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After months of anticipation, the 2025 Met Gala, celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, has arrived at the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art steps. Every May, celebrities compete for the most memorable entrance, and their nail art is often the hidden detail that seals the look.
The greatest nail looks ever to grace the Met Gala
While we revel over what everyone will wear this evening, we can’t resist reliving the red carpet moments that have defined fashion history. From Kim Kardashian’s head-to-toe blackout to Jared Leto cradling a look-alike mannequin head, the gala is the place to push boundaries and debut the most daring ideas.
And what would any headline-making outfit be without the perfect beauty details? And for years, the Met carpet has doubled down as a runway for next-level nail art. Scroll below to see the best manicures in Met Gala history.
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© Getty ImagesJennifer Lopez
Take a quick trip back to 2011, and you’ll find some of J.Lo’s most iconic nail moments. Never one to shy away from sparkle, the singer-actress matched her scarlet Alexander McQueen tribute gown with short, high-shine red nails finished in a mirror lacquer that caught every flashbulb.
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© Getty ImagesRihanna
Rihanna’s early Met appearances were relatively understated, but she soon leaned into the gala’s anything-goes spirit. The proof? Her 2015 all-gold ensemble. To stay on theme, she capped her nails in glitter-packed gold polish—because subtlety isn’t in RiRi’s vocabulary.
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© Getty ImagesGigi Hadid
A Met darling in her own right, Hadid served futuristic glam in 2016 while still dating Zayn Malik. Her wide, chrome-metallic tips echoed the sleek lines of her gown and gave her look an unmistakably space-age finish.
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© Getty ImagesCynthia Erivo
“Heavenly Bodies” was the 2018 theme, and Erivo went all in. Nail artist Gina Oh re-imagined Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam—but with two Black women—across the actress’s nails, transforming the Sistine Chapel into miniature, modern-day masterpieces.
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© Getty ImagesKim Kardashian
When it comes to trend-setting manicures, the Kardashian clan reigns supreme. For Kim’s molten-gold 2018 appearance, she opted for squared-off French acrylics—minimalist at first glance, but unmistakably bold in silhouette.
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© Getty ImagesLil Nas X
The undisputed king of sparkle, Lil Nas X, spent nine hours in Pat McGrath’s chair to emerge as a living diamond in 2023. His elongated nails, encrusted with oversized chrome rhinestones, were as dazzling as the crystal-studded bodysuit itself.
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© Getty ImagesSabrina Carpenter
For her Met debut, Carpenter channeled Disney royalty with baby-blue, iridescent nails sprinkled with tiny crystals—a whimsical, fairytale touch worthy of a princess-in-training.
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© Getty ImagesCardi B
Last year, the rapper stretched imagination to its limits. Her emerald-toned look extended to wide, geometric acrylics in matching green, built up in layers to create a full 3-D effect that played beautifully against her makeup and jewelry.
Tonight’s red carpet is sure to deliver an entirely new set of nail inspirations. Stay tuned!
