The Oscars were…interesting. You know why.
But I’m here to talk about the nails. I scoured the red carpet looking for nail looks and I got em. From classic nude manis to edgy French tips, I’m giving you the breakdown of my favorite manicures of the night.
Before we jump into that, I have to address something. It was difficult finding out who did some of these manicures because celebs, stylists, designers, hair stylists, & make up artists are still not tagging the manicurists. It’s 2022, I need y’all to do better. Anyway, let’s get into these manis.
All Red Everything: Nicole Kidman shined in that custom dyed blue gown and her true red nails popped! Since I couldn’t pinpoint who did this gorgeous mani, I’d like to say that the shade matches Sally Hansen’s "That's A Blazing". Maddie Ziegler’s mani, done by Thuy Nguyen, featured the ever popular OPI shade "We The Female" . This shade comes in both classic lacquer and gel polish. Tom Bachik used an Oxblood Red on Rachel Ziegler. He didn’t say which brand he used, but one of my favs is "Majestic Merlot" by Maxus Nails.
Edgy French: The French manicure is never going out of style. Period! Both Cynthia Erivo and Kourtney Kardashian rocked black French manis. These ladies proved that the design looks great on both long and short nails. Pear Nova’s "Absorb" is available in both lacquer and gel. It’s sure to help you achieve the look effortlessly.
Dark Hues in Spring? Who said dark colors were just for winter? Idk but they’re wrong. Both Reba McEntire and Ava Duvernay rocked dark nails to match their ensembles and the manis were perfect. For Ava’s mani, Essie’s "After School Boy Blazer" is the perfect match for that deep blue mani she’s rocking. While Orly’s “Pine-ing For You” is a very close match to Reba’s deep green mani. If you want to make these shades even darker, try doing a layer of black polish first, then layering your desired hue on top.
Nudes/Neutrals: What’s an award show without a nude mani? Since the fashions are top tier, it’s almost expected. Some think neutrals are boring. I don’t because there’s nothing worse than your manicure clashing with your outfit. Ugh. Fellow nail artist Queenie Nguyen used Chanel’s “Ballerina” to complete Jennifer Garner’s look. This classic pale pink shade is the perfect shade and it definitely didn’t take away from her red gown. Tracee Ellis Ross also wore red so it made sense when Maho went with Presto’s JC-25. Presto is a Japanese gel brand that I’ve been using for years. It’s amazing! The color she used is just a few shades deeper than Ross . It was the perfect choice and did not take away from her look. Coca Michelle used a custom nude mix for Meg Thee Stallion. Since we can’t get our hands on that mix, you can sub it with Pear Nova’s "Diana Boss". It’s very close to the shade created for the Hot Girl of all Hot Girls. AH!
Metallic moments please! Jessica Chastain’s nails, done by Julie K, were a gorgeous metallic situation. If you’re looking for a dupe, OPI’s "Intentions are Rose Gold" is a good match. Zendaya “Queen of the carpet” Coleman nails were a super shiny silver chrome. If you want her look and don’t want to use gel polish and silver chrome powder, you could absolutely sub that with Nails.Inc’s “Wherever I May Chrome” and get practically the same look with a lot less clean up.
Shocking Neon! My favorite nail look of the night came from Aunjanue Ellis. Whew! Sis wore a gorgeous orange gown and rocked a neon green mani. Can you even!? I can’t help but think she did that to match the color of tennis balls because that just makes too much sense and I refuse to believe anything else. If you’re looking to match that summer ready shade, Orly’s "Neon Paradise" is the way to go. It’s available in both gel and regular lacquer. It’ll likely be a go to for the summer.
This year’s Oscar nails were gorgeous and I can’t say that there was a look that I didn’t like. I’m looking forward to the upcoming Grammys. There should be no shortage of amazing nails. I feel like someone is gonna do a look that’s decked out in crystals. Additionally, let’s hope more people tag the manicurist. These artists deserve proper recognition just as much as hair, make up, and styling.