There was absolutely no shortage of beauty inspiration flooding the red carpet at the 2026 Oscars—and that goes beyond gowns and makeup. Celebrities were also showing off some of the season’s most stunning manicures, and one nail trend in particular seemed to grace everyone’s fingers all night: mother-of-pearl nails.
This elevated nail trend delivers a subtle iridescent finish. Start with a milky or nude base coat (you can do two or three depending on the desired level of opacity), then layer a chrome or shimmer polish for a soft pearly effect. The result is a glossy manicure that subtly shifts color in the light, giving nails a multidimensional glow.
From milky whites to ethereal silvers, mother-of-pearl nails proved to be the perfect finishing touch on our favorite Oscars beauty looks. Keep scrolling to see all of our favorite mother-of-pearl manicures (and maybe even steal a few ideas for your next salon visit).
Teyana Taylor
Kate Hudson
Chase Infiniti
Ariana Greenblatt
Nicole Kidman
Suki Waterhouse
Odessa A’zion
Olandria Carthen
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
