Vanessa Hudgens Is Giving Me Much-Needed Early Valentine's Day Nail Inspiration
Forever on my mood board.
Vanessa Hudgens has found about a million and one ways to style the cat eye nail trend, and at this point, I'm genuinely impressed by how committed she remains to the design. In the last few months alone, she's worn everything from leopard print French tips to tiger stripe French tips to colorful guava nails, and now she's getting into the spirit of Valentine's Day early with a subtle, holographic red polka dot look.
Over the weekend, Hudgens's go-to nail artist, Zola Ganzorigt, shared a short video of the actor's new nails to Instagram. In the video, Hudgens can be seen wearing slightly long, oval-shaped nails with a nude base and a red polka dot design. After her nails were painted, they were given the signature glassy, reflective finish that cat eye manicures are known for.
A cat eye manicure just involves applying a shimmery, magnetic nail polish to the nails before using a magnet to spread out the particles and give the nails a reflective, glassy look that's meant to mimic a cat's eye. They've become especially popular within the last year and are similar to the glazed donut nail look, except that the finish is slightly more 3D-looking.
The polka dot trend also had a bit of a resurgence this past summer when it popped up in a handful of designer collections ahead of fashion week and simultaneously becoming one of the most popular nail designs of the summer. Back in August, for example, Ganzorigt created a polka dot manicure for Sydney Sweeney that featured an inverted red and white design, and before that Dua Lipa wore a French manicure with black tips and white polka dots as the accent.
"Polka dot nails add a fun twist to manicures that transitions beautifully from [season to season]," celebrity manicurist and OPI global ambassador Natalie Minerva previously told MC. "I especially love white polka dots over a nude or light wash of color for a playful, chic look."
With Hudgens incorporating the design into her early Valentine's Day look, it's clear that the polka dot trend's moment hasn't completely passed just yet. If you're already planning out your Valentine's Day nails (or if you want to play with polka dots at home) read ahead to shop some item's that'll help you achieve the look.
Use gel extensions to give yourself the illusion of length. Make sure to buff and file them properly before sticking them on so that they can stick to your nail bed for as long as possible.
Use a dotting tool to easily create uniform dots across your nail.
Grab this holographic beige color to use as your base. It's a magnetic polish that can give you the glassy look—just make sure you have a magnet on hand.
Choose a candy apple red color for your polka dot design.
Finish off with a glossy top coat that can prevent your polish from peeling off or chipping.
