Lizzo's Bubblegum Aura Nails Are as Sweet as They Sound

Lizzo recently shared her summer 2023 moodboard on Instagram, and naturally, “maximalism” was a bullet point. One look at her on-stage outfits and makeup proves that Lizzo is anything but shy, but her latest manicure is like the Goldilocks of nails: Lizzo’s bubblegum aura mani can balance out any maximalist’s vibe, while spicing up any minimalist’s simple outfits.  

On May 18, Lizzo shared a close-up of her nails, courtesy of her longtime manicurist Eri Ishizu. Her manicure is a mash-up of a few trends, starting with the pale pink "strawberry milk" base that spans her entire nail. Ishizu added a hazy, hot pink airbrushed center to each nail, which offers the one-two punch of aligning with both the aura and bubblegum pink nail trends. The singer's post proves that she's hitting her maximalist goals—Lizzo wore a variety of bright acrylic rings in different colors and shapes, pearl necklaces with smiley faces, a gold diamond chain, and hand-made beaded bracelets that make her look like a candy raver circa the late aughts.

But back to the manicure. Stars like Jenna Dewan, Dua Lipa, and Nicola Peltz Beckham have all worn a variation of the airbrush manicure this year, and Lizzo took it one step further by marrying two other trends: strawberry milk nails and bubblegum pink nails. The overall manicure has tons of balance as the bright fuchsia adds vibrancy to the sheer pale pink color, and the pale pink softens the bright center. It’s perfect for maximalists who want to try the strawberry milk manicure or minimalists who want to play around with brighter colors.

It may be hard to copy Lizzo’s entire look (that would mean purchasing lots of jewelry), but her nails are pretty manageable to DIY. Your best bet is to use airbrush machine, so you'll need to head to the salon. However, if you want a similar effect at home, nail artist Phoebe Cascarina previously told us her best trick for a DIY airbrush look First, she applies a tacky base layer. “I used Nude BB Cream ($19) by Gelcare," she says. "Cure this gel layer, and don't wipe away the tacky/sticky layer left on top."

Then, take any hot pink eyeshadow or powder blush and apply the product onto the center of the nail using an old eyeshadow brush. (The eyeshadow will adhere to the tacky base.) "I did about three layers, slowly building up the eyeshadow product," says Cascarina. After that, take a lighter pink eyeshadow or blush and apply it around the edges of the hot-pink center for a seamless blend. Finally, apply a high-shine top coat for a mani fit for a superstar.