(Celebrity)
Serena Williams’ ESPY Awards Nails Aren’t Your Average Neutral Mani
Go for the gold.
Serena Williams may have retired from playing tennis in 2022, but she hasn’t hit pause on maintaining her status as the most fashionable woman in sports. But Williams’ position as a style icon doesn’t end at her sartorial choices, the champion’s beauty looks are equally influential. It’s one of the many reasons why her recently-launched athletic-inspired cosmetics brand, WYN, has been a grand-slam success. With ease, Williams toggles between cool gold hair cuff-adorned braids and chic wavy updos. And she’s equally artful with her manicures, also turning to nail designs as a means of self-expression. For her 2024 ESPY Awards hosting gig, the tennis star leaned into her glamorous side, from her voluminous Old Hollywood curls down to her gold chrome nails.
“Serena was so excited to finally attend the ESPY Awards for the first time, and even more thrilled to host it! Since she would have many looks throughout the night, we wanted to focus on her red carpet look for inspiration,” celebrity nail artist, Sreynin Peng, said in a press release on Williams’ manicure.
Honing in on the gilded trim of Williams’ Giorgio Armani gown and of course, all of the tennis championships she’s won over the years, Peng used CND PLEXIGEL Color Builder in Spiced Taffy to create a neutral base in an elegant almond shape, then added CND’s Over The Top Effects in Off The Chain for a chrome effect. The result is a high-shine muted gold manicure that’s one level up from your average neutral nails.
Achieving Williams’ exact manicure involves plexigel extensions and chrome powder, but luckily, those who aren’t professional nail artists can DIY a similar look at home. As an alternative, Peng suggests using CND’s Vinylux polish in Sweet Cider as a base with the shade Negligee layered over top. Of course, you’ll want to seal your handy-work with a top coat to ensure a long-lasting manicure.
It might just be mid-summer, but Williams has already taken the gold for the season’s best neutral manicure. You can shop the essentials needed to create your own muted gold chrome look, just below.
