Kylie Jenner has taken the phrase “check out my drip” to a new stratosphere. Over the weekend, she showcased her latest take on the French manicure. This edition involves orange creamsicle-colored tips covered in 3D “water droplets.” It’s super cool, innovative, and a quirky take on how hot this summer has been for basically the entire world.
Jenner shared a close-up of the nail art on her Instagram Story and captioned her Instagram post with just two emojis, “🧡💦.” She didn’t tag the source of the nail art on Instagram, but it’s a safe bet to say it’s the work of Chaun Peth, who has done several of Jenner’s looks in the past and never shies away from a 3D, multi-dimensional, ultra-textured nail art moment.
Recreating a water droplet effect on the nail feels like it might be challenging, so we asked an expert what you need to replicate Jenner’s drip for yourselves. Lexi Suga, nail expert/artist and owner of Notox Nails in Beverly Hills, says, “Adding drops of hard gel or topcoat to the finished look can create this cool, wet look.” She recommends using a round dotting tool to create the droplets: “If you want them to be more defined, I recommend using hard gel because the consistency is thicker, which allows for a more textured 3D look.”
Work quickly and close to the nail, doing one or two nails at a time so that the droplets stay… dropped, and not dripping and don’t get distorted. If you’re looking to save some time, the CND spokesperson and celebrity manicurist, and nail artist recommends using clear flatback cabochons. Etsy is a great place to find these in the 1-4 mm size range. “Apply the cabochons with nail adhesive, then apply a bit of extra topcoat around the base of the nail to give it a seamless, water drop look,” she shared.
After you achieve the desired effect, cure under a gel lamp for 60 seconds and finish by wiping your nails with alcohol.
Jenner’s history with the 3D nail is a long and committed one—she loves them as much as Stormi loves American Girl dolls (and Stormi loves American Girl dolls.) Luckily for us (and the rest of the internet), stan accounts have chronicled Jenner’s fingernails for years— a bizarre sentence to write— and we gathered some clear evidence of Jenner’s love for the nail style.
Most recently, she did another variation of “drips,” this time as a motif to the Kylie Cosmetics logo:
This gorgeous heart shape is so satisfying when she brings the middle and ring fingers together:
These orange nails? Yeah—she’s done them before. Kylie Jenner, you are a nail art repeater.
Covering your nails in crystals so they’re like polka dots? A gift.
