As always, the Oscars and the Oscars afterparties brought out the best of the best when it comes to manicures. Of all the many, many, polished fingertips, there were a few that stuck out more than the rest. On the more classically simple side, Sabrina Carpenter wowed us with the chicest black French tips. However, on the more playful side, both Anya Taylor-Joy and Florence Pugh brought lots of shimmer and sparkle to the carpet with their nail looks of choice. Who else felt inspired to shimmer? Hollywood icon Kerry Washington.
Though she skipped out on the formal awards ceremony, Washington was among the many big names to dance the night away at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. Alongside Lindsay Lohan, Sydney Sweeney, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Kerry Washington came to the festivities dressed to perfection. However, it was her rhinestone French manicure that we couldn’t stop staring at.
To go with her black Giambattista Valli dress—an off-the-shoulder, floor-length gown with sheer paneling, lots of ruffles, and rhinestones embellished across the middle of the bodice—Washington decided to bring the blingy accents to her fingertips.
Almond-shaped and medium-length, each of Washington’s nails matched with the same glossy base coat—a natural-appearing, milky light nude hue. Then, slightly different on each finger, rhinestones started trickling in. One or two were left hovering in the middle, but the bulk were concentrated to make up a French tip, covering the tips of her nail completely.
Celebrity manicurist Diem Truong used Aprés tips and polishes to get the look, but it’s also relatively easy to recreate at home.
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.
You can either just leave the base coat as-is, or you could reach for something that matches your skin tone or go with a plain white. Either way, wait for the base layer to dry before grabbing any rhinestones you have nearby—Amazon has plenty—and applying them onto your nail with nail glue. When applying, place the most near the tip, then, trickle them down depending on your preference. Then, you will have practically attended the Oscars After Party.