Jennifer Coolidge's Dramatic SAG Awards Manicure Was Thanks to My Go-To $7 Nail Polish

Jennifer Coolidge’s role as Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus earned her outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards last night. To no one’s surprise, she appeared characteristically glamorous, donning a svelte black gown and glinting jewelry; Coolidge’s sartorial selection exuded quintessential, simple elegance. Her hair and makeup were similarly classic, but her manicure, however, delivered some serious edge.

Coolidge’s recurrent nail artist Vanessa Sanchez gave the actress what she called a “stained glass metallic” manicure via a press release. “I knew Jennifer was going to be wearing all-black, so I wanted to create a look that would pop, letting her nails be the statement,” she shared with InStyle. “I wanted color, but nothing too loud,” she continued. To do so, Sanchez employed an impressive assortment of nail polishes from Sally Hansen in an array of colors and finishes — eight, to be exact. “We were really happy with the final result,” she added.

The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat in ‘unicorn’ functioned as a light-reflecting backdrop for the overlying polish pattern, imparting an iridescent, color-shifting shimmer to any nail look. Sanchez told InStyle, it “transform[ed] the colors I chose. I toyed a bit with some different finishes, but ultimately landed on the ‘unicorn’ top coat because it made the nails really glossy and iridescent.” The top coat happens to be one of my all-time favorites — and it’s only $7 with an on-site coupon.

Shop now: $7 with coupon (Originally $8); amazon.com

The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat is a finishing lacquer with a holographic twist. Dubbed “opalescent” by the brand, the shade is subtly iridescent; understated yet stylish, the polish adds dimension and a touch of magical whimsicality to any manicure. Plus, as with all polishes in the Miracle Gel collection, ‘unicorn’ boasts plumpness and shine that’s aesthetically on par with gel polish — without the need for a curing lamp.

To create a pattern that resembled stained glass for Coolidge’s SAG Awards manicure, Sanchez shared that she painted five Sally Hansen polishes on the actress’s nails, “all in a random pattern” using single brush strokes. Next, she swiped a single coat of the softly shimmering Miracle Gel top coat, then “allow[ed] [the Unicorn polish] to set” for a few minutes before  further amping up the sheen using chrome powder.

After a stroke of Unicorn, she dipped a small detail brush in the shade ‘silver stallion’ from Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dry collection, and painted thin streaks to outline the stained glass elements on the nail.Finally, to finish and seal the masterpiece, Sanchez used yet another Miracle Gel Polish Top Coat: the crystal-clear, gleaming ’top coat’ shade, which shares the shine and volume of the ’unicorn’ version, albeit sans shimmer.

Shop now: $8; amazon.com

I’ve loved Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel polish line for years. Appealing price point aside, the formula provides a plump, voluminous finish that truly mimics the appearance of a gel polish, without a curing lamp. Moreover, the applicator brush features a notably rounded tip for neat, full-coverage application in a single swipe; it’s the most user-friendly I’ve tried. In fact, I’ve recommended the top coat to friends who struggle with DIY nail painting for this very reason.

Whether you’re a pro, like Sanchez, an avid DIYer, like me, or a total newbie to painting your nails, the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat is hands-down worthy of being in your polish collection. Shop now for gellike volume and gleaming, red-carpet-worthy shine for just $7.