Awards shows are always a visual feast when it comes to beauty and style. Although the hair, makeup, and gowns provide enough inspiration to last for years, we at Byrdie can't help but zoom in on the manicures all the stars pair with their looks.
This awards season kicked off with a cherry mocha-flavored bang: celebs at the Golden Globes and Emmys all decided to match in short dark red nails like Selena Gomez and Emma Stone. At the Grammys, though, things started to get metallic, namely with Chlöe Bailey’s gem-encrusted nail look. However, at the Oscars, the metallic nails were out in full force. Top of the class? Florence Pugh’s shimmer dewdrop-covered nails with a matching dress, and Anya Taylor-Joy’s silver dress with a coordinating sparkly mani.
Just like her Dune costar, Anya Taylor-Joy chose a sci-fi-coded outfit that we couldn't help but associate with her character, Alia Atreides—even if it was more of a look Princess Irulan would wear.
Full of silver and sparkle, Taylor-Joy’s dress was enough of a head-turner on its own. A strapless Christian Dior Haute Couture gown, it consisted of a corseted bodice and a skirt seemingly made up of shells from her waist all the way to the floor. A full face of Dior Beauty applied by Georgie Eisdell and sleek strands by Gregory Russell added to the space-mermaid effect.
However, as you can probably guess, it was the silver nails she paired the look with with that were the focus of our attention. The work of Kim Truong, each of the actor’s nails were medium length and almond shaped. In a similar hue to the sequins and beads studded across her dress, Taylor-Joy’s nails were all a light gray color with a metallic finish. Not quite chrome, the actors’ nails all had a shimmery light gray color with barely visible silver specs and a velvet effect. In fact, they were mostly only visible with camera lights flashing, reflecting off the glitter particles.
Lucky for us, copying her silver, shiny manicure is easy enough for even the least talented nail artist to recreate perfectly—you don’t even need an invite to Hollywood’s biggest night to pull them off.
First, as with any nail look, remove any lingering nail polish with remover. Then, cut and file your nails to the desired length and shape—this would also be the time to apply any tips or press-on if you want. After that, buff the surface for an even nail bed before applying your favorite base coat.
After your nails are prepped, it’s time for color. Though Truong likely used a velvet or cat eye-effect polish, you can use a shimmering silver like OPI’s Snatch’d Silver ($12) for a similar look. For the perfect look, apply two even coats and finish off with your favorite top coat, and your nails will practically be award-winning.