Nails can feel like the forgotten stepsister of the beauty world, but in 2025, celebrities proved they’re anything but. From playful throwbacks to wearable art, this year’s coolest manicure moments were as memorable as the outfits that accompanied them.
This summer, Dua Lipa kicked off her 30th birthday with a dotted rhinestone mani that perfectly matched her book-in-hand vibe, Hailey Bieber celebrated a Caribbean getaway with “sardine girl” nails that felt like their own mini vacation, and Rita Ora blurred the line between polish and art with a dreamy watercolor chrome set that screamed beach sunset.
Fall brought its own dose of inspo. Kylie Jenner hopped on the plaid trend with jelly-striped tips in soft lavenders, browns, and blues — proving that even a classic pattern can feel fresh in her hands — while Selena Gomez leaned into all things romance with a Romeo and Juliet–inspired jeweled icon mani that glowed with newlywed energy.
On the editorial side, Christina Aguilera set her nails on fire, Anya Taylor-Joy cooled things down with icicle-inspired tips, and Megan Thee Stallion clocked it with Dalí-inspired nail art — and these are just a few examples.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the celebrity manicures from 2025 that proved nails are officially the main character.
1Kylie Jenner’s Plaid Nails
A plaid manicure? For fall? Groundbreaking. But when Jenner showed off these almond-shaped nails in November — complete with a jelly finish — it lowkey was.
2Anya Taylor-Joy’s Icicle Tips
Anya Taylor-Joy gave off ice queen vibes with these icicle-inspired nails, courtesy of Juan Alvear, which went all in on the frosted trend.
3Megan Thee Stallion’s Surrealist Set
Megan Thee Stallion rocked this Dalí-inspired manicure with drooping clocks for her “Whenever” music video in April, proving that nails can quite literally be art.
4Hailey Bieber’s Sardine Girl Mani
Bieber made glazed donut nails a thing — and then she embraced sardine girl summer. On a trip to the Caribbean in November, she debuted this vacation-ready manicure, complete with a chrome tip on her middle finger and shrimp nail art.
5Christina Aguilera’s Fire Nails
Xtina turned the heat all the way up when she set fire to her stiletto acrylics in October. She captioned her TikTok, “No genies were harmed in the making of this video.”
6Selena Gomez’s Romantic Design
Gomez was feeling the love with this Romeo and Juliet–inspired manicure from November. The newlywed leaned fully into romance with a jewel-adorned set by her go-to artist, Tom Bachik — a perfect reflection of her current mood.
7Dua Lipa’s Maximalist Mani
For her 30th birthday in September, the pop star and reigning nail queen debuted a multicolored dotted manicure by Michelle Humphrey, each tip finished with a rhinestone at the center.
8Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked-Inspired Set
Cynthia Erivo brought a little Oz magic to the Oscars with this gilded emerald manicure that perfectly complemented her Elphaba era.
9Addison Rae’s Nail Reference
Addison Rae brought the references with a tie-dye manicure announcing her album release date — a clear throwback to Lindsay Lohan’s iconic 2010 court appearance nails.
10Rita Ora’s Watercolor Chrome Mani
This might be the ultimate summer set. Rita Ora rocked these watercolor chrome nails in August, featuring high-shine gradients that looked like a beach sunset on her fingertips.
