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    1. Beauty
    2. Nails

    Cardi B Added Just the Right Amount of Drama to Her Plain Black Manicure

    It's all about the details.

    Danielle Jackson's avatar
    By Danielle Jackson
    Published 10 July 2025 In News

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    Cardi B wearing a black lace dress
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Cardi B is never one to ignore a theme. The "Enough" rapper is one of many celebrities who stepped out at Balenciaga's Fall/Winter show during Paris Couture on July 9, and upon getting the memo that the dress code was apparently all-black, she not only delivered, but went full-on goth glam from her hair and makeup all the way down to her manicure.

    Cardi has been effortlessly serving looks all week, and every time her outfits change, her nails seem to transform with them. For Wednesday's event, she wore a long-sleeve lace gown with a thigh-high leg slit. Her glam included voluminous old Hollywood curls, pencil-thin brows, smokey eyeshadow, a cat eye, and bold red lipstick. Her manicure was the same dark and moody vibe as her overall look, with long, stiletto-shaped, slightly-transparent black nails with rhinestones and a subtle criss-cross design that mimicked the lace on her dress. The nail art is the work of Cardi's go-to nail artist, Coca Michelle, who shared an up-close photo of the design via Instagram the day of the event.

    long black nails with rhinestones on top

    Cardi B's gothic stiletto nails with rhinestones.

    (Image credit: Instagram: @cocamichelle)

    The rapper wasn't the only star to step out making a serious case for wearing dark nails in the summertime. Nicole Kidman appeared at the same event and wore a black cherry nail color, proving that dark, vamp-y colors aren't just exclusive to fall and winter.

    Before Wednesday, Cardi wore a completely different manicure that featured almond nails with a neutral base and black polish around the borders. At this point, there's no telling what kind of nail art she'll step out wearing next, but if you want to get recreate her Balenciaga look at home, read ahead for a few products that'll come in handy.

    Dark Dreams (medium Stiletto) Premium Press on Nails

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    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    Cardi B
    Danielle Jackson
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    Former Senior Beauty Writer

    Danielle Jackson is the former senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.

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