(Nails)
9 Met Gala Manicures That Are Surprisingly Easy to Recreate At Home
Yes, really.
You didn’t even have to turn on E! News to find out that celebrities brought their fashion and beauty A-game to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, September 13 — the proof was all over social media. Stars flocked to the highly anticipated red carpet in droves, dressed to the nines in their finest designer wares to complement this year’s theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
But in addition to their elaborate gowns and fine jewels, attendees went all out with their nail art, recruiting the biggest names in the beauty industry to bring their dream manicures to life and ultimately make the list of Met Gala 2021 best manicures. Pros like Deborah Lippmann, Thuy Nguyen, Casey Herman, and Eri Ishizu shared behind-the-scenes breakdowns of their clients' bold designs — including the exact shades of nail polish they used and step-by-step instructions about how to DIY.
Ahead, TZR compiled a list of some of the best nail looks from this year's Met Gala, along with expert insight from the celebrity manicurists themselves. Keep scrolling to find out their secrets, along with how you can recreate the designs at home in a breeze.
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Hailey Bieber
Thuy used just one coat of CND’s Shellac in Field Fox to achieve Bieber’s elegant manicure. It was the star’s idea to elevate her tips with Swarovski crystals.
Addison Rae
Thuy used two coats of CND Shellac Gel Nail polish in the shade Field Fox and then created a thin red line of nail art with a red shade entitled First Love. “I wanted to contour the red to the shape of her nail on only one side to go with the detail on the bustier part of her dress,” said the expert in a statement shared with TZR.
Gabrielle Union
“After months of sketching, we landed on the look,” said Thuy in a press statement. “I prepped an oval shaped nail with CND Shellac. We started with two coats of Negligee and with a liner brush, I used Lady Lily, Black Pool and Silver Chrome to create the nail art!”
Lupita Nyong'o
To get this gilded manicure, copy Lippmann by using one coat of Gel Lab Pro in Escape, followed by a second coat of Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro in Wow,
Olivia Rodrigo
Celebrity manicurist Casey Herman gave the hitmaker a deep blue manicure to complement her fabulous lace catsuit. The pro used all OPI products, including a base coat, two coats of “Abstract Nail Polish,” and a top coat.
Ciara
Ishizu added length to Ciara’s natural nails with CND’s new gel enhancement, PLEXIGEL. The nail pro used Shellac in Silver Chrome to achieve a metallic, bold look
Rihanna
Manicurist Maria Salandra gave the Fenty Beauty founder a red manicure to serve as a moody contrast to her all-black Balenciaga Couture ensemble. She used polish from the vegan, 10-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and PETA-certified nail lacquer brand Àuda.B.
Karlie Kloss
The supermodel opted for a minimalist manicure at the 2021 Met Gala. “We chose two coats of Brand New Day,” said Lippmann in an Instagram statement. “This sheer, neutral beige creme has become red carpet and runway go-to.”
Shawn Mendes
NYC-based nail artist Betina R. Goldstein gave Mendes “black chipped nails” using Essie Nail Polish in the black shade named “Licorice,” followed by a top coat of the fan-favorite Gel Setter Top Coat.
