When it comes to pioneering the latest and most coveted trends, supermodel and Rhode founder Hailey Bieber is pretty much unmatched. The star's dewy glazed donut skin was a certified hit for beauty enthusiasts this summer, along with her culty glazed donut nails, which made their debut at this year's Met Gala, and were perfected by nail artist Zola Ganzorigt.
"To achieve Hailey's exact glazed donut look and texture, you'll need the assistance of gel color, chrome powder, and an LED lamp," Essie's global lead educator and celebrity nail artist, Rita Remark, confirms to BAZAAR.com.
Hailey Bieber's Chocolate Glazed Donut Nails Breakdown
- Apply OPI's GelColor Stay Strong Base Coat; cure for 30 seconds under LED light.
- Mix OPI's GelColor Stay Shiny Top Coat with a few drops of Daisy Nail Designs gel colors in Coffee Bean and Spiced Brown and apply a single coat of polish; cure for 60 seconds.
- Follow with OPI's GelColor Stay Shiny Top Coat; cure again for 60 seconds, then wipe down the nails with an alcohol pad.
- Apply OPI Chrome Effects in Tin Man Can to each nail using a disposable eye shadow applicator; wipe off the excess with a fluffy brush.
- Finish with another Stay Shiny Top Coat layer; cure for 60 seconds.
In the video, Ganzorigt illustrates the process using a series of salon-quality gel polishes from OPI and Daisy Nail Designs (many of which are available only to nail professionals), but Remark says the glazed donut look can also be achieved using a few swipes of regular polish.
"While matte finishes won't work for this trend, you can still re-create glazed donut nails using traditional polish," she adds. "The idea is for the nails to have an almost metallic, surreal reflective quality. I recommend applying a coat of Essie's Expressie FX polish in Iced Out first on bare nails, which has a pearly, iridescent finish, [then add your polish tone of choice]. And lastly, always remember to finish with a gloss top coat."
Like many of this season's most popular beauty trends, the original glazed donut nails offer a take on Y2K-era stylings with a slightly more elevated twist. "Frost became an f-word in the 2000s, when everyone gravitated towards dewy or cream textures. Now, we demand more from our color; we want effects—chrome, foil, iridescence, and pearl are all making a big comeback," Remark says.
Although this beauty trend is originally worn with sheer white nails as a base, glazed donut nails look great when paired with any bold sheer or opaque color, which means this viral iridescent look isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Editor's note: This story has been updated since publication.
Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
