Before we get into the nitty-gritty, cat-eye French tips are nothing new, relying on a magnet to maneuver metal particles into formation, creating a reflective, velvety effect — much like a cat’s eye in the dark. In that instance, however, the cat-eye polish is usually painted as a French tip over a neutral gel base. The “phantom” French is a little different. This time, the entire nail is coated in cat-eye polish, but the magnet is used in a way that draws only some — not all — of the particles to the tip, creating a French tip effect. Depending on the light or the movement of your fingers, the French tip seems to appear and disappear, hence the “phantom” part.