Classic, fabulous nails—that still work for a fancy event or night out—can be a tricky balance. On the one hand, you might be tempted to step out of your comfort zone with a pattern, color, or design that's new for you. On the other (and I know this pain firsthand) it's deeply annoying to spend money getting your nails done...and then you end up hating them for a week or more. We have to use our hands a lot, which means we see our manicures a lot a lot. I know it sounds silly, but the right nails can elevate an experience and help you feel like the most polished version of yourself. Luckily, celebs are always getting their nails done, and they can provide us with a wealth of inspiration for us to take to our own nail designers (or, frankly, to experiment at home with, so long as you have the time and patience). Instagram can also be a useful place for inspo, since a lot of celebrity nail artists are online and excited to share their most creative designs. But if you're new to nail art and you have no idea which celebrities have emulatable nails, let this be your guide.
Below, the 32 best celebrity nails to show your stylist.
Selena Gomez
White doesn't have to be basic—on the contrary, it can be a nice neutral when the rest of your look (pink sweater, black skirt, diamond jewelry) is made of statement pieces. Notice how the white on the nails complements Gomez's jewelry, but also doesn't fight with the rest of the look.
Rihanna
If you're wearing a lot of gold jewelry, as Rihanna does here (and often does in her red carpet looks), yellow can be a nice complement. It helps the metal look shinier and more vibrant, and it helps your hands look even more adorned. Just note that the shade doesn't work with every skin tone.
Hailey Bieber
What's especially cool here is that Hailey Bieber is at a Tiffany & Co. event (get it? The blue color is thematic?), which means that she matches the decor. But a cornflower blue nail color is also a nice contrast to her black gown (or any black attire), without being so vibrant it clashes.
Lori Harvey
A French manicure is classic—to the point that it can sometimes look dated if you're not giving it a necessary update. Making the white section longer and giving the nails a coffin shape help make this look like "the French manicure of the future."
Zinnia Kumar
If you want to go with a French manicure but the white color feels jarring (or doesn't go with your outfit), opt for black nail tips instead. Making the black portion long and chunky also helps the style be more intense and dramatic, but still classic and classy.
Quinta Brunson
As an alternative to your classic French manicure, choose nails that have an ombre effect. Here, the nail designer has upped the ante by adding some random crystal designs in a way that feels intentional instead of haphazard. And crucially, everything complements the jewelry.
Demi Lovato
The glitter French mani has been around for a while (I chose a similar look for my wedding!), but there are always ways to update it. Demi opts for a thick coffin nail and the glitter is a bit messy and uneven—without looking sloppy—to match the glitter in the dress.
Julia Garner
If a French tip just doesn't do it for you, focus instead on the base of the nail. Drawing a thin but substantial line around the base of the nail is a fun and surprising alternative to focusing on the tip of the nail (also, for those of us who don't get gel nails, this is an easy look to replicate).
Kerry Washington
It's a liiiiittle hard to see in this photo, but Kerry Washington's nails are a pretty pink, and then the index and third finger have two lines of small pearl beads forming an X shape. (Google Kerry Washington Met Gala 2023 nails for a more hi-res photo). Either way, it's stunning.
Zazie Beetz
What do you do with your nails when you're wearing this much (gorgeous, expensive) jewelry? Opt for a simple but effective pattern. What's nice about these angled black stripes is they match her dress as well as the angularity in her necklace and rings.
Dua Lipa
Gold on gold on gold! Opting for a maximalist choice (meaning there's so much gold here in the jewelry, on the dress, and on the nails, that it makes your head spin) is nice when you want every single thing to match. As an added bonus, it makes her fingers look longer.
Natasha Graziano
If you've got a bunch of colors going on in your outfit—in this case copper and gold and diamond—it's okay to mix metals even more by adding some silver. The nails match her engagement and wedding ring, so it doesn't feel completely out of the blue.
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie tends to keep her nails short (I am constantly using her for nail inspo), which means it can be hard to make them look exciting—there's not a ton of real estate to work with. The solution? Get some gorgeous jewelry and a dark, nearly black burgundy nail for some contrast.
Dita Von Teese
Everything about Dita Von Teese is classic-with-an-update, and that includes her nails. This is a regular red mani...except for the small, half moon slivers at the base of her nails. It's that kind of counterintuitive styling that makes her overall look so effective.
Charli Robinson
Rainbow nails have been around for a while, and they're not just for the tweens amongst us. If you're going with a classic, pastel set of colors, it's easy to look matchy-matchy, so make sure the colors are a little out of order (instead of going in rainbow order).
Selena Gomez
If you're using bold colors to achieve a rainbow mani look, as Selena Gomez does here, opt for 3-4 colors instead of the whole spectrum—bonus points if one of the colors is a contrast, as with the pink on her thumb (vs. the purple-blue-green on the rest of her fingers).
Mischa Barton
If you know you have a statement piece you're dying to break out for an event (as with this orange bag), your mani design can be the thing that ties the look together. Mischa Barton uses tiny stickers—in the shape of fruit and flowers!—that complement her studded tangerine clutch.
Selena Gomez
Classic red never goes out of style, but to make it feel a little more edgy and new, opt for a highly reflective nail polish. Gomez's nails look like an extension of her dress here—they literally match the sequins perfectly—and as a bonus, they show off the striking white gold jewelry.
Lily Allen
If you like red and want the texture of the polish to be more matte, you can experiment with shape—these loooong stiletto nails are an absolutely joyful surprise. Keeping the rest of the look soft and delicate, with a long diamond ring and sequined black gown, helps the nails feel more counterintuitive and less "wicked witch."
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift often favors shorter nails with simple designs, so I especially love this green and red design (this photo was taken in December, so it's holiday-themed!). Also, the Kansas City Chiefs have red and gold colors so now I've gone down the rabbithole trying to figure out if she was referencing Travis Kelce.
Megan Thee Stallion
If you're more of a long nail type of person but you still want them to fit with the rest of your look, choose marbleized nails. Megan Thee Stallion makes the length of her nails be the standout and the color of her nails complement her jewelry—an expert balance.
Megan Fox
Megan Fox chooses an eclectic style to stand out against her neutral bag and outfit. The trick, if you want every nail to be a different design, is to make the colors complementary. Instead of having one nail be a random color, instead give one nail an abstract design, one nail crystals, and so on.
Jennifer Lopez
The French manicure's sleeker older sister, Jennifer Lopez shows off the split glitter nail—with a thin gold line in the center and sheer gold polish on the top half above the line. You can play around with the length to see what suits your nail shape and jewelry.
Li Jun Li
This polish could probably work for every kind of event, from the nice dinner date all the way up to a literal movie premiere. The soft pink is so soft and pretty, and then the small crystal at the base of the nail is a nice punctuation. Plus, it goes with the jewelry.
Vanessa Hudgens
Let's say you want to get wild with a design, but you still want to keep things classic. One option is to keep the design graphic but eliminate color. This groovy black and white design mimics the shape of the nail itself, giving a cool Rorschach effect.
Sarah Hyland
If you like reeeaaaally long nails (and want to make your fingers look really long too), this triangular design is just the thing. Here, the burgundy color complements the chunky gold jewelry, and the small slivers of color are a nice alternative to a purely nude-colored nail.
Saweetie
Granted, these nails don't work for every occasion. But I'm actually impressed how the color and design work so seamlessly with the rest of the outfit. If you want serious sparkle on your nails (and the rest of your outfit), just make sure that everything matches.
DaniLeigh
If you're gonna go with huge nail decals, but you still want to be able to—you know—eat and use your hands, opt for something that sits squarely at the base of the nail. You still run the risk of having one fall off, but they'll be anchored more securely if they're not glued on at the tip.
AleXa
Taking graphic nails to the next level, this mani gives us a different design on each nail—but crucially, they're all the same color scheme and everything matches the jewelry and the dress. Even when you go big, think about the nails and the outfit cohesively.
Lizzo
I mean...who doesn't love a heaping spoonful of silver sparkles on their nails? We can't all have Lizzo's tiny, tiny purse, but we can opt for crystals that basically look like our nails are jewelry. Bonus: matching your actual jewelry. Alternatively, if your jewelry is gold, go with gold crystals.
Lizzo
The "dripping" crystal nails are not for every occasion (like, any occasion where you might need to type on a computer, for example), but when it's all part of a white and silvery aesthetic, it can be a truly standout look. Picking the right accessories and jewelry to match is key.
Cynthia Erivo
On the one hand, yes, these do sort of look like silvery claws. On the other hand, you've never seen a cooler mani in your life (and Cynthia Erivo is the queen of cool). If you're looking to pull off this look but you want something shorter, just opt for a gentler nail shape and go forth to make your nails the sparkliest ever.
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