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Oh, you thought Hailey Bieber was the only celebrity attempting their own nail art? Pshaw. Might I direct your attention to one Kat Dennings, who is not merely attempting her own manicure masterpieces but actually, thoroughly killing it.
You may recall when, last summer, Dennings decorated her nails in stick-on gems—a concept that has exploded into a full-blown trend in 2026. And if her nail-fad foresight is still keen, you can expect that her latest DIY manicure, a two-tone chrome creation, is going to see plenty of copycats. (Copy Kats? Ugh, I'm sorry.)
On Sunday, the Shifting Gears star posted a photo of her at-home nail station, featuring a pink silicone mat that houses a gel lamp, four polishes, an array of tools, and studs in both silver and gold. “Nail time is my favorite time,” she wrote. Later that day, Dennings posted the amazing results: a pierced-look mixed-metal manicure with French tips and a variety of accent designs.
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So, you know how nearly naked nails have been a thing for the last couple of years? Yeah, Dennings is not having it.
“I’ve been reading all of these articles about bare nails being the new status symbol, and it is so ludicrous that it made me want extra loud and fun nail art,” Dennings tells Allure. “I saw a picture of a rainbow pierced manicure—I actually made a TikTok about it—and was inspired to try. I also have been wanting silver chrome, so I just decided to combine the two.”
Dennings admits that she struggled with the chrome application and had to redo a couple of nails, but she triumphed in the end.
“I just freestyled different designs on each nail and tried to keep them cohesive but special,” she says. “They took me three hours, but it was worth it.” Agree.
Her Instagram reel has garnered thousands of likes, and even got the fire emojis of approval from nail artist Tom Bachik.
Photo: Kat Dennings
Dennings tells Allure that she's well aware that, while some folks say bare nails are associated with being too busy with hoity-toity stuff to get your nails done, others are saying the trend is due to nail art being expensive.
“I totally get that, and everyone should wear their nails however they want,” she says. “But I started doing my own nails because I couldn’t afford regular manicures, and I never looked back. Now I can afford it, but it’s just my creative outlet.”
It's also a full-fledged, completely inspiring talent.
