
• Wipe the skin before curing. Remove any airbrushed gel from the skin before you cure, or it won't come off.
• Check symmetry from every angle. Look at your mirrored French from each direction so it doesn't end up lopsided.
• File after top coat. Filing once the top coat is cured sharpens the shape and makes the whole set look crisper.

These animal French tips are ideal for nail techs and enthusiasts who enjoy a mix-and-match set and want to practise several techniques at once. Working with blooming gel, an airbrush, mirrored French lines and gem placement on one hand is a great way to build skills and confidence.

The warm orange and brown palette makes the set a natural fit for early autumn, and the funky, playful feel suits anyone who wants something a bit different from a classic French. If you're newer to nail art, don't be put off by the detail work around the cuticle; Olivia admits it took her a while to neaten everything up, so patience is part of the process.

Because the set is so mix and match, it's easy to put your own twist on it using the same techniques and products:

• Swap which nails get the blooming gel French, the airbrush and the mirrored French tips.
• Rearrange the Coffee Bean, Friar's Robes and Autumn Days shades across the hand.
• Add more gems with AcryGel for extra bling, or leave them off for a cleaner look.
• Keep the animal French tips on a few accent nails and airbrush the rest.

A little aftercare goes a long way with any gel manicure. Apply cuticle oil regularly to keep the skin around the nails hydrated, and wear gloves when cleaning or washing up to protect the finish. Avoid using your nails as tools, and don't pick or peel at the gel, as this can damage the natural nail underneath.

Gems can catch on fabrics, so be mindful of them in the first few days. When it's time for a new design, have the gel removed properly rather than peeling it off or prising off the gems.

Any bits of dust left behind will show up in your design, so Olivia uses her base coat brush to dust off all of the nails first.

Olivia mixes gel and acetone at a ratio of about 1 to 6. Wipe any excess off the skin before curing.

Paint one line down the middle, do a French as usual, then mirror it on the other side. Look at the nail from each direction to make sure it isn't lopsided.

Olivia likes how thick AcryGel is compared to other rhinestone glues, which makes it easy to place gems without them sliding around.

With warm oranges and browns, blooming gel, airbrushing, mirrored lines and a touch of bling, these animal French tips are a fun way to welcome the new season. Watch Olivia's full video tutorial above, gather the products listed, and put your own twist on this mix-and-match set.