No major surprises here, but Jennifer Lopez went all out for her birthday manicure. On Wednesday, July 24, she rang in 55 by enlisting celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein to bring to life a nail look inspired by the opulent elegance of the Regency era—and the popular Netflix series Bridgerton. The result, as seen on the nail artist’s Instagram grid, was pure perfection. She shared an up-close photo of J.Lo’s long, almond-shaped nails featuring a soft, pearlescent beige base, topped with delicate, intricate floral and dot designs that screamed opulence. See it for yourself below.
“Moonlight & Roses,” Gerstein captioned her Instagram post, describing Lopez’s manicure as “ethereal,” with “mother of pearl” detailing for a “dreamy, delicate shimmering finish.” In a media statement, the nail artist gave even more context behind the inspiration. “Jennifer’s 55th birthday party is an al-fresco Bridgerton-themed garden party!” she said. “We’re definitely taking inspiration from that for her glam, and especially her nails.”
For the manicure, Gerstein added length to Lopez’s nails with gel extensions by applying a bonding agent, building nail length with a builder gel, cleaning, and perfecting the shape. While these steps are essential for a professional manicure, you can recreate her look at home with basic nail prep, polish application, and moisturizing, skipping the gel extension steps unless you have the necessary tools and experience (kudos, if you do).
Once her extensions were ready, Gerstein reached for CND Shellac Moonlight & Roses, as teased in the caption of her Instagram post. She said that this shade was “perfect for this as it gives that beautiful neutral white shade with a pearlescent finish.” Gerstein applied two coats, curing each under an LED lamp. She then added gold nail accents to Lopez’s nails. (We’ve reached out to the nail artist to find out which exact ones she used, and included a similar option from Amazon below in the meantime.) After applying the designs, she sealed them with the CND SHELLAC No-Wipe+ Top Coat and cured them.
As a finishing touch, Gerstein applied CND SolarOil to moisturize Lopez’s nails and cuticles. If you’re new to the formula, you’re in for a treat. It absorbs quickly and features a blend of vitamin E, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and rice bran oil to strengthen and protect your nails and skin for a little post-mani TLC.
