Selena Gomez's Buttercup Nails Are a Spring Vibe

Selena Gomez has been favoring moodier clothes as of late, like trailing eggplant sleeves at the Golden Globes, and a head-to-toe black get up at a recent Rare Beauty launch party. That being said, the star still enjoys wearing fun colors, but she reserves them mostly for her fingertips. Two of her rainbow manicures have gone viral in the past few weeks, and now she's experimenting with a buttercup manicure.

On April 10, Gomez’s manicurist, Tom Bachik, posted a photo of the star’s nails that feature a medium length and a perfectly rounded edge, giving them an oblong oval shape. Her nails are painted a pale buttery yellow, and feature a high-shine finish. The colorful mani stands out against her all-black outfit, which includes a long-sleeve black top and black laced boots.

Although the biggest manicure trends (like glazed, lip gloss, and milk bath nails) have been those with a "my nails but better" vibe, yellow lemonade nails are also having a huge moment. Unlike the rustier yellows that have trended in the past, lemonade nails are a true poppy yellow, and have the same high-shine finish as a refreshing glass of lemonade. Paler yellows, like Gomez's shade, are also popular, and resemble a creamy frosted lemonade—or a buttercup flower.

If you’re all for Gomez’s buttercup nails, there are some caveats to the manicure. “Yellow is one of the hardest colors to apply,” celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt previously told Byrdie. “Using a white base before applying the yellow will make a big difference.” For this manicure, you’ll need a base coat, white nail polish, yellow nail polish—the Butter London Patent Shine Nail Lacquer in Bit of Sunshine ($18) is a great standard option, or use the OPI GelColor in Bee-hind the Scenes ($20) for a gel manicure—top coat, and cuticle oil.

After your base coat and white nail polish layer dry, apply a thin layer of butter-yellow nail polish onto the nails carefully and slowly to avoid streaks. Next, apply a second coat to amplify the color. Then, use a high-shine top coat and then wait for the manicure to dry completely. Finally, apply cuticle oil for an impeccable manicure that’s as cute as a buttercup.