Look, I love a minimal manicure as much as the next person. Whether it's a soft white like OPI's Funny Bunny ($12) or a milky pink like the iconic Bubble Bath ($12), I've been known to paint my short nails a simple shade and leave it at that. However, recently, I've been feeling the urge to switch it up a bit. Maybe it's because we're on the cusp of autumn, and I'm being pulled towards darker, richer colors like burgundy, navy blue, and deep purple—shout out to one of my forever favorite colors for fall, Lincoln Park After Dark. Or, maybe it's because celebs keep inspiring me with bold, bedazzled manicures.
Who What Wear's August cover star, Kylie Jenner, is the most recent celeb to do so. She recently shared a picture of her "crystal candy" manicure on Instagram, and I *instantly* added it to my saved folder, as I prepare to create a fall mood board.
Kylie Jenner's "Crystal Candy" Manicure
The image was re-shared by celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt, the expert behind the bedazzled look. Luckily for me, Ganzorigt soon shared a step-by-step tutorial for re-creating it. Aside from an assortment of chunky rhinestones (which I think I ID'd for only $10 on Amazon), it involves three OPI nail products.
The Products Used:
Ganzorigt used gel nail polish to create the look. If that's not your thing, or you don't have a UV lamp to cure it at home, don't fret. You can get the same shades in OPI's traditional nail polish formula. Here's the non-gel version. OPI's Throw Me a Wink is a pale pink crème. Ganzorigt used it as the base color on Jenner's long, almond-shaped nails.
She sealed the base color with this glossy top coat. Here's a non-gel option.
It appears as if Ganzorigt used builder gel to glue the rhinestones to the nails. The tutorial shows her dotting the gel onto the nails, straight from the brush, and individually placing rhinestones on top of each dot. If you don't want to go the gel route, I think standard nail glue would work just fine. OPI's Make It Stick Nail Glue ($10) is a good option.
After doing some digging, I think this rhinestone pack is strikingly similar to the ones Ganzorigt used. Could it be an exact match? I'm not sure, but it contains 120 multi-colored gems in various shapes and sizes. (I even spy a green heart, much like the one on Jenner's middle nail).
I love this manicure because it feels so fresh and relevant to the bedazzled nail trend. Plus, once the prep work is done, it doesn't actually require much precision. Instead, it's all about playing with different shapes, sizes, and colors, and placing gems however you see fit. As I said before, this manicure is headed straight to my fall mood board.