Cynthia Erivo is never one to play it safe, especially when it comes to her personal style. The award-winning actress—who stars as Elphaba in this fall’s cinematic adaptation of Wicked, the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and her friendship with Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande)—is known for her bold choices. And while she donned a chic black-and-white ensemble at the Louis Vuitton spring 2025 show in Paris last month, her signature clawlike nails were a riotous exploration of design and color. The British actress and singer sports lavish polish jobs that often reference fine artworks, and has said that nails play an integral role in her approach to self-expression. With Wicked, intricate nail designs have taken on a new kind of importance, as they aided in developing her approach to playing Elphaba. It’s fitting, then, that the lacquer brand OPI has tapped Erivo to be its new global brand ambassador, and is releasing a collaboration dropping alongside the highly anticipated blockbuster film, in theaters November 22.
Ahead of the release of the first installment of Wicked coming later this month, W sat down with Erivo and chatted with her about her opulent manis, her impressive skincare regimen, and the tips she has for Marc Jacobs and his extended talon obsession.
You’re well-known for your nails. Were you always a nail girly?
Yes. My godmother took me to a really great nail shop when I was 16, and I’ve been addicted to doing my nails ever since. I was inspired by Barbra Streisand’s hands in Yentl. Even in Yentl, a film in which she portrays a woman who disguises herself as a man, she sported a mani.
What nail shapes are you into at the moment: a stiletto, a coffin, an almond, or another type?
I actually do not discriminate. There are times when I’m a stiletto—but with the stiletto, I tend to soften off the end because I don’t want to hurt people. Almond can sometimes be a little bit too round for me, but depending if we can make it a little sharper, then I’ll do it. Right now, I have a coffin style.
The nails that you are rocking right now are also like jewelry.
Yes, they have some malachite stones on them and some jade.
How long does it take to do that?
This design Itook about three hours, but it depends on what we’re doing. If we’re doing a full set, it could take anywhere from three to five hours. When I had the Sistine Chapel hand-painted on my nails, it took about eight hours. We did that over two days.
Who’s your go-to manicurist?
I have three. In L.A., I go to Rose Hackle. Gina Oh is my go-to in New York, and then there’s Shay at Shay Beauty, who does my nails in London. They’re all amazing and I’ve been going to them for a long time. They know me very, very well.
What’s the nail style you favor for everyday wear?
Very extravagant. It’s always like, “how far can we push it?” We’ll do gems, or sculpting, or hand-painting. For my first Oscars, I had Van Gogh’s The Starry Night on my nails. I’ve had the Venus de Milo. I don’t believe there should be an everyday nail. Just like some people won’t leave the house without their makeup on, I won’t leave the house without my nails done. My nails are my makeup.
At the Oscars this year, you wore an emerald-green Louis Vuitton outfit with green and pink nails. That seemed like a reference to Elphaba, your character in Wicked. How would you describe each character’s nail style?
Glinda is played by [Ariana Grande]; she created that style, and I know what Ari likes. She’s been getting a little bit more extravagant with it. She’s been branching out, pushing the boundaries for herself, which I’m very proud of her for. But for Glinda, it was usually a really simple, sweet pink-and-white French nail. And then when we go further in the film, there’s a little makeover moment and she has a green gem on each of the nails, which I thought was really sweet. Her nail has expanded into something a little longer and more expressive.
As for me, what I wanted to do with Elphaba’s nails is have them complement her complexion—as an extension of her magic. So the first set of nails that you see, they look like jade: they’re a green that matches her skin tone and it just blends into her fingers.
But at the salon makeover, they evolve into something mystical and magical: they’re black with metallic green flecks. And then when we go into the second film [out in 2025], I really wanted that to feel like, this is the coming of the Wicked Witch, so the nails get much longer; they are this ombré green flowing into white and then into black. I wanted to call on the original Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton, who had long talons, but make it more modern by bringing in new elements.
And for this last Oscars, I wanted to match the dress, but I still wanted to call on the character. I’m enjoying using green and green happens to be my favorite color, so it totally works out.
Cynthia Erivo’s embellished talons at the 2024 Oscars not only complements her Louis Vuitton emerald green gown but it also references her role in Wicked as Elphaba.
John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images
Since you’re into long, extravagant nails, do you have any tips for Marc Jacobs, who’s also obsessed with the look?
I see that he uses a lot of gems, but there is no paintwork. I would love to see him get someone who can do really intricate designs on the nails before laying down different gems. I also think he should try chrome—it changes the color on the base to something else completely, which is really fun.
Let’s talk beauty and skincare. You have gorgeous skin. What’s your everyday routine?
My skincare routine is extravagant, much like my nails. I recently discovered Biologique Recherche—I’ve been using the brand for the last seven months. L’Eauxygénante is a miracle spray. It’s wonderful, it sort of resets the skin immediately. Biologique Recherche’s makeup remover is also brilliant because it actually takes everything off. Their P50 Lotion is a great exfoliator, but it’s a little on the harsh side so I don’t use it all the time.
I also use Paula’s Choice BHA. I recently went to a dermatologist and told her that I use the BHA and that I use an AHA, and she was very impressed.
Augustinus Bader is my tried and true—I love The Serum. I have dry skin, so the Rich Cream is my go-to. I use the brand’s foam cleanser and gentle gel cleanser at different times of day. In the morning, I’ll use the gel cleanser because it’s a little softer, and I’ll use the foam at night to get rid of all the grime that has accumulated throughout the day.
Micellar water feels really nourishing. So after I finish washing my skin, I’ll do a double cleanse with Bioderma micellar water. Depending on the time of year, I might include an extra serum in my evening routine. I like the one from Omorovicza.
A-beauty is finally having a moment. As a British-Nigerian, what’s an African beauty practice or ingredient that you’ve incorporated into your routine?
Real shea butter—the kind that is rock solid and hard before you put it on. You have to warm it up in your hands so that it becomes soft. I ask my mum to get it for me every time she goes back to Nigeria. That stuff is a miracle worker. It keeps my skin really smooth and supple. I’ve always been very mindful of making sure to moisturize my skin. I treat it like it’s a meditative and nourishing practice in the morning. It’s a step that I will never skip.
What’s the most outrageous beauty look that you’ve ever rocked?
Well, I feel like I’m rocking it all the time—I have no eyebrows. I shave them off on purpose. Whenever I’m talking to my makeup artist, I tell her that I just want to look like a pretty thumb.
I play with color all the time, especially on my eyes. We’re going to be experimenting lots in the next couple of months just to see what we can do with different shades of eye shadow.
Is there a beauty trend you’ve tried and regretted?
Oh, I don’t do trends! I tend to try to look for the things that work very well for me. When everyone is doing one thing, I’m probably gonna be doing the very opposite.
Whose beauty aesthetic do you admire?
Grace Jones, because there isn’t really anyone who does what she does, or did. She’s one of the best people to wear a hat—ever. She knows her millinery. She knows her fashion. Her beauty aesthetic is very graphic, very forward. I hate to use the word brave, because I don’t think she even thinks it’s brave. She’s just being authentically herself.
What’s one piece of beauty advice that has resonated with you?
Don’t change your smile. I have a tooth gap. Someone asked me if I would ever choose to close my gap and I said, no, because I liked how it makes me feel. I’ve always been told that having a gap is good luck and that it brings fortune.
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