J.Lo’s Met Gala Manicure Was Inspired By a Ready-to-Transform Butterfly

The 2024 Met Gala‘s “The Garden in Time” dress code brought plenty of nature’s creations—both animal and mineral—to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in one format or another. On Monday, May 6, we saw rose petals disguised as lips, morning dew as skin, and fairy wing eyeliner—to name but a few examples. We also just happened to catch co-host Jennifer Lopez‘s manicure before it transformed into a butterfly and flew away for good.

Completely transparent except for a slight pearlescent sheen, the 54-year-old’s natural nails peeked through her most recent manicure, becoming the star of the show even in their plain old undone form. It’s a look you might remember from your elementary school monarch butterfly unit—something intriguing protecting something else, something growing, beneath it.

Ahead, we have all the information on the 54-year-old’s chrysalis-inspired nail art.

The Inspiration

Nail artist Tom Bachik was inspired by “the butterfly and idea of metamorphosis” when crafting Lopez’s manicure. “A butterfly goes to sleep and wakes up beautiful, and also still lives in a garden without being a flower,” he tells Byrdie. “Originally, we went down the path of more literal and ornate designs and elements but then went the complete opposite direction with a very minimalist idea of invisible nails. I loved the idea of transformation and a chrysalis so I created her nails incased within a sheer pearly iridescent shimmer.”

The look was created to compliment Lopez’s shimmering Schiaperelli Haute Couture gown, which featured approximately 2,500,000 silver foil bugles and beads in a butterfly wing-like design. And because the Met Gala sets us up for so many spring/summer trends, Bachik made sure to include easy-to-emulate elements in his work. The short length, soft almond shape, and sheer mirrored powder (which was used “to match the sheen of her skin and makeup”) are all currently trending.

How to Get the Look

“I start every mani by creating the perfect foundation for our look using my favorite go to tools by Tweezerman. The Pushy ($19), Nail Clipper ($12), and Cuticle Nipper ($27) are my three must-haves for a perfect mani,” Bachik tells Byrdie. “I used clear tips to encase the natural nails, and finished it off with a pearly iridescent mirror powder by CND. Lastly using Aquaphor on the hands to add a sheen like the nails and makeup.”

The artist offered even more insight in an Instagram post. First things first: healthy hands.

“My not-so-secret weapon to hydrated hands & cuticles is Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($7),” Bachik shared. “It’s a must for pre- and post- manicures to help soothe dry skin so they are red carpet ready.” He prepped her nails for tips and polish using his trusty Tweezerman x Tom Bachik Ultimate Nail Care Set ($59), which contains all of the favorites mentioned above.

The artist partnered with nail brand CND for the evening, beginning by refining their Pre-Shaped Tips ($20) into a medium-length almond shape. As for color, he used the brand’s Shellac gel polish in the Original Top Coat ($16) to soften the nude Flowerbed Folly ($16) into a semi-sheer tonal shade that would “play off her skin tone” for the singer’s natural nail. He topped the fake tips off with CND Over the Top Effects in Pearl Obsession ($15) for that “high-sheened gloss effect to match her makeup.”

“We completed the look by using Solar Oil ($14) on the cuticles, then massaged it all in with Aquaphor giving us high glossed skin,” he adds in the post.

And a last tip for those who are trying the look at home?

“A proper set of Tweezerman tools to prep your natural nails and help to reduce length and shape your tips is a must!” he tells Byrdie. Also: “Use a no-wipe top coat with your mirrored powders.”

Do you have butterflies? I do—but my stomach kind is nowhere near as pretty.