Dua Lipa Just Unlocked A Totally New Way To Do Colorful Chrome Nails

To popstars, mastering the art of constant reinvention is just as important as nailing your nightly tour performances. The all-time greats know that the ability to put fresh spins on trends — and create entirely new ones — is key to true icon status, and Dua Lipa is already well ahead of the curve in that respect. She does it with her music and with her ensembles both on- and off-stage, but where she really shines is unconventional-meets-chic beauty choices. Her latest manicure might be the ultimate proof, too. Dua Lipa’s checkered nails are more than just quirky design moment — they’re breathing new life into the year’s biggest beauty trend of all.

In true it-girl fashion, Lipa’s latest nail look is mostly seen in glimpses and snippets rather than a dedicated post or story. That relative mystery is a large part of what gives her such an exciting allure. The first sighting of the checkerboard mani was in Lipa’s photo dump ahead of Halloween weekend, in which she’s wrapped in a leather Givenchy racing jacket and pants — a very appropriate pairing with the new nails. In a details shot, fans can see each finger has a long, almond-shaped nail with a black checkerboard pattern cutting through different jewel-toned chrome polish colors.

It’s natural that even with this fresh take, Lipa’s still leaning hard on chrome nails. She was a very early adopter of the trend — an originator, you might say — and loves to incorporate the ultra-shiny, eye-grabbing finish into French tips, swirls, and trippy patterns. These checkered chrome nails also happen to be extremely easy to recreate at home with the right tools. Using thin-cut strips of regular ol’ masking tape, layer them in a criss-crossed pattern like a checkerboard and coat in your first polish shade. After allowing them to completely dry, rearrange more tape to cover the area you just painted and fill in the blank spaces with another, more contrasting color. Truly, the possibilities are endless.

And if checkerboards aren’t quite your thing, give it a week — Lipa will surely have moved on to the next great nail art trend by then.