Rihanna has the most powerful touch in Hollywood. Not only does everything she wears, likes, and acknowledges instantly trend, but it usually sells out, too. Her unchartered popularity might make it difficult to recreate her exact ensembles or score her favorite lipstick shades — all Fenty Beauty, naturally — but there is one avenue her fans can always take: getting Rihanna’s nails. Like any beauty industry creative, Rih cycles through polish colors, designs, and even 3D accents with remarkable speed. In her 20-year career, she’s had to attend more red carpets and major events than even fathomable, and that means she’s really had to think outside the box when it comes to shaking things up. But just as you’d expect, Rih always delivers.
Just like her eclectic wardrobe, Rihanna’s best-ever manicures are a wonderful mishmash of timeless elegance, quirky nail art, and one-of-a-kind masterpieces crafted just for her. She has her favorites of course — she seems to love a traditional blood-red as well as a snowy white — but it’s rare to find her in the same style for too long. She’s an artist, after all, and that means she’s always thinking up fresh ideas and itching to experiment.
Ahead, check out a curated list of some of Rihanna’s best manicures.
Classic Siren Red
Rih’s gone on-record that she loves a true blue-toned red lipstick, so it tracks that she gravitates toward the same shade for her manicures. She worn them over short, natural nails and extra-long extensions alike, but they’re always a fresh burst of color.
3D Floral Charms
Created for her special cover of Vogue China, Rih’s 3D flower nails gave a whole new meaning to the florals for spring concept. They were carefully scattered all over a long, square-shaped ruby manicure, the perfect background for the pastel blooms to really pop.
Rainbow Nails
When Rihanna stepped out for a luxe date night back in early April, she didn’t relegate herself to just one nail color — she combined them all into a rainbow-toned masterpiece. Though it’s tricky to get the look’s full scope with her hands in her pockets, note the way each finger is adorned with a different shade of bright polish.
Black Fire Nail Art
Rih’s Fenty Beauty tutorials have become one of the best glimpses into her personal style — she’s always doing them with a fun hairstyle or cool manicure. As she showed off her brand’s mascara, she was also showcasing her negative space nail design. Curved black flames create a funky take on French tips.
Pearly White Rectangles
Long before the chrome nail craze really took off, Rih was already in the thick of it. She’s worn pearly white nails on more than a few occasions, demonstrating how subtly shimmery and sophisticated the finish is. Here, she even matched them to a big pearl statement ring.
Electric Yellow
A bright, cheerful pop of color against her all-red look, Rih’s happy-go-lucky yellow nail polish enjoys the extra real estate of a long, rectangular manicure. She doesn’t wear the shade too often, but it’s always a hit when she does.
Studded Emerald Green
Look closely and you’ll notice that Rihanna’s emerald green polish isn’t even the coolest thing about this manicure. The tips are actually studded with metallic rings, making them look pierced. It’s a brilliant nod to her famous body mods, including tons of earrings and tattoos.
Gold-Tipped French
The pale white nail beds on the almond-shaped manicure really make Rih’s gold French tips pop. Notably, they’re not just done up in a metallic polish, either. Her nails seem to be coated in a foil or leafing, adding a realistic metal texture and even more shine.
Metallic Magenta
Oddly enough, this metallic magenta manicure might be one of Rihanna’s more unexpected looks yet. She doesn’t wear bright solids too often in general, and she usually seems to gravitate more toward pearl finishes versus a full-on chrome. Either way, there’s no denying how stunning the color-finish combination looks in this Fenty Beauty tutorial.
Bejewled Baby Pink
It’s all in the details — that’s how you become a mogul in the first place. Not only did Rihanna take care to match her 57th annual Grammy’s dress, but she adorned them in delicate jewels that reflect the ones on her fingertips.
