One of the world’s foremost innovators in the undersung art of nail shapes, Cardi B, just debuted a manicure that defies geometric convention on the Grammys red carpet. Her nail set is two inches long, filed to stiletto points that would make my cat jealous, and includes semi-circle-shaped cut-outs on either side of each extension. The teeny cut-outs look like the work of a very polite, hungry goldfish, or maybe a peckish guinea pig.
However they got there, they’re the product of Cardi’s perpetual one-upswomanship when it comes to her manicures. The rapper—who scored a nomination for Best Rap Performance for her song “Enough (Miami)”—is never not trying a new gem, a new trend, or a new shape. For the Grammys, she kept the shades simple (for Cardi, that is) with an icy blue base topped off by a slanted black French tip, which matched the accents in her sequined tiger-stripe gown.
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The nails were giving 2025 (or 2035), but Cardi channeled old Hollywood for her coiffed bob, and stuck to shades of brown and blush for her makeup look. She’s also a presenter this year, which means we just might get to see her slice open a winner’s envelope with these gorgeous claws. And thanks to her continued insistence on having the most original manicure in the room, she can open an envelope with the sharp tips of her nails or their sharp sides.
