Jennifer Lopez has built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most reliable style setters, and her nails are no exception. Among all her manicure moments, the jennifer lopez chai latte nails look remains one of the most requested at salons across the country. The cozy, coffee-shop-inspired shade first turned heads in the fall of 2023 and has since evolved into an entire family of neutral, tonal looks that Lopez keeps returning to.
Below is everything worth knowing about the original chai latte manicure, how it has changed over time, and what it looks like today.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ – Jennifer Lopez debuted her “chai latte” manicure on September 8, ║ ║ 2023, created by longtime nail artist Tom Bachik. ║ ║ – The shade was a custom mix of two Aprés Nail polishes: Chai Latte ║ ║ and Sebastian’s Spots, blended into a taupe-lavender tone. ║ ║ – Bachik revived the concept as an “Iced Chai” cat-eye manicure at ║ ║ the 2025 Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025. ║ ║ – The look helped popularize the wider “your nails but better” ║ ║ neutral manicure trend that dominated late 2023 and 2024. ║ ║ – Lopez has continued working with Bachik through 2026, moving ║ ║ between chai-toned neutrals, cat-eye finishes, and chrome looks. ║ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
What Are Jennifer Lopez’s Chai Latte Nails?
The original jennifer lopez chai latte nails moment happened on September 8, 2023, when Lopez stepped out in Los Angeles wearing a soft, cool-toned neutral manicure that instantly caught the attention of beauty editors. Her manicurist, Tom Bachik, shared the formula on Instagram shortly after.
Rather than reaching for a single bottle, Bachik custom-blended two shades from the nail brand Aprés Nail. He combined the polish called Chai Latte with a few drops of another shade, Sebastian’s Spots, to land on what he described as a “taupe-y lavender” hue. The result matched Lopez’s eyeshadow that day, tying her entire look together in one cohesive package.
The Styling Behind The Look
Lopez paired the manicure with a suede fringe jacket, knee-high snake-print boots, and silver jewelry, a combination beauty writers nicknamed her “chai latte chic” moment. Makeup artist Scott Barnes complemented the manicure with a smoky lavender eye, reinforcing the cool, muted color story from head to toe.
Why It Became An Instant Trend
The chai latte shade landed at a moment when the beauty world was shifting away from bold, saturated nail colors and toward quieter, elevated neutrals. Several outlets pointed to Lopez’s mani as an early sign of the “digital lavender” and “your nails but better” trends that would dominate manicures well into 2024. Bella Hadid was spotted in a similar lavender-toned look not long after, cementing the shade’s cultural moment.
The Chai Latte Nails Return: Jennifer Lopez’s Iced Version
Bachik did not retire the concept after 2023. He brought it back in an updated form at the 2025 Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025, this time calling it “Iced Chai.”
A New Formula With A Cat-Eye Twist
For the Grammys look, Bachik used his own Click Colors Magnet Gel polish in the shade Iced Chai, layered with a topcoat called Super Clear. Unlike the flat, matte finish of the original 2023 manicure, this version leaned into the cat-eye nail trend, a technique that uses magnetic polish and a small magnet tool to create a shimmering, dimensional line across each nail.
Lopez wore the look under sultry black gloves for parts of the evening, which several outlets called one of the most subtle yet memorable beauty details of the entire award show. Before applying color, Bachik prepped her nail beds with a Tweezerman x Tom Bachik nail care set and finished with a cuticle treatment made from La Mer’s Renewal Oil and Hand Treatment.
How It Fits Into The Bigger Nail Trend Picture
Nail expert Julia Diogo told reporters around the same time that cat-eye manicures were set to dominate through the rest of 2025, following in the footsteps of other celebrities like Hailey Bieber, who had recently worn an orangey-brown cat-eye look of her own. The Iced Chai manicure effectively merged Lopez’s original chai latte color story with this newer, more textured technique.
From Chai Latte To Cat-Eye: Jennifer Lopez’s Manicure Evolution Through 2026
Lopez has kept working with Bachik consistently since the chai latte debut, and her nail choices have continued to track, and sometimes set, broader industry trends.
Golden Globes 2026
At the Golden Globes on January 11, 2026, Lopez wore what Bachik called a “Bronx bronzed” manicure, using Aprés Nail’s Pyramid Scheme shade topped with a glossy finish. He added a hidden detail of small rhinestones placed on the underside of her nails, a technique he referred to as a “peekaboo manicure.”
Las Vegas Residency Looks
Since starting her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace on December 30, 2025, Lopez has debuted several new looks on stage. Bachik has shared details of a glittery blush-pink cat-eye manicure he called a “crushed velvet” look, along with a peachy nude cat-eye French manicure featuring silver tips and tiny pearl accents worn in March 2026. Fans following her residency nights have noted that many of these looks still nod back to the soft, warm-toned palette that made the original chai latte manicure so popular.
Summer 2026 And Beyond
By mid-2026, Lopez had moved into more elaborate territory as well, including a detailed “Vintage Rose” manicure worn at Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda show in Sicily on July 13, 2026, featuring a colorful rose design with chrome accents. She also debuted a shimmering “satin” nail look during the summer months, proving that even as trends shift toward brighter, playful colors, Lopez continues to find ways to keep her manicures both current and personal.
How To Recreate The Chai Latte Manicure At Home
For anyone hoping to copy the original jennifer lopez chai latte nails look, the formula is fairly simple to approximate.
Choose The Right Base Tone
Look for a polish in a taupe, mushroom, or soft lavender-brown family. If a single bottle does not feel exactly right, mixing two neutral shades, as Bachik did, can help fine-tune the tone until it matches your skin undertone.
Keep The Finish Soft
The original chai latte look used a semi-sheer, slightly glossy finish rather than a full-opacity, high-shine topcoat. A thin base coat, two light layers of polish, and a soft gloss topcoat will recreate the understated effect.
Add A Cat-Eye Upgrade If Desired
For those who prefer the updated Iced Chai version, a magnetic gel polish in a similar warm-neutral shade paired with a cat-eye magnet tool can achieve the shimmering, dimensional finish Bachik used at the 2025 Grammys.
Need To Know
○ Jennifer Lopez’s original chai latte manicure debuted on September 8, 2023, created by nail artist Tom Bachik using a custom mix of two Aprés Nail polishes
○ The shade was designed to match her lavender-toned eyeshadow, tying her entire beauty look together for a fall outing in Los Angeles
○ Bachik revived the concept as an “Iced Chai” cat-eye manicure at the February 2, 2025, Grammy Awards, using his own Click Colors Magnet Gel polish line
○ Lopez has continued evolving her manicure choices through 2026, including looks tied to her Las Vegas residency, the Golden Globes, and Paris Haute Couture and Alta Moda fashion events
○ The trend helped popularize a wider shift toward soft, tonal neutral manicures that has continued to influence nail trends well beyond its original debut
Jennifer Lopez’s chai latte manicure may have started as a single fall afternoon look, but it has clearly outlasted its original moment. Between the custom color mixing, the later cat-eye reinvention, and Lopez’s continued partnership with Tom Bachik, the trend has grown into a small case study in how one celebrity beauty choice can shape an entire nail season.
Have you tried recreating Jennifer Lopez’s chai latte nails, or are you more drawn to her newer cat-eye looks? Share your thoughts in the comments, and check back for updates every time J.Lo debuts a new manicure moment.