Cardi B’s Swirly Blue Nails Are Like An Accessory All On Their Own

Cardi B might be having the best summer of all time. Between family hangouts, vacations, pool time, frozen margaritas, photoshoot sneak peeks, and plenty of home-cooked delicacies, life in the Cardi-Offset household seems pretty sweet. The icing on the cake? Cardi’s commitment to fun-filled, cheerful color all summer long. Her latest nail set is proof — seen while showing off a frosty tropical beverage and again in a funny Father’s Day video clip, Cardi B’s blue swirl nails use an ocean’s worth of color to form a June-perfect shade blend. Swirl nails of all stripes (pun intended) have been dominating news feeds and manicure inspiration accounts all year long, and Cardi’s take on the pattern trend is as good as it gets.

The best close-up shot seen of the new manicure was in an Instagram Story in which Cardi held up her berry-adorned strawberry margarita for her 135 million fans. Wrapped around the (admittedly incredible-looking) cocktail, viewers got a clear view of the trendy manicure. Cardi’s nails are long and filed into a sharp stiletto shape for maximum drama. Wavy navy, cerulean, seafoam, and lime green lines snake down the length of the nails, swirling into each other to tease out new shades. Topped with an extra-glossy topcoat, her nails look as beach-ready as the drink in her hand.

Swirl-style nail art has been everywhere this year thanks to just how customizable it is — there are more painterly swirls like Cardi’s, laser-precise lines for a ‘70s effect, and endless color combinations available. They’re often spotted in TZR’s own weekly Nail File roundup of eye-catching manicures, and they’ve been seen on celebrities like Kerry Washington, Lizzo, and Dua Lipa, all with their own unique twist to match their personal aesthetics, of course.

Because that’s the beauty of this style — Washington can go for an elegant black-line swirl while Lizzo opts for romantic pastels and Lipa goes over-the-the-top with lava shades and chrome. You can make swirl nails completely your own — Cardi certainly did.