There is so much to admire about Jessie Buckley. The Irish actor is not only a master of her craft - as proven by last night's Best Actress Academy Award win - she is also an inspiring speaker and an elegant source of style inspiration.
It's the latter we're here to talk about today, specifically her beautiful, sheer, and short nails at the glitzy ceremony, which we've dubbed the 'naked manicure'. This minimal look is not only one of our favourite 2026 nail trends, but it's also extremely easy to achieve at home.
How do we know? Because Buckley's nail artist, Queenie Nguyen, has revealed exactly what went into creating the look, including the crucial hand prep step for 'softer, smoother, and completely camera-ready' hands.
The important prep product behind Jessie Buckley's Oscars mani
Sharing a carousel of red carpet shots, as well as a behind-the-scenes snapshot of every product she used on Buckley's hands and nails, Queenie Nguyen (@nailartbyqueenie) truly delivered the goods on Instagram after the 98th Academy Awards.
"Before Jessie Buckley hit the red carpet for the Oscars, it’s really important for me to prep her hands with deep, long-lasting hydration so they stay smooth and luminous throughout the night," Nguyen explained, before revealing the powerful hand treatment she used on the night:
No wonder Queenie is a fan of using this on A-List clientele. Created by revered dermatologist, Dr Alexis Granite, it's packed with powerful skincare ingredients we normally see in active facial serums. This includes licorice root, which can help fade and prevent pigmentation, Vitamin E for softening and conditioning, and collagen-stimulating peptides, for a plumped texture.
Nguyen continues, "It leaves the hands softer, smoother, and completely camera-ready for a night like the Oscars."
We love to see hand care get its moment in the spotlight like this. While nail appointments and at-home painting are a lovely treat, and the latest spring nail shades can spark so much joy, using the best hand cream with potent skincare ingredients can truly breathe new life into your hands.
As for the nail shade Jessie wore on her winning night, we spotted two timeless, elegant, and ultra sheer Chanel nail polish shades in Nguyen's kit.
Chanel describes this as a fortifying, protecting, and smoothing base coat, which is packed with camellia oil to nourish nails and strengthen them over time. It can be worn alone as a treatment, with a glossy top coat as per Buckley's 'naked mani', or layered under other bolder hues if you want more of a statement look.
This luxurious top coat is supremely useful, particularly if you like to paint your nails at home but hate how quickly they can chip. Not only does it create a long-wearing protective barrier for whichever colour you apply underneath, but it has a luxurious, high-gloss finish that suggests a salon visit.
There's nothing we enjoy more than a celebrity manicure moment that manages to tick all the boxes: It's chic, caring and achievable on short nail lengths. We officially crown Buckley and Nguyen's creation our Best Actress nail look of the 98th Academy Awards.
