We're just over a week into 2026 and Jennifer Lopez is already giving me enough manicure inspiration to last the whole year. The singer's go-to looks often fall on the more neutral side, but lately she's been leaning into one of the year's biggest nail trends: cat eye manicures.
Since the end of December, the singer has been performing at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for her residency, and her on-stage nail looks of late have been just as impressive as her performances. On Jan. 7, for example, Lopez’s longtime manicurist, Tom Bachik, shared a photo of the post-show manicure he worked on for her, which he named the “afterglow manicure.” The look is pretty similar to the pink “crushed velvet” manicure that she wore during her New Year’s Eve performance, only it looks like her nails are painted a slightly lighter shade of pink. Per Bachik’s caption, he trimmed, filed, and prepped Lopez's nails using a set of tools from Tweezerman before applying a light pink gel nail polish with a cat eye effect and topping that off with a clear top coat.
Cat eye nails aren’t exactly new, but they became a major design trend back in 2025. It’s a type of manicure that’s created using magnetic nail polish, and it’s supposed to give the nails a mesmerizing reflective finish that creates the illusion of a cat’s eye. It’s quickly become a favorite of celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, who recently showed off a cat eye French manicure with tiger stripes at the tips, and while it’s slightly unconventional, it’s also a versatile look that can be customized in a variety of ways, from all-over color to prints.
Pink is also not typically a standard color to wear during the winter (this is the time when rich nail colors like navy and wine red thrive), but nail experts have previously predicted that it'll be a highly requested color this winter.
The good news is that plenty of brands are catching onto the trend, and it's pretty easy to find cat eye nail polish should you want to recreate a cat eye manicure on yourself at home. To get Jennifer Lopez's pink "afterglow" look, read ahead to shop some items you'll need.
Start of by cutting and prepping your nails with this mini kit from Tweezerman.
This is the exact shade that Bachik used to create Lopez's after-show look. Unlike typical cat eye polishes, you won't need a magnet for this one—just an LED lamp to cure it.
If you're using gel polish, make sure you have an LED lamp on hand to properly cure and harden it.
