Kim Kardashian Just Stepped Out Of Her Comfort Zone With A Radical New Manicure

Kim Kardashian is (famously) something of the ultimate beauty chameleon, but even she has her comfort zone. And until Sunday night’s star-studded Baby2Baby gala, short, natural-looking nails squarely occupied it. Despite her global reputation as the be-all-end-all glamzilla, Kardashian typically prefers a more demure nail look, both on the red carpet and off it — which made the ultra-long stiletto nails she wore to the charity event stand out all the more. As it happens, though, her manicure experiment was actually thanks to an all-time classic beauty secret. Kim Kardashian’s stiletto French manicure might have looked like she grew them herself, but are actually custom-painted press-on nails that allowed her to try the full-on claws look for one night only — and at minimal damage to the real, delicate nail beds beneath, too.

Immediately upon posting her full gala look for all of Instagram to see, fans clocked the long, pointed French manicure clutching her tiny pink Balenciaga bag. Several even joked that she and sister Khloe, who has a documented penchant for extra-sharp nails, must have switched bodies. The manicure is stiletto-shaped, long and filed to a fine, tapered peak at the ends, with traditional pink-and-white French tips that perfectly matched her head-to-toe pink look.

For the extreme manicure, Kardashian turned to celebrity nail artist Kim Truong, whom she’s worked closely with for several years now. After the event, Kardashian posted a group chat screenshot in which she revealed to Khloe and their mother, Kris Jenner, that the nails were actually Truong-designed press-on nails that could come off immediately post-gala.

Over on her own Instagram page, Truong revealed the exact recipe used for the flawless French manicure. Using the Gel Bottle Inc’s DesignEx Pro Tips in the Long Stiletto shape-length variant, she painted on the pink and white design with the brand’s gel polishes in shades Marshmallow and Daisy. While Kardashian’s are obviously pro-quality (and obviously pro-applied), press-on nails are enjoying a serious moment right now. An easy way to test out every style, length, color, and design without committing to weeks of wear and the nail bed damage that accompanies acrylics or dip powder tips, they’ve even convinced Kim Kardashian to try something extreme — an excellent co-sign, no?