Megan Thee Stallion Does Mermaidcore With Extra-Long Sea Glass Nails

And new red hair.

Megan Thee Stallion is trying her hand at mermaidcore—just not how you would expect. While most who dip their toes in the waters of the aquatic aesthetic stick to the usual suspects (wet-looking highlighter, siren-inspired net dresses, and sculptural seashell nails), Meg took a more out-of-the-box approach, drawing inspiration from weathered sea glass for a dreamy muted green manicure.

Meg isn’t the first person to walk past the specs of blue, green, and amber glass on the beach and think it would make a good look; Lizzo just recently wore a gem-encrusted version, and sea glass nails have been going viral on #NailTok. However, she is possibly the first person to show off how how good the manicure looks in the kitchen.

On July 23, Meg showed off her sea glass manicure while cheffing up cheese and Hot Cheetos crusted fried pickles, where, to her luck, her ultra-long lipstick-shaped nails were the perfect replacement for tongs and spatulas as she drenched her pickles in egg wash, flour, spices, and crushed Cheetos using her nails to pick up the ingredients without dirtying her fingers.

The manicure itself was, as mentioned, long and lipstick shaped. The bed of her nails was clear and slowly transitioned into teal the closer they got to the tip—forming an abstract ultra-long French nail-like silhouette. The finish on the nails was semi-sheer and matte, creating a weathered down-muted look almost identical to the small bits of sea glass that wash up on the shore. Her rendition also gave an icy appearance, like a chilled beverage glass with frost covering the perimeter. 

Luckily for her viewers, who were just as much salivating over the snacks as her nails, they are easy to replicate and perfect for summer. Nail artist Erica Hipp previously told us that this nail trend is a continuation of the jelly nail trend, just with a matte top coat, “I love the sea glass nail trend because jelly colors are a favorite for the summer and with a matte topcoat it feels even more sophisticated.”

Continuing, “Jelly colors are what makes sea glass nails unique from other pastel manicures. The finish is sheer, so you can still see through it after two coats." She recommends the Cirque Colors Jelly polishes ($13) in Aqua Jelly, a shiny oceanic turquoise; Lime Jelly, a buildable fruity green; and Jade Jelly, a sheer pale green, to recreate the nails at home.

However, when painting your digits, don’t go overboard with the coats. “Two coats are better than three for a sea glass look, then you’re still able to see some of the nail lines, and it looks like translucent sea glass,” Hipp explained.  Once you have your two coats applied, go in with that matte top coat—Hipp likes Orly's best.

“Orly makes the absolute best matte topcoat. It gets much more matte than others, and it’s easier to paint because of the paddle brush. For longer wear, always put down a layer of quick dry topcoat under the matte topcoat.”

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