Scattered Gem Nails Are the Easiest Way to Upgrade Your Winter Mani

One of my favorite (and there are many) Audrey Hobert lyrics is when someone tells her “Girl, that’s not a shooting star.” Her reply? “I’m sorry, my bad, I thought that it was.”

This happens all the time, when something you think is cool and shiny and worth using a wish on isn’t that special after all.

The trend I’m about to tell you about isn’t one of those things. As it so happens, the “Scattered Gem” manicure is actually a full-on shooting star of a look, just as bright and with about as much movement as something sparkly barreling through the sky. Ahead, discover everything there is to know about the celeb-favorite style and learn how to get it yourself, no wishing required.

The Scattered Gem Manicure

Scattered Gem nails are exactly what they sound like—nails covered in a smattering of gems.

A sister of last year’s beloved polka dot manicure, these have the same sense of whimsy to them…albeit even more so? There’s no pattern to this dot placement, and these dots sparkle.

Just be warned: They’re less fanciful than their other sis: the Pretty Pretty Princess mani. While you can choose any color for your base coat, most of the girlies are going for a simple nude or soft pink. The namesake gems are fairly small, too.

Why It’s Trending

Okay… who wouldn’t want scattered crystals all over their nails? That’s one reason we’re into this right now. Another is that the celebs have been doing it.

At the 2026 Grammy Awards, both Laufey and Olivia Dean appeared with scattered gem manicures. Laufey’s featured a coat of Essie polish in Fairy Tailor topped with tiny flatback rhinestones. Dean went for a custom soft pink polish (nail artist Eri Ishizu used OPI Gel in Mod About You and Put it in Neutral), once again finished with subtle rhinestone accents.

And then, there’s Margot Robbie. For the world premiere of Wuthering Heights in Los Angeles, nail artist Betina Goldstein painted on a base of Chanel’s Le Vernis in Ballerina and topped it with over one karat of delicately scattered “real natural diamonds and rubies.”

Get the Look

Despite its dramatic nature, this is a pretty easy manicure to copy. You’ll need a nude base coat (or any other sort, see the dramatic inspiration below), some nail glue, gems, a tweezer, and a topcoat.

Here’s exactly how celebrity nail artist Yoko Sakakura got Laufey’s scattered gem nails ready for the Grammys:

“First, sanitize hands and nails then file to shape them and buff the edges. Second, push back cuticles and remove loose skin. Next, clean nail beds and the edges thoroughly with alcohol and wipe. Apply the first coat of long wear Gel by Essie in Fairy Tailor,” explained the artist. “After drying them for three minutes, apply another coat and dry. Using small amount of glue, apply ss3 crystals on each nail and dry for a few minutes. To finish up, apply a coat of the shiny platinum-grade longwear Gel by Essie Shiny Top Coat to complete the look.”

If you’re not in the mood to painstakingly place gems, you can also get the look with simple press ons. Glamnetic has a set they call North Star, and Nail Reformation’s Bejeweled is lovely as well.