There are angels among us. ABBA said it—”I believe in angels, something good in everything I see”—so it has to be true.

If you’re having trouble seeing them, though, there are a couple of ways to tell when you’ve met an angel in real life. Some of them will give you advice out of the blue or say something to you that you know you needed to hear. Some of them will give you a present (a free pastry with your morning matcha, maybe?) or do something that reminds you of someone you love. And some of them will just look angelic.

Selena Gomez is an angel. Actually, she’s the perfect example here. And though you couldn’t physically see her halo on her wedding day, a simple glance at her nails was all it took to tell she’s an ethereal being.

The Angel Mani Trend

Nude manicures with a little extra something special have been *the* most popular form of nail art for the past few years. We’ve seen soap nails, glazed nails, naked French tips, and nude jellies. But angel nails are the most heaven-sent version of the trend yet.

The look comes from Gomez’s go-to nail artist, Tom Bachik, who called her wedding nails an “angel mani” when breaking down the products he used to get the look in a recent Instagram post. In another photo, he called it an “angel worthy wedding mani,” and the whole world agreed.

At its most basic, an Angel Mani is a soft nude manicure with just a touch of chrome powder and glossy top coat. There’s not enough chrome happening to call these nails glazed, and there’s not enough pink to the hue to go lip gloss. Instead, you’ll find a simple but unmistakable glow going on.

To add to their mystique, this is also a look you’d see on a Victoria’s Secret angel making her way down the runway.

“We wanted to keep all the girls chic, beautiful, and glossy,” lead nail artist Dawn Sterling told Harper’s Bazaar about her vision for the 2024 show. “Our team is doing a natural sheer manicure, not too pink, not too white, that illuminates with the lighting and their wings. There’s so much going on with the colors and diamonds, so we just wanted to do a minimal-yet-fabulous nail moment.”

It just happens to be easier to carry around than a giant pair of wings.

Get the Look

Bachik started the manicure with his signature set of Tweezerman nail tools. To get that divine soft-almond shape, he custom fit some of Aprés Nail’s Gel-X Medium Length Coffin Tips. Then, he painted the nails with Aprés Nail’s buildable sheer gel polish in When It Hits and finished things off with his own Shop Tom Bachik Cosmic Chrome powder in Angel, an “icy clear that gleams like frosted glass,” and Click Colors nail polish in Super Clear.

The truth of the matter is that angels come in all shapes and sizes, so you can be a little choosy when it comes to your Angel Mani shape. If you like short nails, go for it. Stilettos will do the trick, too. This is a look that any salon would happily replicate, or you could pick up some similar press-ons like Glamnetic’s Los Angeles pack (it’s the city of angels, baby!) and tackle it at home.

When your fingernails hit the light just right, I swear they’ll each have a tiny halo of their own. Oh yeah! You might be an angel, too.

It might feel a little rebellious to daydream about cooler weather while summer’s still in full swing, but it’s only natural. Fall just has that irresistible pull—apple orchard afternoons, a glass (or two) of mulled wine, All Too Well (10 Minute Version) on repeat—and, of course, the perfect fall manicure to match.

There’s no single “best” fall manicure—the right one is always the look that makes you happiest. Still, trends are very real. Every year, we see autumn staples like earthy neutrals and seasonal motifs (whether that shows up as tiny hand-painted leaves, easy nail stickers, or other nods to the season) make their comeback, but the most exciting styles are the ones that feel fresh and a little unexpected. According to the pros we spoke with, the biggest fall nail trends of 2025 run the gamut from updated neutrals and moody shades to playful patterns and high-shine finishes.

And in case you’re wondering: these nine predictions come from the best of the best. We spoke with celebrity nail artists Britney Tokyo, Mei Kawajiri, and Queenie Nguyen, as well as Evelyn Lim, chief nail educator at MiniLuxe’s Paintbox studio. Ahead, their take on the nine nail trends you’ll be seeing everywhere this fall.

Futuristic chrome was everywhere in the late ’90s and early ’00s, from Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson’s “What’s It Gonna Be” music video to Britney Spears’s Teen People photo shoot. Maybe it was the excitement of a new millennium approaching. Perhaps it was all the nifty tech that was coming out. (Did we mention that Britney was posing with a robotic dog?) And our nails weren’t spared from the shiny, silvery trend.

My obsession with chrome nails started when I saw the poker scene in The Parent Trap. It was Annie (Lindsay Lohan) vs. Hallie (also Lohan), and the latter had blue lacquer with a chrome finish painted on her nails. To quote another Lohan masterpiece (Mean Girls), I was a woman possessed. I spent about 80% of my time trying to hunt down that exact Hard Candy polish in my small hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, and the other 20% of the time I was praying for someone to bottle the exact effect held by the foil on the back of the Dentyne Ice gum packet.

Brands like Sally Hansen launched Chrome Nail Makeup lacquers—which had that true molten metal finish—reserved for salon techniques and red-carpet events. “Chrome nails have a very editorial feel, like liquid metal on your fingertips,” says Jin Soon Choi, manicurist and founder of JinSoon. “This look is all about that ultra-reflective, mirror-like finish that feels futuristic but still chic, and it works beautifully for anyone.”

By 2011, Minx Nail Wraps, worn by Beyoncé in her 2013 “Drunk In Love” video, scratched that chrome itch I couldn’t shake. But left to my own devices—a hair dryer, nail file, and an orange wood stick—the result was rarely as polished as when I’d have a set applied by a pro. Over a decade later, chrome nails are so back, and my nostalgic heart is singing to the tune of the Y2K playlist I keep on repeat.

While Hailey Bieber may have provided the gateway into molten metal territory by popularizing glazed donut nails in 2022, celebrities like Addison Rae and Lisa have been working chrome accents, and DIY methods continue to flood #NailTok. “Back then, you had the classic silver chrome or gold, but now there are a variety of chrome powder shades to choose from,” says Los Angeles-based nail artist Sarah Chue. “And it was only applied to the entire surface of the nail. Now, chrome powder is used at the tips of your nails for a shiny French, on top of 3D art, and as an ombré.”

Today’s chrome nails are also much easier to maintain than those in 2000. “When chrome first came out, it was a challenge for some nail techs to prevent it from chipping,” says Galinda Jimenez, manicurist and OPI global education manager. “Because of this, a lot of techs shied away from using it. It was frustrating to have unsatisfied clients come back with chipped chrome.” But thanks to improvements in polish and topcoat formulas, it’s easier than ever to jump onto the trend. We’ve come a long way, baby.

What colors should you choose for your chrome manicure?

Chrome is the nail equivalent of a plain white tee: It’s flattering when paired with most colors. “Even something like butter yellow or bright orange can look unexpected and fun,” says Sojin Oh, a 3D nail artist based in Los Angeles. “Chrome just has a way of transforming color into something dimensional and striking.”