Plan your next mani with some botanical inspiration from this year's MET.
By Rowan Lynam ·
Mei Kawajiri / Eri Ishizu
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The biggest night in fashion has once again come and gone, blooming like a bouquet on the green carpet in more than just the metaphorical sense. And with the 2024 MET Gala behind us, we’re taking a look at the manicures that absolutely stole the show. This year’s dress code, “Garden of Time,” was perfect for every manicurist looking to create a standout set of nails for the avant-garde botanical theme—just look at the immaculate set celebrity nail artist, Mei Kawajiri crafted for Gigi Hadid.
“The hand sculpted 3D yellow flowers add a playful touch to a classic style,” Kawajiri says. “This mix of playful and classic is just like Gigi.”
Image courtesy of Celebrity Nail Artist, Mei Kawajiri
But it wasn’t just beautiful botanicals that ruled the night. From Karlie Kloss‘ pretty in pink moment to Gabrielle Union‘s ethereal glow, plenty of the best looks from the night were about creating a simple and clean look in the perfect color.
“We chose the color Dear Diary from the new Light & Shadow Sheer Gel Couleur collection, and applied 2 thin coats,” manicurist Melanie Shengaris says of Dove Cameron’s look. “It’s a smooth and creamy color with a hint of pink.”
From Karol G’s mesmerizing mirror designs to Lizzo‘s gorgeous 3D flowers, these are the MET Gala nail looks we couldn’t stop talking about. And thanks to the manicurists and nail artists behind the designs, we’re bringing you the step-by-step to help you make these MET Gala manicures your own.
And the good news is that you don’t have to be an expert to get these trendy looks yourself. Pulling out all the stops, these are the most gorgeous manicures of the night, the most on-theme nail looks and the styles we’re asking for at our next mani.
The Best MET Gala 2024 Nail Looks
1/21
Gigi Hadid
Using Nailboo’s Gel products, Kawajiri created this stunning 3D floral design to perfectly match Hadid’s classic look for the night.
“I like to paint a single very thin coat of nude gel to keep the french manicure a bit more fresh and sheer,” says Kawajiri. “The hand-sculpted 3D yellow flowers add a playful touch to a classic style. This mix of playful and classic is just like Gigi. We wanted the nail looks to be a continuation of her MET Gala look designed by Thom Browne. A no-wipe top coat is essential… it is one less step when you are backstage or on-set!”
Celebrity nail artist Deborah Lippman designed Kloss’ nails after seeing the gown she was going to wear. Inspired by the pink Swarovski Couture gown, Lippman chose a timeless pale pink for her nails, to awaken Kloss’ inner sleeping beauty.
Created by nail artist Melanie Shengaris (painted_lolly), Dove Cameron’s botanical nails were created using Aprés Nails Gel-X tips.
“Dove has beautiful natural nails and can grow them long,” Shengaris explains. “But she loves the shape and look of the Gel-X Natural Almond Long Tips ($30), so that’s her go-to shape and length always for extensions.”
Shengaris and Cameron chose the nail color together to create a soft dreamy nude.
“We chose the color Dear Diary ($15) from the new Light & Shadow Sheer Gel Couleur collection, and applied 2 thin coats,” Shengaris says. “It’s a smooth and creamy color with a hint of pink. Next, I used the Diamond Gel ($17) to adhere the rose and leaf charms that I carefully chose to match Dove’s dress.”
If you’re feeling playful, you’ll love Rita Ora‘s MET Gala nail look by manicurist Naomi Yasuda (naominailsnyc). The nail color they chose was Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve ($15) from the new Light & Shadow Sheer Gel Couleur collection, which creates a soft nude canvas for the star of the show.
It turns out Yasuda didn’t just glue on those colorful balls, she made, adhered and painted them all by hand. Here’s how.
“Take a small amount of Extend Gel Novice ($23) on a pallet and roll it around to make a small ball,” Yasuda explains. “Gently place the gel ball onto the nail (I did a variety of sizes) and cure. Do this step one ball at a time. Then, color the gel balls with a milky pink, yellow jelly, light blue, green, and black jelly. Finish with Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gelcoat ($13).”
After application, Kudo refined the look through shaping and adding those gold beads.
“I shaped the Gel-X Tips on her nails to be a little shorter while preserving the almond shape,” Kudo says. “I blended the cuticle line and back of the Gel-X tips by using corn bit, then buffed the surface of the Gel-X Tips, then placed gold beads on her nails.”
Embellished with pearls, florals and studs, this design by manicurist Eri Ishizu (eriishizu) was a perfect ethereal garden for the MET Gala dress code.
“We created an ethereal look to match Ayo’s Loewe flower dress,” Ishizu says. The color they chose was actually a blend. “We mixed Aquarius rising ($15), Be-Leaf In Me ($15) with a clear coat. I used a thin brush and Top Gelcoat X ($13) to create 3D flowers, and added dried flowers, pearls, and studs as accents.”
Inspired by Carpenter’s style, manicurist Zola Ganzorigt created a fairytale of a nail look for the MET.
“Sabrina has been wearing a lot of blue lately, which is a great color for her and really enhances her eyes,” Ganzorigt says. “The black and blue fairytale gown she wore is so elegant and classic. To complement the look, I used OPI “It’s a Boy!” ($12) with Chrome Effects in ‘Tin Man Can’ (available in select salons) and adorned the nails with rhinestones.”
Celebrity manicurist, Mo Qin created this classic look to match the Bridgerton star’s soft and romantic gown.
“We wanted to keep the look very chic but classic with a twist,” Qin says. “So we did a soft reverse French manicure with KISS Salon X-Tend Nails in style Gloria ($10) as the base! This shade is a beautiful sheer neutral that completed her overall look.”
The quick curing gel is flash cured for 5 seconds before finishing for one minute for a perfect, 14-day hold.
Greta Lee’s frosted aura nail look was created by Manicurist Naomi Yasuda (naominailsnyc). Using medium tips, Yasuda selected a natural, elegant style with a rounded tip.
“I used Aprés Aer Gel Machine ($99) to create aura nail design,” Yasudo explains. “I used Aer 001 white ($15) in this design and then cured it.”
For MET Gala regular Kris Jenner, the manicure has to be perfect. That’s why manicurist Diem Truong went with a monochromatic, buildable color.
“Kris wanted a monochromatic look for The MET Gala,,” Truong says. “She chose Aprés Nail’s shade in Baby’s Breath ($15), a sheer but buildable off-white color, perfectly pairing with her cream-colored ensemble. Kris opted to do 3 coats of the color to achieve that milky cream color she wanted. Her nails and outfit colors matched perfectly.”
To complement her black and white Michael Kors gown, celebrity manicurist Pattie Yankee knew she wanted something flowing and botanical.
“The imPRESS Premium No Glue Manicure in shade ‘Vanilla Glazed’ ($12) was the perfect ethereal backdrop to compliment Allison’s gown and her shimmering, dreamy makeup look,” Yankee says. “I’m familiar with the adhesion power of imPRESS Manicure, so I knew the nails would hold up the entire night for Allison, including the after party look! After seeing a swatch of Allison’s gown, I knew I wanted to create a design that would flow across her hand. Following the floral pattern in her gown, I created a cascading rosette design with vines that connected from nail to nail. Allison fell in love with them the moment she saw them!”
It was all about the theme for Washington, and manicurist Diem Truong was happy to deliver.
“Kerry Washington truly embodied this year’s MET theme!” Truong says. “She stunned in her custom @oscardelarenta gown adorned with handmade orchid flowers. Her choice of @apresnailofficial in shade ‘Toasted’ ($15) with crystal and gem accents was a flawless complement to her floral dress. Kerry wanted her nails to feel like an extension of her hand, so she opted for a nude. ‘Toasted’ was the perfect compliment to her skin tone. Kerry’s ensemble was a breathtaking blend of nature and elegance, capturing the essence of the evening perfectly.”
Internet sensation Emma Chamberlin stunned on the green carpet with her more moody and romantic approach to the dress code, and her nails were no exception. Nail artist Thuy Nguyen worked closely with her stylist to pull together the look.
“Emma’s nails were a special project and it was so much fun to create!” Nguyen explains. “This year, I collaborated with her stylist Jared Ellner to get a hold of the same lace that she is wearing on her dress to use for her final nail look. I partnered with Sally Hansen to get their Insta-Dri in TAUPE PRIORITY ($8) for the base color of her nails. I allowed ample time for the lace to set on the base color with a little bit of glue before applying their Miracle Gel Top Coat ($13). I wanted to keep the texture of the lace on the nail instead of encapsulating it. I only applied a second layer of the Miracle Gel Top Coat after 5 minutes to create a smooth finish around the edges of the lace and voila! “
Manicurist Melanie Shengaris wanted Minogue’s natural nails to shine on the green carpet.
“Firstly, may I say, Kylie has the most beautiful natural healthy nails, dream nails, a beautiful long nail bed, so we kept her natural nails with the rubber base,” Minogue says. I then just applied one coat of the Gel Couleur shade in For Once ($15) to highlight them naturally and a beautiful shine with the Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gelcoat ($13).”
Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
15/21
Dwayne Wade
Always ready to experiment and have fun with his nails, Wade was looking for a MET Gala full of color. For nail artist Thuy Nguyen, that wasn’t a surprise at all.
“Dwyane’s look for tonight is nothing short of what we are used to,” Nguyen says. “Styled by the amazing Jason Bolden, he is wearing and going with Cartier to The MET Gala. Tonight’s nail look was a combination of fun and color.”
With one of the most stunning looks of the night, Cardi B’s MET look was one for the books. And so were her nails. According to manicurist Coca Michelle, the final product took more than 20 hours just to sculpt.
“I went with a simple design to give the color and structure of the nail a moment and an elevated look of a thorn on a rose stem,” Michelle says. “Since this year’s theme is Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, ‘The Garden of Time’ I was inspired by taking a classic V French and waking it up with a bold color and a unique shape that took over 20 hours to sculpt.”
For nail artist Thuy Nguyen, Union’s look was all about complimenting her gorgeous dress.
“THIS DRESS,” Nguyen writes. “WHAT IS THERE TO SAY??!!”
That’s why he chose an iridescent nail look.
“Tonight Gabrielle Union is wearing Michael Kors and with this look I wanted to give her nails the right amount of sparkle it needed to bring the look all together. The beautiful cascade of colors moved me into using something with a little bit of sheerness and just enough amount of iridescent.”
Never a disappointment on any carpet, Doja Cat is known for her outside-the-box beauty and fashion choices. The MET was right on trend for her, and her wet T-shirt look took the internet by storm. Extending the wet theme, her manicure was also enhanced with dripping effect nail look created by Manicurist Saccia Livingston (sacciadidthat).
For Demi Lovato’s look, manicurist Natalie Minerva wanted to recreate her mesmerizing gown.
“I wanted to replicate the beautiful embellishments on Demi’s dress that were so mesmerizing onto the nails!” Minerva explains. “I used OPI’s ‘I Cancer-tainly Shine’ as the base color, followed by a white and silver chrome that’s sheer enough to see the sparkle underneath mimicking the fabric of Demi’s dress, followed by hand placed chrome leaflet studs to create a monochromatic floral pattern.”
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