Blake Lively’s Animal Print Nails Take The Mob Wife Trend To Extremes

Of all the trends to emerge out of 2024 so far, few are as decadent and exciting as the “mob wife” aesthetic. Marked by a Sopranos-esque love for over-the-top luxury markers like fur coats, extra-long nails, and gilded touches, it’s the rare viral craze that has celebrities just as hooked as savvy social media users. Blake Lively’s animal print nails make her the latest A-lister to test the look out, but she didn’t go for the obvious options like leopard spots or zebra stripes. Instead, she chose the coolest giraffe motif to match her sleek skirt-jacket set at the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2024 fashion show. Lively always turns her signature creative style up to 11 for Kors presentations, but this head-to-toe incorporation of the bold brown pattern is next-level cool.

Really, Lively’s nails is a fresh take on the French manicure, featuring a glossy, gauzy bronze through the beds before breaking up into that instantly-recognizable geometric pattern through the tips. The giraffe print on her nails isn’t as blocky and defined as the one in her outfit, but instead are almost like those crackle-style lacquers that had a major moment in the early 2010s. The negative space is simply made from the clear tip extensions applied to Lively’s fingertips rather than a milky-colored polish.

Celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein created the look for Lively, brilliantly describing it on Instagram as “giving cashmere mafia” and a “faded French look.” She was also kind enough to share the exact color she used on the It Ends With Us star — it’s the PLA Nails gel polish in shade Spice, Spice, Baby.

Part of the appeal of Lively’s look is in just how low-key it is. Many think animal print nails always translates into something attention-grabbing and flashy, but by concentrating the pattern just on the tips — and letting them softly fade against the clear background — they’re just a special detail only those getting up close and personal will appreciate.

As Lively gears up to go on a big, blockbuster press tour for It Ends With Us, expect plenty more intricate, outfit-matching manicures.