How To Get The Viral TikTok Pearlescent Manicure
From slicked-back ponytails and no-makeup makeup looks to simple jewelry and dewy skin, TikTok's clean girl aesthetic has seen a meteoric rise in interest, and it's pretty clear that it's here to stay. Now, the trend has grown to become part of our manicures with the latest nail style: pearlescent nails.
With hundreds of videos of people recreating the manicure, poignantly named pearlescent nails, the trend, which is also called glazed donut nails, went viral after Hailey Bieber sported them at the 2022 Met Gala. Bieber, whose skincare brand, Rhode is known for promoting the dewy, glazed donut look, is also a major inspiration on our clean girl mood boards. In fact, in a TikTok tutorial with her nail technician, Zola Ganzorigt, Bieber shared just how she achieves the minimalist and shimmery manicure. Hint: you only need three products and a staple in your mother's chrome mani set from the '90s to achieve your very own set of glazed donut nails.
Prep your nails and apply the base coat
Preparing your nails for a new manicure is just as important as the rest of your routine as it fosters nail growth and lets your manicure last much longer (via the Manucurist). For starters, you'll need an emery board to gently file your nails to the right shape and a cuticle remover to soften your cuticles. Other great ways to prepare your nails for a manicure would be gently pushing your cuticles with a cuticle pusher, using a nail buffer, and dusting your nails with cuticle cleansing wipes. After prepping, you're ready to get started with the rest of your pearlescent manicure.
For some, this manicure will make the perfect at-home DIY as all you need is chrome powder, an LED lamp, and gel color to recreate the look (via Huda Beauty). Start by applying one layer of a gel base coat and curing for 30 seconds under an LED lamp. This hardens the nail and makes the manicure last longer. Hailey Bieber's go-to is the OPI Gel Base Coat in Stay Strong, which she follows with a mix of clear top coat and gel color in OPI's Funny Bunny.
Apply a mix of gel color and clear top coat
Mixing a milky or neutral-toned gel color with a clear top coat sheers the color out, making it just the right translucent shade and creating the perfect base for your pearlescent nails. If you're not a fan of neutral-toned colors, glazed donut nails can also be done using any gel color of your choice. Your nails can look pearlescent, even with bold or pastel gel colors, a method Zola Ganzorigt shared in a second TikTok tutorial as she tried out the manicure in a lovely shade of lavender.
On either a metal or plastic surface, mix two drops of clear top coat and your color of choice with a clean brush. Add a few more drops of the clear top coat till the color reaches the level of sheerness you like. Cure under the LED lamp for another 30 seconds. According to Double Dip, this allows the polish to become sticky enough for the chrome powder to stick properly onto the nail.
Add chrome powder for some sheen
For that moderate shimmer that makes this manicure alluring and truly pearl-like, chrome powder is just what you need. After curing the gel color and clear nail polish mix, apply a light layer of the powder with an eyeshadow applicator and dust off the excess while cleaning the edges of the nails (via Fairy Glamor). With chrome powder, a little goes a long way to achieve an almost natural look for your nails. For Hailey Bieber's nails, Zola Ganzorigt uses the OPI Chrome Effects Powder in Tin Man Can.
While chrome powder creates a great luster, it can be quite difficult and, in some cases, messy to apply. A good alternative for a neater look is mixing the OPI Infinite Shine Lacquer in Kyoto Pearl with a clear top coat, which Ganzorigt applies instead (via TikTok). Need a way to elevate your manicure? Try making exquisite swirls with a striping brush and a matching color of gel polish (via Essie). Apply one more layer of your top coat to seal it all in and cure for 60 seconds, and then you've got your very own set of pearlescent nails.