While they’re not exactly subtle, Carpenter’s nails are a brilliant take on the “neutral” mani. The understated nude base balances out the statement tips, and—as Carpenter proved with her many outfit changes—the array colorful gems ensures they’ll go with anything. If bedazzled nails aren’t your thing, you could easily skip that step and let the wine-colored base of the French tips stand alone as a crisp on-trend fall mani.
Manny Carabel/Getty Images
Carpenter got the chance to show off her winning nails wrapped around a Moon Man later in the night: Her 2024 album, Short n’ Sweet, won the MTV Video Music Award for Album of the Year. She also delivered one of the most talked-about performances of the show, singing “Tears” from her brand new album live for the first time. Carpenter was joined onstage by an ensemble of drag queens and used her performance to spotlight the LGBTQ+ community. She also tapped Britney Spears for iconic MTV Video Music Awards performance inspiration and ended the number with a very literal wet look.
With that memorable start to the week, we’ll be blasting Man’s Best Friend all the way to the nail salon.
Grace McCarty is the associate beauty editor at Glamour.
To see all the looks from the 2025 VMAs red carpet, and for more of Glamour’s live show coverage, click here.
