Dua Lipa’s Midnight Manicure Is the Best Winter Inspo

It goes without saying, Dua Lipa is a star. I know that word can encompass a lot of traits, so here are some of *her* specific attributes it covers: singer, dancer, style icon, color influencer.

Though the 29-year-old began offering beauty inspiration to the masses as soon as she burst onto the music scene, her recent turn as a redhead really sealed the deal when it came to her importance (and offered the name for one of 2024’s biggest hair color trends: Pop Star Red).

She’s now back to black in the hair department, but the red lives on through a previously shot campaign for YSL Beauty… which also offers some new glam inspiration. Posted to Lipa’s Instagram on January 13, the Make Me Blush powder blush advertisement shows a glowing, flushed pop star with red hair and a great midnight blue-black manicure.

Though we don’t know who exactly was in charge of nail art for the campaign, we can take some good informed guesses re: their process. To begin, the artist’s nails were filed into an oval shape. Then, a few coats of dark, dark polish were applied—enough to make the shade completely opaque—before a glossy top coat finished things off.

As far as the actual products are concerned, you can have your choice of bluish-black shades to get the look. But because she’s a Yves Saint Laurent beauty girl, I’d wager that the shade is the brand’s own nail lacquer in Noir Primitif. Perhaps with a bit of Bleu Cobalt mixed in?

Though I have to imagine this campaign was shot a while ago (there’s no way she went back to red hair that fast when the black licorice shade is so good), the mani inspiration stuck around. For New Year’s Eve, Lipa wore a black glazed manicure that played off her dark locks.

Let this be a lesson. Even if you’re not a star (yet!!!), you can paint your nails like one. Regardless of hair color.