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When Selena Gomez hit the red carpet at the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, she was wearing a sumptuous, big-ticket dress by Georgio Armani, a pair of ritzy, metallic heels by Christian Louboutin, a pricy selection of Bulgari jewelry — and $7 nail polish.
“We went with ‘Licorice’ by essie so the nails didn’t get lost in the look, but were integral and added a subtle edge to it all,” celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik wrote in his TikTok description of Gomez’s manicure. Watch here:
@tombachik About last night 🤩 Create @Selena Gomez’s Patent Leather Mani with me for the @Golden Globe Awards 💅 Using my @Tweezerman x Tom Bachik Nail Care Travel Set for a Meticulous Mani ✂️ We went with ‘Licorice’ by @essie so the nails didn’t get lost in the look, but were integral and added a subtle edge to it all 🖤#nailsbytombachik ♬ I Can’t Get Enough – benny blanco & Tainy & Selena Gomez & J Balvin
As he demonstrated in the video, Bachik prepared her nails using the travel version of the Tweezer X Tom Bachik nail care set. Bachik curated this limited edition set of tools himself, and its design nods to his former days as a California skater boy mixed with the brand’s iconic lightning bolt logo.
“Because we were going with a darker color, we decided to go with a shorter nail in a natural shape keeping our look strong and chic,” Bachik said in a press release.
$60 from Neiman Marcus $59 from Tweezerman
Bachik then painted her nails with Essie polish in the color Licorice. He intentionally played off the black accents from her fire engine red dress, and he was particularly inspired by the high gloss shine of the gown’s flowers.
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“Selena told me ‘I don’t want the nails to get lost in everything,’ so we wanted nails to be an integral part of making this look edgy,” Bachik told Vogue. “I love a black nail as it can symbolize strength and confidence while looking chic and sexy.”
$6.82 (was $10) from Amazon $9.99 from Target
And Gomez wasn’t the only star with an economical manicure. Quinta Brunson of “Abbott Elementary” complemented her sparkling, custom Balmain gown with affordable press on nails from KISS.
Celebrity manicurist Temeka Jackson set out to match the shimmering, champagne dress with pinkish-nude press-ons with gems and gold detailing.
“I Instantly knew the warm champagne-gold tone would pair lovely with a simply bold and classy sparkly V-French slay,” Jackson told Byrdie.
Specifically, Jackson used the KISS Salon X-Tend LED Soft Gel System in Lux, which are oval-shaped, pre-sculpted natural tips that last for up to 14 days. The kit includes 30 nails, LED soft gel, a 5 ml adhesive, a LED lamp, a USB cable, a prep pad, a manicure stick and a mini nail file.
$25.99 from Ulta Beauty $18.57 from Walmart
Once the press ons were in place, Jackson went to work giving them some shimmer and sparkle.
“To create the V-French nail art, I recommend using a striper brush with gel paint or regular nail polish,” Jackson told Byrdie. “I also encourage getting a nail stand and putty to pre-paint the nails before applying designs. KISS has made it super easy to paint on the tip of the extensions.”
While you might not be able to get a Balmain gown or a set of Bulgari jewels, you can recreate these Golden Globes manicures without breaking the bank.