The French Manicure Wasn't Even French, Here's How It Actually Got Its Name

Fifty years later, one of beauty's most enduring looks still carries a name that has almost nothing to do with where it actually came from. Here's the story.

On the 50th year of the French manicure, here’s a little history lesson about how the popular manicure got its name.

Did you know that the French manicure has nothing to do with France, apart from its name? It was actually invented in Hollywood by an American businessman who serviced Hollywood studios.

In 1976, Jeff Pink, founder of Orly International, was running a beauty supply store selling its products to Hollywood studios when a director approached him, complaining about how the actresses’ manicure changes were slowing down production time and costing money.

Every time an actress would change outfits, this would also mean a manicure change to match, and drying time alone took a lot of time.

To solve this problem, the director asked Pink to create one manicure color that would go with everything.

That’s when Pink came up with a white polish applied just to the tips, inspired by a white pencil he had on hand in his office, the kind women used to clean underneath their nails. Then he paired the tips with a sheer, flesh-toned base underneath.

At the time, white nail polish wasn’t a thing, so Pink convinced a supplier to produce a gallon to test his new design.

Initially, Pink’s invention was sold as a two-piece kit called the “Natural Nail Look.” But after he demonstrated the technique during a Paris fashion show a few years later, he realized the name sounded “kind of cheesy.”

“And then the idea came to me. I just came from Paris. Let's call it French manicure,” Pink recalled.

It was only after Cher and Barbra Streisand separately wore it on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" that the French manicure really took off. According to Pink, sales skyrocketed soon after.