Zoe Kravitz is making a case for minimalist manicures amid a time where lengthy decorated nails reign supreme. While promoting her new film, Blink Twice, which marks her directorial debut, the actress has been rocking simple clear polish with an artful twist.
At the Los Angeles premiere of the movie on August 8, Kravitz paired her silky black cutout dress from Saint Laurent with square-round nails that were painted translucent. Very demure, right? The simple look was brought to life by Chanel nail artist Betina R. Goldenstein—who has also worked with Tessa Thompson, Lily James, and Camila Morrone. Goldenstein gushed over the mani, calling it “ultra clean” via Instagram following the big event.
For a different day of press, Goldenstein upgraded Kravitz’s clear manicure with tiny hand-painted raspberries. In snaps shared via Goldenstein’s account on August 12, Kravitz sported yellow smiley faces on her nails that featured dripping blood — a nod to the film’s eerie and seemingly sinister plot. (Blink Twice follows tech billionaire Slater King, played by Kravitz’s fiancé Channing Tatum, as he meets cocktail waitress Frida, played by Naomi Ackie, and invites her to join him and his friends on a vacation where strange things happen.)
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Kravitz isn’t the only celebrity to bring back minimalist nails. Throughout the It Ends With Us press tour—which has been trending for rumored drama among the cast—Blake Lively, who portrays protagonist Lily Bloom, donned clean manicures that were brought to life with just nail polish and painted-on florals. She opted to go without acrylics or press ons, rocking her natural nails on the red carpet, thanks to glam pro Elle Gerstein.
Does this mean no-fuss nails are on the rise, you ask? Maybe, maybe not. Over-the-top manicures were big at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, with Team USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson, Jordan Chiles, Coco Gauff, and Noah Lyles showing off intricate nail art while on the track, beam, and court. Richardson was a must-see with coffin-shaped acrylics adorned with the American flag at the opening ceremony on July 26 while Chiles flaunted a squared manicure with pink and blue patterned french tips during the floor routine that scored her a bronze medal on August 5. (Chiles was later stripped of the medal over a disputed coach appeal.)
To us, the consensus is: nails are the moment. It doesn’t matter if they’re short, long, natural, fake, naked, or painted. Consider this your sign to try something new, and if at first you don’t succeed, then dust yourself off and try again because manicures are temporary.
