(Celebrity)

Cardi B Is Throwing Out The Winter Manicure Playbook For Something Much Cheerier

She’s doing her own thing.

@iamcardib
Cardi B long hair center part with jeweled outfit and pink nails

Part of what makes Cardi B such an incredible (and now iconic) artist, performer, and fashion star is that she always does her own thing, regardless of trends or time of year. If there was ever a celebrity to completely shut that whole no-white-after-Labor-Day thing down, it’s one Cardi B. Just look at her latest, gem-studded manicure for instance. While the constellation of shimmery rhinestones arranged around the nails is holiday-party perfect, the bright, cheerful color is decidedly summery — and that’s actually what makes the look so especially cool. Cardi B’s yellow crystal nails are probably the last thing you’d think of when brainstorming winter manicure ideas, but the sunshine-y shade and radiant accent stones make it a glamorous choice for any season.

In true Cardi fashion, the superstar didn’t dedicate a permanent post to her new manicure, allowing it instead to be glimpsed in quick flashes on her ever-updating Instagram Story. In between shots of her cooking dinner, caring for her sweet children, or hard at work, fans caught flashes of the opulent nails. Finally, though, in a classic mirror selfie on Thanksgiving (where she also mentioned narrowly avoiding a see-through wardrobe malfunction), the world got a full, complete look.

@iamcardib

The rhinestones aren’t on every finger, instead applied to random nails in bursts. The ultra-long, squared-off shape is something of Cardi’s signature, her go-to manicure look — except on the rare occasions she chooses to dabble in pointy (and very trendy) stiletto nails. It’s the bright, warm nail color, though, that’s really the standout here. While winter manicure colors are often thought of as deep, moody shades like navy, black, oxblood, and emerald, Cardi’s yellow nails completely flip the script and prove any color can be worn any time — and beautifully, at that.

However, as it happens, Cardi B isn’t the only stylish celebrity experimenting with anachronistic nail colors. Just a few weeks ago, Selena Gomez — Cardi’s one-time collaborator, funnily enough — also did yellow nails for fall/winter, and in a similar shade as Cardi’s happy-go-lucky sunshine-yellow.

Has the world officially moved on from the traditional dark nails of winter? While it probably won’t end up as a mass movement, yellow is an exciting shakeup from tradition and one that will surely continue — how could it not with such chic celebrities leading the charge?