A vacation manicure is something any nail aficionado takes seriously. You can add me to that club. My destination was France, travelling to the City of Light—Paris—and the lavender-filled countryside of Provence. I had plenty of inspiration, but no vacation mani–worthy ideas were forming. I needed some brilliance to get the creativity flowing, so I turned to my Instagram feed, then Pinterest boards and my last ditch attempt was surfing nail-art blogs, but nothing was good enough. Until one fine morning while walking to the subway station a women wearing a Breton shirt walking her French bulldog passed me looking impossibly chic, that was my eureka moment. A simple and graphic white striped tee with navy stripes would be my vacation manicure inspiration. Graphic manicures tend to work on all nail beds and lengths. Linear focused manis give interest and charm without being over-the-top and gaudy. Plus this particular one was undeniably French. I headed to my favourite nail spot, and the only place in Toronto that can execute this level of nail artistry, Tips Nail Bar. To keep my mani fresh for two weeks I opted for a gel manicure. Nail pro Oksana first applied three coats of CND Shellac in Studio White, which is a softer white than the brand’s Cream Puff,  my usual white polish. Using a striping brush, three bands of CND Shellac in Peacock Plume (a new vibrant navy, coming out this fall) were applied to each nail. Voila! This is what I call a French manicure I can get behind.