Here's Exactly How to Get J.Lo's 'Layered Nude' Manicure

Manicurist Tom Bachik offered a step-by-step breakdown of her balletcore nails.

Jennifer Lopez performs onstage at Saturday Night Live
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There have been a lot of great beauty moments to fuss over Grammy Awards weekend. But Sunday's red carpet shouldn't overshadow the fact that Jennifer Lopez performed on Saturday Night Live for the first time since 2010 the evening before. For the special occasion, celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik, is inviting us to a step-by-step recap of Lopez's glam for Mani Monday.

In an Instagram post on Monday, February 5, Bachik shared extensive photos and details of the singer's manicure, calling the look a "prima ballerina" custom layered nude. His caption was an abbreviated version of a post from the day before, where he'd offered a full breakdown of his artistic process.

"I love custom layering nude shades to achieve the perfect color. Tonight I used two of my favorite classic shades from Essie: Mademoiselle and Skinny Dip, to achieve a modern peachy pink for tonight’s SNL look on Jennifer Lopez," Bachik wrote on Sunday.

He didn't stop there, going on to share the exact number of coats of the sheer pink and light peach shades needed to make the mani happen.

"After applying Strong Start Base Coat, I applied a single coat of ‘Mademoiselle’ as my base color for a sheer milky pink. However, I wanted the shade to be a bit more peachy to perfectly match her gown. So I applied a single coat of ‘Skinny Dip’ to achieve the perfect color," Bachik shared.

The next step was a coat of Gel Setter Top Coat "for a luscious high gloss shine," finished with On.A.Roll Apricot Cuticle Oil "to rehydrate and moisturize cuticles and skin [and] to help bring back that youthful glow."

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez's manicure made its way to the SNL afterparty on February 04, 2024.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lopez's nails were kept long and shaped into the perfect squoval shape with Bachik's favorite Tweezerman tools—a look that carried her from the 30 Rock stage (you need a good manicure to hold a mic) to the show's afterparty. There, she wore a giant white fur coat that made the peachy pink shades pop even more.

Given Bachik's expertise, Lopez's great manicure is probably still holding strong today. These are her nails (and yours, after you pick up the products below)...now.

Sophia Vilensky
Freelance Writer

Sophia Vilensky is a Freelance Beauty Writer at Marie Claire with a beauty, wellness, and entertainment journalism portfolio that includes contributions to Byrdie, Bravo, Teen Vogue, and Us Weekly. Growing up in a family of beauticians—and through her own personal studies—she developed an in-depth understanding of aesthetics, cosmetic product formulation, and beauty treatment development and has also held roles as a senior copywriter, content strategist, and proofreader for top beauty and wellness brands. Even so, you'd be hard pressed to find her with her hair and makeup actually done. Sophia is based in Minneapolis and is a 2019 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she majored in English and minored in cinema studies. During her time at the university, she was the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Minnesota Daily, earning the 2019 Editor of the Year award for her work. She connected deeply with the Twin Cities arts scene, collaborating with leading beauty professionals, designers, and artists. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, her thesis—a close-reading of Vanderpump Rules—was featured on NPR. When not immersed in writing or testing new products, Sophia enjoys watching reality TV, reading, and exploring the newest woo-woo wellness trends. Keep up with her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.