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    1. Beauty
    2. Nails

    Vanessa Hudgens's Post-Baby Leopard Manicure Combines Two of the Year's Biggest Nail Trends

    The perfect holiday nail art.

    Danielle Jackson's avatar
    By Danielle Jackson
    Published 2 December 2025 In News

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    a woman with dark hair wearing a black dress on a red carpet
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Winter nail art has a reputation for being slightly cheesy, but let Vanessa Hudgens's post-baby manicure serve as a much-needed reminder that that doesn't always have to be the case. The 36-year-old just announced the birth of her second child with her husband, Cole Tucker, and her first order of business post-delivery was to obviously get yet another cat eye nail design to last her through the holidays.

    In the baby announcement photo that Hudgens shared to Instagram earlier this week, she can be seen wearing a metallic silver color on her nails. A few days later, Hudgens's go-to manicurist, Zola Ganzorigt, shared an Instagram reel of the High School Musical alum's new nails alongside the caption, "It's a fur season!" The video shows Hudgens wearing medium length almond nails with a French tip design, but instead of sporting classic white tips, she opted for a leopard print design with a holographic cat eye effect.

    A post shared by Zola Ganzorigt (@nailsbyzola)

    Cat eye manicures are created by applying a shimmery, magnetic nail polish to the nails before a magnet is used to spread out the particles and give the nails a super-shiny, almost reflective look that's meant to mimic a cat's eye. (They're pretty similar to chrome nails, except these have a shinier, more 3D-looking finish.) It's also been Hudgens's design of choice over the last few months. Prior to wearing the silver cat eye design seen in her baby announcement photo, she's experimented with several other cat eye looks including a neutral cat eye manicure featuring a nude polish and pink and yellow guava nails.

    Leopard print may not seem like the ideal holiday nail design, but you can think of it as a way to complement the leopard fur you're planning on wearing now that the temperature has dropped. To copy Vanessa Hudgens's leopard French manicure, read ahead to shop some essentials.

    Kiss Voguish Fantasy Press on Nails Almond, ‘one Day’, Beige, Medium, 28 Count

    KISS
    Voguish Fantasy Press-On Nails
    $8
    SHOP NOW

    Prints like this aren't always easy to DIY, so to save yourself the hassle if you don't have a steady hand, opt for a set of press-on nails.

    Btartbox Press-On Nails - Espresso Leopard- S Almond - 32ct

    BTArtbox Nails
    Espresso Leopard Press-On Nails
    $18
    SHOP NOW

    These leopard press-on nails feature a mini French tip design.

    Utopia

    Manucurist
    Utopia
    $14
    SHOP NOW

    This copper shade has a metallic finish that mimics the cat eye effect.

    Velveteen

    ILNP
    Velveteen
    $13
    SHOP NOW

    This brown color will give your nails a velvety finish. Just make sure you have a magnetic wand on hand.

    On Point Dotting Tools

    Cirque Colors
    On Point Dotting Tools
    $15
    SHOP NOW

    Use a dotting tool to create a leopard design.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    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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