Megan Thee Stallion’s Barbie Aura Nails Are the Ultimate Vacation Mani

Once again, Megan Thee Stallion is having a hot girl summer. Her most recent photo dump proves that she’s out here living her best life, which includes flying private and posing for the camera on a cute tropical vacay. While enjoying her time off, she showed off vacation-ready outfits and bold beauty looks, which included—but weren’t limited to—her latest Barbie aura manicure.

Celebs have been on a photo dump kick lately, and on June 8, Megan Thee Stallion posted her own that features a mix of paparazzi pics, workout photos, polaroids of her out to dinner, and her on vacation. Photos of her lounging poolside stood out the most, and she wore a strapless printed bodycon dress that looked like a field of flowers. She paired the dress with two globby pink and blue rings, triangle-shaped orange hoops, and a vacay-appropriate slicked-back bun held in place by two plumeria claw clips (you can get the look with Emi Jay’s Super Bloom Clip, $15).

Her outfit makes Megan look like she was ripped straight from a ‘90s No Doubt music video, but her nails are all 2023. She wore long lipstick-shaped nails, which is Megan’s go-to shape. Although she’s a fan of intricate nail art, the rapper wore a dainty Barbie aura manicure featuring a pale pink strawberry milk base and a bubblegum pink aura center.

Although we’re still about a month away from Greta Gerwig’s buzzy Barbie film, the stars have been gearing up for the premiere by wearing all kinds of pink manicures—Lizzo recently wore a similar Barbie-pink French manicure, and Megan Fox went a darker route with pink chrome manicure. If you’re pining after a pink manicure yourself, Megan Thee Stallion’s Barbie aura nails are perfect since they feature multiple shades of pink and a trending aura design.

To recreate Megan’s Barbie aura nails, your best bet would be to visit a nail salon since an airbrush machine is usually used to create an aura design. Still, there is a way to recreate the look at home. First, you’ll need the right tools, which include a gel base coat, sheer pale pink gel polish, bright pink blush or eyeshadow, a pale pink eyeshadow, an eyeshadow brush, and a gel top coat.

Nail artist Phoebe Cascarina recently gave Byrdie a step-by-step for achieving aura nails at home. First, apply your pale pink gel polish, and then “Cure this gel layer, and don’t wipe away the tacky/sticky layer left on top,” she says. While your nails are still tacky, apply the bright pink blush or eyeshadow to the center of the nails, slowly building the opacity in layers (Cascarina says that she applies about three layers for a bright aura center). Finally, dust the edges of the bright pink center with your pale pink eyeshadow to create a seamless blend and finish off the entire nail job with a high-shine gel top coat.