5 Times Male Celebrities Absolutely Rocked Painted Nails
Nail art is a posh and playful way to make a fashion statement, no matter who you are. At butter LONDON, we are absolutely *living* for the rising trend of male celebs putting the “man” in “manicure.” Painted nails for men, whether chipped or polished, have always had a cult following among the indie crowds (David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain) but we’re quite chuffed to see the male beauty trend hit mainstream. Think: Harry Styles, Brooklyn Beckham—even Post Malone. Nail art for men has arrived in full force and we’ve rounded up some of our favourite MANicures as well as the butter LONDON Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquers you can use to replicate their nail art looks.
1. JOE JONAS & LAVENDER NAILS

Photo Credit: Instagram @joejonas
Ever known for his playful personality (and his darling relationship with wife Sophie Turner), it’s no surprise that Joe Jonas debuted a lavender nail art look earlier this year on Insta. Each nail features a different design created from a lavender nail lacquer, soft blue nail lacquer and golden star decals as a fun light-catching touch. Perfect for those with short nails, this manicure is super simple to recreate. All you need is:
- Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Molly Coddled (bright orchid crème nail lacquer)
- Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Candy Floss (soft powder blue crème nail lacquer)
- Mini star decals or your choice of nail art decoration!
Let’s not forget: Joe Jonas has been to the Year 3000. That’s what we call “ahead of the trend.”
2. HARRY STYLES & WATERMELON SUGAR PINK NAILS

Photo Credit: YouTube
How could we not mention our British national (& international) treasure? Harry Styles has quickly become known as the pioneer of male beauty and fashion, whether it’s through one of his Gucci campaigns, on-stage outfits or red carpet looks. Attentive to every detail, Harry Styles always makes sure his manicure is making waves within the beauty world. Take these coral pink nails from the “Watermelon Sugar” video, for example. Vibrant and beachy, this colour evokes a pocketful of summer sun—no matter the time of year. Recreate Harry’s pink manicure with:
- Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Trout Pout (bright coral crème nail lacquer)
Harry’s last name is *literally* Styles. You can’t go wrong taking a page or two out of his book.
3. VIRGIL ABLOH & SIREN RED NAILS

Photo Credit: Getty/Christian Vierig
Virgil Abloh, creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, spends each day deciding where men’s fashion will go, and we credit some of the fanfare over the male manicure trend to this look from the Louis Vuitton Parfum Hosts Dinner this past July. These bright and bold red nails are the perfect accent to his couture suit, proving that a manicure can be minimalist and still make just as much of an impact. Recreate Virgil’s siren red nails with:
- Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Smashing! (siren red crème nail lacquer)
Sleek and confident, Virgil is always smartly dressed. If “sophistication” is a word on your vision board, look to Abloh for men’s fashion and beauty inspiration.
4. FREDDIE MERCURY & THE LEFT-HANDED POLISH

Photo Credit: Metalhead Zone
The mystery behind why music legend Freddie Mercury (frontman of Queen) only painted his left hand with black nail lacquer has finally been solved! According to @freddiemercuryclub, a fan account of the rockstar with over 700K followers, Freddie was right-handed and simply couldn’t use his left hand to paint! Rather than haggle with his non-dominant hand, he stuck to painting only one hand: thus, the trend was born. Recreate Freddie’s glam rock nails with:
- Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Union Jack Black (true black crème nail lacquer)
It’s official. This *is* the quickest and easiest way to becoming a Killer Queen.
5. JASON MOMOA & NEUTRAL NAILS

Photo Credit: San Diego Comic-Con
Jason Momoa has been spotted several times at conventions sporting a neutral manicure, whether he’s giving looks with nude nails, brown nails or black nails. For a subtle colour that still boosts your confidence with all the fresh manicure feels, go for a natural nail tone manicure. A step up from a clear overcoat, neutral nail lacquer hues add a sense of polish (literally) to your look for a professional, classic appearance fit for the office or daily life. To recreate Jason Mamoa’s neutral nails:
- Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Steady On! (cool nude crème nail lacquer)
If Aquaman can paint his nails and still rule a kingdom, so can you!