Megan Fox’s Gem Nails Are So ’90s Coded

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The ’90s “gem nail” trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Just ask Megan Fox, who gave the look its most dazzling update yet. On Aug. 15, her longtime nail artist Brittney Boyce posted a photo of Fox’s new set: mirrored silver chrome tips covered in colorful rhinestones. The result is bold, playful, and just a little extra — exactly what makes gem nails the hottest manicure trend of the summer.

“I’m so obsessed with this vibe. Three-D is having a huge moment, but it’s not going away anytime soon,” Boyce says. “We took a sleek silver chrome base and made it feel fresh with multicolor rhinestones in different shapes and sizes. It’s cool, fun, and just the right amount of extra. The whole look took about three hours to complete, but every detail makes it worth it.”

The design builds on what we’ve already been seeing, adding chrome to punch it up. The trend takes those colorful sticker earrings you once wore in the ’90s and reimagines them as grown-up manicure art. Fox’s set, in particular, pushes the look into full costume-jewelry territory. With pastel pink, aqua, and yellow gems scattered across each nail, her version feels less like a hint of sparkle and more like wearing an actual bejeweled accessory.

Boyce shared the exact products behind the look: Apres Gel-X Sculpted Coffin Medium Tips ($17) with Daily Charme’s Mirror Nail Chrome Magic Powder ($25) for the base. She locked in the rhinestones with Orly’s Builder in a Bottle ($25) and a topcoat, like Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat ($7), so they stay put.

“You can definitely experiment with 3D looks at home, but using a gel system is key,” Boyce says. “If you try it with regular polish, they’ll pop right off.”

Fox’s nails prove that the gem trend has room to grow, from minimal sticker-like accents to full-blown, three-dimensional art. If this manicure is any indication, the era of over-the-top sparkle is just getting started.

Olivia Tauber is a freelance writer based in New York, pursuing her Master’s in Journalism at NYU. She’s the contributing assistant beauty editor at PopSugar and contributor to New York Magazine’s The Cut, Interview, Bustle, SELF, and HuffPost. Her career began in corporate publicity at Showtime, followed by production for “The Pivot,” an Emmy-nominated series.