Put away your baby pinks and butter yellow nail polishes and channel springtime weather with winged creatures instead! According to SZA, it’s time to forget about flowers and wear bugs on our nails this season, and after seeing her latest manicure, I’m on board.
For the iHeart Radio Awards, the musician put a cheeky (or should we say buzzy?) twist on the classic French manicure with the cutest, most detailed little creatures painted on each tip. Her nails were shaped into soft squares and painted in a typical French style, but instead of simple bright white tips, teeny tiny bugs fluttered and hopped around on every finger. We’ve got ladybugs! We’ve got grasshoppers! We’ve got full-on monarch butterfly wings covering an entire tip! SZA basically has an entire ecosystem of insects on her nails, and even if you’re afraid of bugs, there’s no denying that this is a true work of nail art.
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The manicure, which was created by nail artist Tyler, feels springy without being too on the nose. After all, we wouldn’t have those gorgeous spring blossoms without bugs and pollinators! I’m partial to the ladybugs, but the bright teal beetle on her thumb is pretty chic too. Last summer, Hailey Bieber told Allure she wanted to wear “little bugs” on her nails, and now that I’ve seen SZA’s take, I’m thinking about a butterfly-centric design for my next nail appointment.
We know the musician loves a French manicure as both a base for nail art or on its own, like the chunky Y2K-inspired set she wore to a WSJ event in late 2023. Prior to that, she added sparkling charms like a Playboy bunny head, cherries, a gold Jesus, and a dollar sign to her French tips for a design she called “mild hoochie.” The manicure style is a forever favorite for good reason; it’s great on its own, but can easily be customized with colored or printed tips, gems, and now, insects!
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