I know the Met Gala is typically thought of as fashion’s biggest night, but I like to personally consider it the beauty Olympics. All of the biggest celebrities spend hours in the glam chair and weeks (or months) planning out and prepping for their looks. And while there are so many beauty trends to keep an eye out for at the famous Upper East Side steps, my personal favorite is seeing everyone’s manicures.
This year, so many celebrities leaned into all the biggest nail trends and aligned them with the “Fashion Is Art” dress code, creating manicures that doubled as art worthy of a spot in the museum itself. Ahead, I break down all the biggest manicure trends of the night, from fingers doubling as paint canvases to chic takes on chrome finishes.
Behold, the best nail trends from the 2026 Met Gala.
1. Canvas Nails
Nail artist Tom Bachik decked out Emma Chamberlain’s fingers to match her Van Gogh- and oil painting-inspired dress. And manicurist Mei Kawajiri created a dripping nail look on Tessa Thompson. These might just be my favorite looks of the night.
Getty Images / @tombachik
getty Images
2. Cherry-Cola Nails
Moody shades were everywhere on the carpet, including deep cherry and plum-colored hues. I’m especially obsessed with Cara and Charli’s sultry polishes.
Getty images
Getty Images
3. Chromed-Out Nails
As expected, chrome made a Met Gala appearance—but not just on the nails. Jennie and Ashley Graham both leaned into the theme, finishing their fingers entirely in chrome, as if they’d just stepped out of an intense painting session in an art studio.
Getty Images
Getty Images
4. Fashion as French Tips
With the dress code “Fashion Is Art,” Keke Palmer and Sabrina Carpenter’s nail artist, Zola Ganzorigt, really took the theme all the way down to the fingertips, matching their French manicures to their art-inspired gowns.
Getty Images
Getty Images
5. Vanilla Chrome Nails
Gigi Hadid and Laura Harrier both opted for vanilla chrome manicures that look super elevated and chic. The creamy sheen gave a subtle metallic twist to the neutral nail moment.
Getty Images
Getty Images / @nailsbymei
6. Beaded Nails
Doechii and Doja Cat both went for beaded nails that looked like wearable art sculptures. The dimensional designs added a bold edge that perfectly complemented their maximalist carpet appearances.
Getty Images / Rachel Sun
Getty Images
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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.