Welcome to 2019: home of the horrific. With Boris as PM, the rest of the world being steered by equally awful leaders, and the planet about to spontaneously combust thanks to a few too many plastic straws – it’s safe to say the world is one scary place to live. And now French manicures are back?

On second thoughts, the much-maligned nail style, aggressively denounced by mumsnet users as “cheap and common”, might just be the antidote we never knew we needed. Harking back to the Halycon days of logomania, low-rise jeans, and tie-dye everything, a less complicated time when we could while away the days watching The Simple Life, blasting Xtina’s Stripped on repeat and hanging up on our BFF’s by slamming down our Motorola Raza’s (V3, obviously), the French manicure offers us a much-needed escape from the grim realities of modern life. 

First spotted on the fingertips of Ariana Grande, in her nostalgia-tinged video for “thank u, next”, the style has since been worn by everyone from Selena Gomez to Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner to model Paloma Elsesser.

While the traditional, sheer pink, white-tipped mani is still very much present, the style has now been reversed, logo-embossed, and even created in ombre. The possibilities are endless which is part and parcel of its allure.

"The modern-day French manicure has no limits," says Dazed Beauty Contributing Editor and nail juggernaut Kro Vargas AKA Krocaine. "As opposed to the French manicure from the ’60s, a modern-day French manicure can include detailed nail art, bold colours, even 3d elements."

The only thing to do now is head to your nearest salon.