Kerry Washington’s Newest Mani Introduces Old-School Glamour To This Modern Trend

Kerry Washington, famously, is Hollywood’s ultimate manicure connoisseur. At this point, after so many elaborate sets, themed nails, rich polishes, and endless nail art, it’s almost surprising that she’s still innovating and dreaming up new ideas — but that’s just Washington, one of the most celebrated creatives in her industry for a reason. In fact, not only do Washington’s intricate manicures show no signs of easing up, but they’re actually getting even better than ever. Each high-profile event or awards show attended by the actor is prime time for an exciting new manicure, and her latest champagne nails, literally dripping with decadence, are an all-time best. Everyone already knew Washington had a Midas touch, but this takes it to the next level.

The shimmering champagne nails were created to match Washington’s look at the Producers Guild Awards. Wrapped in a corseted apricot gown by Sergio Hudson (with a heap of glittering Chopard jewels to accessorize it), the gold chrome nail tips highlight her ensembles’ own warm gold undertones without looking too matchy-matchy or overly precious — in other words, a perfect choice for such a glamorous, dignified industry event. Washington’s nail beds were kept a muted milky beige to keep the attention on the gilded tips.

The gold-tipped manicure was created by Kim Truong, a top-rated celebrity nail artist who regularly works with Washington on her coolest nails, along with other A-list clients like Dua Lipa, Anya Taylor-Joy, and the Kardashian-Jenners en masse. Rather than arcing the tips to create a classic French manicure shape, the ends of Washington’s nails feature drip-like polish placement to make it look like liquid gold in actually running off the actor’s fingertips.

The champagne nails come amid a serious moment for shiny chrome manicures of all sorts. Dua Lipa seems to have a bona fide obsession with chromes in every color, especially when concentrated on her nail tips. Kourtney Kardashian recently showed off a frosty take on traditional silver chrome nails, too, while Megan Thee Stallion likes to rock several chrome shades at once for an eye-popping oil slick effect. But for pure opulence, Washington’s expensive mani takes the proverbial cake. To get the look at home, either carefully draw on scalloped edges for drip-drop movement or load up your brush with a little extra polish and let actual drops run down your nails — the lifelike texture and placement are an unbeatable combination.