Cynthia Erivo doesn’t like to play it safe, especially when it comes to her personal style. The award-winning actress—who is set to star as Elphaba in this fall’s cinematic adaptation of Wicked, the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and her friendship with Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande)—is known for her bold choices. And while she may have worn a simple chic black and white ensemble at the Louis Vuitton spring 2025 collection in Paris, her nails were a riotous exploration of design and color. Her lavish polish jobs are usually an expression of creative storytelling—oftentimes referencing panoramas of vibrant artwork found in museum halls. Hence, it’s fitting that the lacquer brand OPI recently tapped her to be its global brand ambassador as it promotes its latest collaboration for the highly-anticipated blockbuster. For Erivo, nails play an integral role in her own personal life as they, likewise, take on an importance in developing Elphaba’s sense of self.
Ahead of the release of the first installment of the film later next month, W sat down with Erivo and chatted with her about her opulent manis, her impressive skincare regimen, alongside tips for Marc Jacobs on his extended talon obsession.
You’re well known for your nails. Were you always a nail girly?
Yes. My godmother took me to a really great nail shop when I was 16, and I’ve been addicted to doing my nails ever since. I was inspired by Barbra Streisand’s hands in Yentl. Even in Yentl, a film in which she portrays a woman who disguises herself as a man, she sported a mani. I was like there’s something so elegant about what that looks like, what that feels like—and I’ve just stuck with it.
What nail shapes are you into at the moment: a stiletto, a coffin, an almond, or another type?
I actually do not discriminate. There are times when I’m a stiletto. But with the stiletto, I tend to soften off the end because I don’t want to hurt people—and I also like the shape when the tip is a little bit softer. Almond can sometimes be a little bit too round for me, but depending if we can make it a little sharper than I’ll do it. Right now I have a coffin style. So it just depends on what I’m feeling like and the length I’m going for.
The nails that you are rocking right now are also like jewelry.
Yes, they have some malachite stones on them and some jade.
How long does it take to do that?
It depends on what we’re doing. If we’re doing a full set, it could take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. When I had the Sistine Chapel hand-painted on my nails, it took about 8 hours. We did that over two days. And if it’s just a fill and design, it can take 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on how in-depth we’re going. This design that I’m wearing today took about 3 hours.
It’s beautiful. I love it! Who’s your go-to manicurist?
I have three. In LA , I go to Rose Hackle. Gina Oh is my go-to in New York, and then there’s Shay at Shay Beauty, who does my nails in London. They’re all amazing and I’ve been going to them for a long time. They know me very, very well.
What’s the nail style that you favor for everyday wear?
Very extravagant. It’s always like “how far can we push it?” We’ll do gems, or sculpting, or hand painting. For my first Oscars, I had Van Gogh’s The Starry Night on my nails. I’ve done the Sistine Chapel; I’ve had the Venus de Milo on them. I don’t believe that there should be an everyday nail. Just like some people won’t leave the house without their makeup on, I won’t leave the house without my nails done. I want my nails to be done all the time. My nails are my makeup. I love how extravagant I can be with my nails; I love how expressive they can be. So for me, that is the everyday wear.
Do you match your nails to your outfits?
Sometimes I do, but often I match my nails to my mood. If I’m feeling particularly flirty or girly, then I’ll go for pinks and light colors. But if I want something a little bit moodier or I want to match the weather, then that’s what I do.
At the Oscars this past year, you wore an emerald green Louis Vuitton outfit with green and pink nails. Was that a reference to Elphaba, your character in Wicked? How would you describe each character’s nail style?
Glinda is played by [Ariana Grande]; she created that style, and I know what Ari likes. She’s been getting a little bit more extravagant with it. She’s been branching out, which I’m very proud of her for. She’s pushing the boundaries for herself, and it makes me happy. But for Glinda, it was usually a really simple, sweet pink and white French nail. And then when we go further in the film, there’s a little makeover moment and she has a little green gem on each of the nails, which I thought was really sweet. Her nail has expanded into something a little longer and more expressive.
As for me, what I wanted to do with Elphaba’s nails is have them complement her complexion—as an extension of her magic. So the first set of nails that you see, they look like jade: they’re a green that matches her skin tone and it just blends into her fingers.
But at the salon makeover, they evolve into something mystical and magical: they’re black with metallic green flecks. And then when we go into the second film (out in 2025), I really wanted that to feel like this is the coming of the Wicked Witch, so the nails get much longer; they are this ombré green flowing into white and then into black. So for me, it was all about the length and shape—they were all leading towards a softened stiletto, because I wanted to sort of call on the original Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton, who had long talons, but they were just plain green. I wanted to play that up but make it more modern by bringing new elements to it.
And for this last Oscars, I wanted to match the dress, but I still wanted to call on the character. and the green nails. It just depends on where I am in my life and what I’m doing. I’m enjoying using green and green happens to be my favorite color—so it totally works out.
Cynthia Erivo’s embellished talons at the 2024 Oscars not only complements her Louis Vuitton emerald green gown but it also references her role in Wicked as Elphaba.
John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images
Since you’re into long, extravagant nails, do you have any tips for Marc Jacobs, who’s obsessed with the look? He’s been rocking the style a lot lately. Any recommendations for what he should try next?
I see that he uses a lot of gems, but there is no paintwork. I would love to see him get someone who can do really intricate designs on the nails before laying down different gems. I think that could be really, really cool because that’s what I do. I sort of combine different kinds of paintwork and patterns. I also think he should try chrome—it changes the color on the base to something else completely, which is really fun. As for care, he should always keep some hand cream with him, because cuticles will always need a little bit of love. And be sure that the actual nail is being taken care of when he does them. I have a manicure before we do the “manicure.” Otherwise, the nail underneath isn’t great.
Let’s switch up and talk about your beauty and skincare routine. You have gorgeous skin. It’s melanin-rich, smooth, and even-tone. It’s just glorious. What’s your everyday skincare routine?
My skincare routine is also extravagant. I love skincare. I really do. I recently discovered Biologique Recherche—I’ve been using the brand for the last seven months. L’Eauxygénante is like a miracle spray. I don’t know why it works the way it works. I think it has oxygen in it—it’s wonderful. It sort of resets the skin immediately. Biologique Recherche’s makeup remover is also brilliant because it actually takes everything off. Their P50 Lotion is a great exfoliator, but it’s a little on the harsh side so I don’t use it all the time.
I also use Paula’s Choice BHA. I recently went to a dermatologist and told her that I use the BHA and that I use an AHA, and she was very impressed. For me, it works very well.
Do you use them together? Or one in the morning and one in the evening—because one is a salicylic acid (BHA) and the other is a glycolic acid (AHA).
I sometimes use them together. I know it’s extreme, but I’m also good at gauging when it starts to become sensitized. I take a break. It’s not like I do it every single day. There are some days I do it and some days I don’t.
Augustinus Bader is my tried and true. I love Augustinus Bader The Serum. I have dry skin so the Rich Cream is my go-to. I use the brand’s foam cleanser and gentle gel cleanser at different times of day. In the morning, I’ll use the gel cleanser because it’s a little softer, and I’ll use the foam at night to get rid of all the grime that has accumulated throughout the day.
Micellar water feels really nourishing. So after I finish washing my skin, I’ll do a double cleanse with Bioderma micellar water. It refreshes my skin. And depending on the time of year, I might include an extra serum in my evening routine. I like the one from Omorovicza.
A-beauty is finally having a moment. As a British-Nigerian, what’s an African beauty practice or an ingredient that you incorporate into your routine?
Real shea butter—the kind that is rock solid hard before you put it on. You have to warm it up in your hands so that it becomes soft. I ask my mum to get it for me every time she goes back to Nigeria. That stuff is a miracle worker. It keeps my skin really smooth and supple. I’ve always been very mindful of making sure to moisturize my skin. I treat it like it’s a meditative and nourishing practice in the morning. It’s a step that I will never skip.
You’re known for your fearless style. What’s the most outrageous beauty look that you’ve ever rocked?
Well, I feel like I’m rocking it all the time—I have no eyebrows. I shave them off on purpose. I don’t need eyebrows. Usually, I have no hair [on my head], no eyebrows. Whenever I’m talking to my makeup artist, I tell her that I just want to look like a pretty thumb. I think I play with color all the time. So for my eyes, we can go as dramatic as we want to. There’s a lot of “eye real estate” to play with color. We’re going to be experimenting lots in the next couple of months just to see what we can do.
What beauty trend have you ever tried and regretted?
Oh, I don’t do trends! I tend to try to look for the things that work very well for me. I like to run against the grain—when everyone is doing one thing, I’m probably gonna be doing the very opposite.
Who’s beauty aesthetic do you admire?
Grace Jones because there isn’t really anyone who does what she does or did. You know, it’s sort of all hers. I think that she’s one of the best people to wear a hat—ever. She knows her millinery. She knows her fashion. I love her beauty aesthetic—it’s very graphic, very forward. I hate to use the word brave, because I don’t think she even thinks it’s brave; she’s just being authentically herself.
What’s one piece of beauty advice that has resonated with you?
Don’t change your smile. I have a tooth gap. Someone asked me if I would ever choose to close my gap and I said, no, because I liked how it makes me feel. And, I’ve always been told that having a gap is good luck and that it brings fortune. Plus, I think it’s one of my features that I really like that’s a little bit different that sets me apart.
