Winter nail trends & care tips from celeb nail artist Zola Ganzorigt – National

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When Zola Ganzorigt–the OPI celeb nail artist behind the glazed donut nails–first swiped a layer of chrome onto Hailey Bieber’s sheer white manicure before the 2022 Met Gala, she didn’t realize she was creating a beauty phenomenon. “It just came in that moment,” she recalls. “We tried it. We loved it. And the rest is history.” The now-iconic manicure, conceived minutes before glam, wasn’t even discussed beforehand. “I didn’t see her dress until she sat down,” Ganzorigt explains.

Recreate the iconic glazed donut manicure at home with OPI’s GELement Gel Nail Polish in its namesake semi-sheer shade, complete with Ganzorigt’s signature pearlescent shimmer.

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That instinct, paired with Ganzorigt’s trendy-yet-timeless artistry, has since cemented her as one of Hollywood’s most influential nail creators. Her client list reads like an A-list roll call: Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Adele, Kendall Jenner, Sydney Sweeney and Sabrina Carpenter, whose Short n’ Sweet album and world tour nails Ganzorigt conceptualized using Carpenter’s signature kiss-mark emoji. Whether she’s crafting glossy neutral tips, editorial flames or cutesy polka dot manicures (“[Hailey Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter] made it the manicure of the summer,” she says), Ganzorigt’s work consistently sets the tone for what’s next.

Naturally, I sat down with Ganzorigt for the inside scoop on all things winter nails–from expert-level nail care tips to what’s trending for the season.

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If you had to pick a defining nail trend for winter this season, what would it be?

“Different types of French manicures. Recently I did what we call a ‘drunk French’ on Sabrina. It was kind of blurry–there’s no defined line between the base and the French, but it’s not an ombré. We called it ‘drunk French’ because if a drunk person did a French manicure, it would look like that–blurry. A lot of my clients have been requesting French lately. On Adele, I just did a regular white French manicure. Even Kylie has been experimenting with different types–like the ‘deep French manicure‘ you’ve probably seen. We literally took a 1997 magazine cover as inspiration and copied that manicure. It was a really deep, less-curved French. She loved it so much she had me repeat it.”

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Many Canadians deal with brittle nails in the winter. What are your best tips for keeping nails healthy and strong through the colder months?

“Oh yeah–especially in winter, the skin gets super dry. I always tell my clients to use cuticle oil. And if you’re taking a break from gel manicures–which I’ve heard people do in winter (but in California we don’t really do that)–I love, love, love and swear by ‘Repair Mode’ from OPI. It’s like a keratin treatment for your nails. I love it for strengthening, whether you’re taking a break or not. You can use it underneath your gel manicure, or apply it daily if you’re taking a break. That one is my favourite!”

Brittle nails? Don’t know her. Formulated with Patented Ulti-Plex Technology, this nourishing nail treatment penetrates from within the nail to recreate protein bonds via biomimicry.

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What’s a winter nail shade you’re loving?

“In the winter time people like to keep it either really dark–like ‘Complimentary wine,’ or ‘Lincoln Park After Dark,’ or ‘Black Onyx’–or they keep it simple. It really depends on the person. For a holiday-inspired look that can be worn every day, try using ‘Glossy Goddess,’ a nice red shade, as your base and add a few white dots on top.”

The colour of the season, this vibrant red lacquer is a holiday mani essential–it practically screams holiday cheer.

More holiday nail faves

If you’re running late to a holiday party (because, same), a few drops of this antioxidant-packed lacquer will take your nails from wet to set in a pinch.

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Infused with grape seed, sesame and cupuaçu oils, this ultra-nourishing formula helps protect, replenish and strengthen dry winter cuticles. Its tube-like packaging makes it great for on-the-go maintenance.