Crackle nails & ’90s French tips: 5 nostalgic nail styles experiencing a 2026 comeback
By Jess Watts | 25 September 2026 | Art & Technique
First we relived 2016, then we dug out our low-rise jeans. Turns out, we just can’t resist a bit of nostalgia. Trends run in cycles, so it was only a matter of time before the nail looks of the ’90s and early 2000s made their return.
Ready for a blast from the past? These are the nineties and noughties nail styles having a renaissance in 2026…
1. Crackle nails
A trend so culturally significant it hardly needs explaining, crackle nails first appeared in the late 1990s, but they became the nail look of 2010-2011. If you weren’t wearing a moustache T-shirt and colourful crackle nails, were you even there?
The effect comes down to a bit of nail polish science. The craze took off when nail brand, OPI, launched its now-famous Black Shatter – a matte top coat that, as it dries, ‘cracks’, creating a textured, shattered finish that captivated millions. Crackle nails were suddenly everywhere. And now, they’re back.
While some are sticking with the classic crackle finish, others are giving the style a modern twist with hand-painted chrome crackles.
Here are some of the ways the trend is currently being styled…
2. Deep French tips
French tips ruled the ’90s; the deeper the smile line, the better. A-listers including Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson sported the style, with the deep smile line becoming a signature look.
In recent years, French tips have grown smaller and daintier, with micro and milky versions favoured over a stark, thick white line. But now, with celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber rocking the ’90s take, the deep, contrasting French is firmly back in fashion.
Let’s see how nail techs are nailing the ’90s look in 2026…
3. Accent nails
Picture it: 2015. Your nails are freshly shaped (medium coffin, obviously) and ten pink crème nails are staring back at you. Something’s missing. Enter the accent nail.
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Seen as a cool, effortless way to elevate a manicure, the accent nail usually meant the ring finger got special treatment. Think single-finger nail art or, if you were a true baddie of the time, one glittery ring finger.
In 2026, the accent nail is returning, but with a twist. Nail techs are opting for micro art, personalised initials, delicate floral details and the occasional shimmer finish, while some have flipped the formula entirely, with eight detailed nails and two simple crème ones.
Scroll on for examples…
4. Black cherry
Dubbed by many the ‘anchor shade’ of the ’90s, black cherry was everywhere. From beauty brand, Clinique’s beloved lipstick to a whole range of cherry nail tones, the hue was a staple of the time.
OPI educator, Jayne Sharpe, has noticed black cherry’s popularity, and shares her favourite OPI shade – Bogota Blackberry, a deep red that fits the trend:
“This shade takes me back to being 21 years old: living life in the moment and making memories. I wore it non-stop and always had so many compliments. It was an iconic, vampy dark burgundy with a subtle shimmer.
She continues: “Back in 1992 […] we sold so many bottles of it in my salon. Now, it’s making a comeback, but the question is: will it make me wild and carefree again? I really do hope so!”
Black cherry is back in 2026 and it’s just as dark and vampy as ever, with undertones running from near-black to wine red, depending on the wearer’s preference.
5. Square shapes
Nail shape is a personal choice, but trends have a way of influencing it, and in the early noughties, square was the shape to have. Sharp-edged and highly customisable, it was most often worn medium-length.
Celebrities such as Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott made square nails part of their signature look, dressing them up in glitter, abstract patterns and bright colours.
Modern takes on square nails boast a similar sharp shape, but nail techs are styling them shorter and pairing them with softer finishes, from sheer milky tones to micro nail art.
