Demi Lovato's Black Outline Nails Upgrade the Nude Manicure | Marie Claire

a white woman with dark hair pulled back into a bun wearing a black, strapless dress on a red carpet

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Red carpet events like the Grammy Awards are always exciting to watch from a beauty perspective, since I can always expect at least one star to show up wearing hair, makeup, or nails that make a major statement. But Demi Lovato and her sultry outline manicure just proved that sometimes it's the afterparties where the real beauty magic takes place.

While the It's Not That Deep singer wasn't in attendance for the main ceremony, she did pop out at W Magazine's Grammys afterparty on Sunday night, where she wore a black gown with a sheer, lace bodice and a drapey, wraparound skirt. Her nearly-naked dress was jaw-dropping on its own, but the story on her hands was also worth a bit of attention.

Lovato's longtime manicurist, Natalie Minerva, shared a series of photos of the singer's nails via Instagram following the event. In the pics, she's seen wearing short nails painted with a nude base color and outlined in black polish. She kept her nails in their signature oval shape, but the major difference between this look and a few of her most recent ones is that, this time around, her nails were noticeably much shorter.

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This obviously isn't Demi Lovato's first time experimenting with the outline manicure trend. Back in December, instead of wearing one of the more typical holiday nail designs, she went for a diamond-encrusted look instead. Her look featured medium-length, oval-shaped nails with a sheer, nude base and a rhinestone outline.

The outline look isn't exactly a new trend, but it works surprisingly well as a winter nail look; not to mention, it gives you a lot of space to be creative with the colors, designs, and lengths you choose. For example, you can wear a nude base color bordered by a statement shade if you want to wear a look that's fun but still slightly neutral, or you can go all out with a non-neutral base and add crystals or jewels along the edges.

To copy Lovato's exact Grammys afterparty manicure at home, read ahead for everything you'll need.

OPI

Bare My Soul

Per Minerva's caption, this is the exact base color she used on Lovato. It might appear very sheer at first, so apply two coats to build it.

Essie

Licorice

Any black can work for this look, but this shade from Essie provides great coverage.

Manucurist

Nail Art Liner Brush

To ensure your lines are extra-precise, use a liner brush.

Dashing Diva GelXtend

Medium Round Tips

If you prefer longer nails to the short look, fake it with gel tips.

Londontown

Protective Top Coat

A top coat will keep your nails looking glossy while ensuring your polish doesn't chip.

Danielle Jackson is the 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.