Getty ImagesSave this storySave this story
Dua Lipa is looking to the animal kingdom for nail inspo—and reviving a mid-2010s mani trend in the process. These days, tortoiseshell-print hair accessories are everywhere—call it the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy effect—but the tortoiseshell manicure has been fairly dormant since its 2010s heyday, when it was one of the reigning nail art trends. Until now! The Radical Optimism pop star just brought tortoiseshell nails back and proves the reptile-inspired manicure as timeless and versatile as ever.
Lipa's nails were the work of manicurist Kim Truong, who filed the pop star's nails into medium-length oval shape, then created a tortoiseshell effect across Lipa's entire nail. She started with a light caramel base, then applied a darker brown color in a series of small blobs in various sizes to replicate the signature shell pattern.
Kim Truong
Lipa must've loved the mani, because she wore it for a few different occasions. If you swipe through Truong's Instagram carousel, you'll see the tortoiseshell nails paired with jeans and a satiny navy jacket and a metallic silver minidress. They even popped up onstage during Lipa's tour stop at the Forum in Los Angeles. Like one of those CBK-approved tortoiseshell headbands, the manicure is sophisticated and stylish but still a little whimsical, and though it's a bolder design than a simple French manicure, it goes with pretty much every outfit.
If you like a textural nail moment, look no further than Lipa's recent mani oeuvre. In late July, she dipped her tips in 3D gold beads for a glimmering spin on the French manicure. Then, she rang in her 30th birthday with a “molten bubble orb” manicure and returned to the tour stage with cool mid-century modern-inspired windowpane nail art. The musician never wears the same manicure twice, and we love her for it!
