Whether she’s sharing her journey repairing a vintage car on TikTok or gracing screens as Euphoria’s Cassie Howard, Sydney Sweeney continues to attract attention with her eye-catching style and moments of beauty. Seriously, no one can effortlessly pull off overalls and smudges of dirt one day and a high-fashion outfit the next quite like the 24-year-old actress. Most recently, however, it was her nails (yes, nails) that caught the attention of millions of people — and for good reason.
On Tuesday, Sweeney took to Instagram Stories to share a brief video clip of her new floral manicure alongside the caption “my favorite.” With vibrant green grass in the background and rays of sunshine that can almost be felt, the actress gradually zooms in on her almond-shaped nails, showcasing a nostalgic, multicolored manicure that is sure to make you long for spring (and the ’90s). Sweeney also tagged her nail artist, Zola Ganzorigt, so it was a no-brainer to reach out to her directly for more details. And boy, did she deliver.
Unlike many celebrity nail looks, Sweeney’s playful daisy nail art doesn’t require professional expertise to recreate at home. Just take it from the artist herself: “Sydney’s multicolor floral manicure is the most adorable and simplest design you can create at home,” Ganzorigt tells Shape. And here’s how:
- Prior to painting, choose your desired nail shape and file accordingly. “Personally, I prefer an oval shape on natural nails because it is more practical for long natural nails and is less prone to breaking compared to other nail shapes,” she explains.
- After filing, clean each nail with an alcohol wipe — or, if you’re feeling fancy, you can try a product like Olive and June Nail Primer (Buy It, $10, oliveandjune.com) — to ensure you have a residue-free, dry surface to work on. And while time is always seemingly limited, you shouldn’t skip this step, as preparing your nail in this way is crucial for maintaining your spring-ready nail art without peeling or chipping.
- Apply a base coat — for example, Sundays Hydrating Base Coat (Buy It, $18, anthropologie.com) — or a nail strengthener.
- Apply two layers of a transparent pink or beige shade, such as OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath (Purchase It, $10, amazon.com), as recommended by Ganzorigt. Allow the layers to dry before proceeding to the nail art.
Once completely dry, it’s time to jazz up your manicure with floral designs. “Add the nail polish hues of your choice to a palette,” states Ganzorigt. For Sweeney’s nails, she utilized Dior Vernis shades in various colors, including orange (Purchase It, $28, walmart.com), vibrant pink, yellow, turquoise, and purple.
Utilize a nail dotting tool — for example, Goliton Nail Art Design Dotting Tools (Purchase It, $5 for five, amazon.com) — to create your blossoms. Start with the dot that will act as the center and then produce five surrounding dots around it. “Utilize the color of the center dot to form the surrounding dots for the next flower,” she suggests. “Repeat this step to create additional flowers.”
To achieve the final look, apply your preferred top coat and exercise patience as they dry. (
