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    1. Beauty
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    Penelope Cruz's Chocolate Brown Manicure Is As Cozy As It Gets

    The perfect end-of-winter manicure shade.

    Danielle Jackson's avatar
    By Danielle Jackson
    Published 26 February 2026 In News

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    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Despite what the current cold front in the northeast might indicate at the moment, spring is approaching fast, which means it's almost time to break out the pastel nail colors and the bright and bubbly designs that have become synonymous with sunny weather over the years. It also means that this is a great time to soak up the last few weeks of winter wearing one final warm and cozy manicure featuring a rich, darker shade, and Penelope Cruz's chocolate brown nails are giving me all the inspiration I need.

    Cruz is set to star in the upcoming horror/sci-fi film, The Bride, which hits theaters on March 6. Ahead of its theatrical release, she joined a few of her co-stars in attending a photo call for the film in London, where she wore a low-cut black dress with long sleeves and pleats along the waistline. More importantly, instead of brightening up the look with one of the milky pink or neutral nail colors that have become a huge trend on red carpets in recent weeks, she doubled down on the dark theme and wore a glossy, chocolate brown manicure.

    a woman with shoulder length brown hair posing in an outdoor area and wearing black dress with long sleeves

    Penelope Cruz wears a chocolate brown nail color to a premiere event for 'The Bride.'

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Chocolate and espresso brown have been massive color trends in both beauty and fashion throughout the end of 2025 and start of 2026, and it's not hard to understand why—it's comforting, rich-looking, and perfectly timeless. At the end of last year, celebrity nail artist Julie Kandelac predicted that deep browns would be some of the most popular winter nail colors, and considering it's been a go-to color for a handful of celebrities over the last few months, it's safe to say that she may have been onto something. Last fall, for example, Khloé Kardashian wore long, chocolate brown nails to match her Birkin bag of the same color, and Jennifer Lopez has also spent part of the winter months wearing "toasted brown" nail colors.

    To shop luxe chocolate brown nail colors similar to Penelope Cruz's, read ahead.

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    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    Danielle Jackson
    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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