Culture
J.Lo's Favorite Nail Polish Colors Range From Classic To *Very* Bold
Considering that Jennifer Lopez has been said to don a new manicure every day, it's no surprise that J.Lo's favorite nail polish colors run the gamut. That's not an exaggeration: The Hustlers actor is known to wear both the starkest of whites and the sparkliest glitter with equal frequency, with quite a range in between.
Unsurprisingly, nude is one of her favorites. Lopez is practically synonymous with the neutral lipstick color, so it makes perfect sense that the shade would be a staple in her manicure repertoire as well. However, the 50-year-old isn't afraid of drama, so she frequently alternates the understated shade with more eye-catching options.
Case in point: Her bedazzled nails at the Super Bowl LIV. The star's go-to manicurist Tom Bachik dreamed up not one, but two statement looks in the same night, alternating between Swarovski-covered nails and what Bachik referred to as "Versace Party Nails" (which kind of speaks for itself).
And, of course, she does favor something in between from time to time. When she's not going low-key or all out, Lopez often opts for a bold color that's right on trend, like her most recent lavender shade or her go-to deep red.
But, given the frequency of her manicures, the list doesn't stop there. Keep scrolling to see 12 of her favorite manicure looks — and a few shades to help you recreate them.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Nude
Though Lopez isn't known for holding back when it comes to her manicures, she often tones it down on the red carpet to balance out the rest of her looks.
Case in point: the beige shade she wore to the 2019 Governors Awards. As Vogue France reported, Bachik used the classic Essie color Topless & Barefoot to create this timeless look.
That's not the only shade of nude Lopez wears, though; the 50-year-old frequently tries out different iterations, swapping the mauve-y nude for a sheer shade or one with a peach tint. For a similar option, look to Chanel's nail polish in shade Organdi.
White
Another shade Lopez frequently turns to? A stark white, which Bachik often transforms with various effects. The actor has worn the shade on many different occasions, from magazine cover shoots to performances and even during her engagement.
Bachik told New Beauty in March 2019 that he used a white shade from The Gel Bottle Inc. called Daisy for one of the actor's most memorable manicure moments ever — the day she got engaged to Alex Rodriguez.
But naturally, Bachik switches it up from the typical white shade, too. The manicurist has also given J.Lo a wintry manicure with a pearl-effect finish, using Daily Charme's Unichrome Powder to create a high level of shine.
Serious Sparkle
As Bachik told Us Magazine in 2018, when it comes to her manicure, J.Lo "loves to play." That means in between soft nudes and bright whites, she's often wearing high levels of sparkle and shine, frequently matching her nails to her equally glittery outfits or using them to dress up more understated looks.
When J.Lo does glitter, she doesn't hold back. For her appearance at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards in 2020, the actor wore the nail color #Hustle by The Gel Bottle Inc., which included a combination of large and small glitter chunks in a charcoal shade.
For Lopez's 2019 Oscars manicure, Bachik topped a cream-colored lacquer from Bio Seaweed Gel with glitter specks to complement the shine of her mirrored dress.
Lavender
Though lavender doesn't make quite as many appearances on Lopez's nails as, say, her favorite nude polish, it's still been one of her go-to colors for years. Most recently, Bachik told Allure that he and the actor chose the color as a "little more unexpected and trendy" alternative to a hot pink color Lopez had been eyeing. But considering it's a hue she's been donning since 2016, it clearly has a permanent spot on her list of favorites — trendy or not.
Bachik also told Allure the color he used to create J.Lo's matching eyeshadow-and-nails look, opting for the pastel shade Californian by The Gel Bottle Inc. to perfectly mirror her lavender eyelids.
Lopez wore a slightly brighter version of the shade on American Idol in 2016, which another one of her nail stylists, Elle, explained to her Instagram followers could be recreated with the shade Luxurious from Dermelect.
Dark Red
While she does wear poppier reds from time to time, it seems that Lopez prefers a darker, Bordeaux-like shade when it comes to the classic color, as evidenced by her many red-carpet appearances in the hue.
One of the best versions of this color was the shade she wore to the 2018 Met Gala with her highly bedazzled dress: a wine-inspired color from OPI's salon line, GelColor, called Malaga Wine.
Though J.Lo's red manicure shades aren't as widely shared, her manicurist Bachik just launched his own collection with nail-polish brand LVX that features a similar ruby hue.
Bedazzled
It's hard to stand out with your nail art in 2020, but J.Lo still manages to do so with every new mani. The star has been wearing bedazzled nails for years, but she and Bachik have reached new heights this year with their jaw-dropping designs.
One of her best — and most notable — so far? The Versace nails Bachik created for the Super Bowl LIV. In a rare moment of openness (Bachik seldom shares the polishes he uses on J.Lo on Instagram), the manicurist broke down the products he used for the buzzy look, which entailed Tweezerman tools, 1,2,3 Go! Tips from Exclusive Nail Couture, and Swarovski crystals.
That's not the only time Bachik has used Swarovski crystals on Lopez, however. For one of her six (!!!) different looks he created for the star's "Medicine" music video, the manicurist chose long nails, a two-toned color scheme (another go-to of J.Lo's), and Swarovski crystals to really upgrade the mani.
Two-Tone
As always, J.Lo is several steps ahead of the rest of the world. Though French manicures and similar two-toned nail designs had a recent resurgence, the singer has been wearing ombré nails and reverse French manis for years — and continues to do so, often opting for increasingly creative takes on the dual-color trend.
However, the star still loves a classic. Her French manicure made the rounds on red carpets this season, giving looks like her 2020 Golden Globes dress an Old Hollywood vibe. To create this particular look, Bachik told his followers on Instagram that he custom-mixed a white to match her dress, but you can achieve a similar effect with a shade like Essie's Pearly White.
It's not all about neutrals for J.Lo, though. The star opted for a slightly more colorful look for the 2019 Grammys, which Bachik created using a mixture of pink shades from OPI. According to a press release from the brand shared with TZR in February 2019, the combination featured OPI's GelColor in Let Me Bayou A Drink ombré’d into OPI's GelColor in Arigato From Tokyo, which was finished with OPI's Chrome Powder for added shine.
Mauve Brown
J.Lo’s neutral brown nails perfectly complement her soft smokey eye and nude lip with this set done by her go-to nail artist Tom Bachnik.
A solid-colored mani may seem basic with all the latest nail art trends on social media, but Lopez has never been one to shy away from the classics — this solid mani is far from boring and this subtly eye catching shade from OPI is the perfect nail shade for fall.
Burgundy
A longtime fan of wine-colored nails, J.Lo sported the shade yet again in the sexy music video for her 2021 song “Cambia el Paso”. As revealed on Bachik’s Instagram, the look was created using burgundy shade by OPI — which she got to show off in a series of close-up shots.
Multicolored Glitter
For 2021’s epic Vax Live event, Bachik layered a multicolored glitter polish over a nude pink shade to bring the same celebratory energy as Lopez’s many colorful outfit changes.
Deep Purple
In August 2021, Lopez teased an upcoming collaboration between Sephora and JLo Beauty via a stunning selfie featuring a dark purple mani. In an Instagram story, Bachik revealed the shade to be Verbena Velvet by CND.
Perfectly contrasted with the bright neon green hue of Lopez's knit dress, this moody purple shade proves to pair well with even the most unlikely colors.
Neon Yellow
Solid neon nails emerged as a major trend in summer 2021, with Bachik leading the large with looks for Lopez as well as Selena Gomez. This bright yellow manicure on J.Lo screams summer, but don’t be surprised if you see neon all year round.
Cleverly named "New Yolk City" this bright neon yellow is arguably one of the most essential summer nail colors. Lopez would certainly agree as she rocked this shade in the beginning of August 2021.
