Whenever I’m at a loss for what to do with my manicure, I can always count on the hands of Hollywood for some nail trend inspiration. Celebrities are the ones with world-famous manicurists at their fingertips, after all. Plus, they have ample opportunities to show off fresh paint jobs on the red carpet. This week alone, I got new ideas as Selena Gomez started a stardust nail trend with a dreamy iridescent polish by Tom Bachik, and Hailey Bieber embraced a delicious wine red mani in place of her usual almond tips. So in an effort to cure my serious nail envy, I scanned hundreds of manicures to find the nail polish colors celebrities reach for most often, so I, too, can have tips worthy of a step-and-repeat (or, just Instagram).
On my search, I learned celebrities can make a moment out of any nail color. See Jennifer Lopez’s electric blue neon manicure from over the summer, or Selena Gomez’s orange Julius jelly tips. Of course, classic fall nail colors and more subdued shades show up on celebrities' nails just as often. Just take a look at the legions of famous fans behind the moody red and bubble bath manicure trends.
Without further ado, keep scrolling for the celebrity-favorite nail polish colors Hailey Bieber, Selena Gomez, Zendaya, and Taylor Swift return to time and time again. I’ve included real-life photos for seeing the shades in action, plus options from my favorite nail polish brands for A-list-level nails at home. If you need me, I'll be at the salon.
Hailey Bieber's Favorite Nail Polish Colors
If there was such a thing as a “nailfluencer,” it would be Hailey Bieber. Any time the new mom or her longtime nail artist, Zola Ganzorigt, posts on Instagram, there are new details to fawn over. It’s difficult to pinpoint a top five within Bieber’s best nails of all time—the Rhode founder has tried nearly every color and fall manicure trend under the sun—but there are a few nail polishes she's worn on repeat.
For starters, Bieber practically originated the glazed donut manicure and has re-worn the pale iridescent shade plenty of times. Then, she ignited another trend with her butter yellow manicure at her baby shower over the summer. And recently for fall, Bieber has been favoring deeper shades, like maple leaf brown and blackberry navy blue.
Jennifer Lopez's Favorite Nail Polish Colors
With a personal style as glamorous as Jenny from the Block's, you can expect her manicures to be equally stunning. With the help of go-to manicurist Tom Bachik, J.Lo prefers to keep her nails subdued in color, often going for nudes and pale pinks. To spice things up, she’ll opt for embellishments—like when she tried nude tips with pink Swarovski crystals for her This Is Me Now nails, or when she incorporated silver stickers for her Bridgerton-themed 55th birthday. When it comes to Jennifer Lopez, a nude manicure is never simply minimalist.
Selena Gomez's Favorite Nail Polish Colors
Rare Beauty founder Selena Gomez’s manicures are never an afterthought. Like Jennifer Lopez, she also works with Bachik to expertly match her nails to her red carpet gowns. For instance, Gomez’s 2024 Emmy Awards glam was color-coordinated with shimmery peach tips and lipstick. The flesh-toned shade appears to be a favorite of the star’s—she also wore the trendy naked manicure while doing press for Emilia Pérez in New York City.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Gomez embraces her dark side in moody shades from a muted red (which took Bachik 40 minutes to custom make), to jet black and eggplant, so you know she’s not afraid to switch it up.
Zendaya's Favorite Nail Polish Colors
Back in 2014, Zendaya tweeted, “If you see me and my nails aren’t done…it’s not me.” That philosophy is still true a decade later. Working with longtime nail artist Marina Dobic, Zendaya is a big fan of the red color trend, opting for an unexpected maroon manicure over the summer and regularly turning to a bright cherry polish. When the Challengers star isn’t wearing red, she’s likely wearing some version of barely-there pink—as she did with her manicures during Dune: Part Two press and her bubble bath nails at the 2024 Olympics.
Taylor Swift's Favorite Nail Polish Colors
Swifties know that Taylor Swift loves to make the whole place shimmer, whether it's with sparkly eyeshadow, glitter freckles, or her manicure. So you can almost always count on Swift to be wearing a sparkling polish on her fingertips. Nail artist Lisa Peña Wong has worked with Swift for over three years to create glimmering manicures to compliment her Eras Tour outfits. The Reputation singer has had a bedazzled peachy hue for the AFC Championship, a traditional metallic gold for date night with Travis Kelce at Electric Lady Studios, a long glittered manicure at the 2024 Golden Globes—the list goes on and on.
