In the ever-changing landscape of nail trends, one aesthetic choice that I don’t foresee fading into obscurity anytime soon is the reflective finish. From the glazed donut nail trend that Hailey Bieber catapulted into a full-on viral frenzy to the recent revival of magnet-altered velvet nail polishes, trendy beauty lovers aren’t leaving the salon before turning their base colors into optical illusions. It’s not a question of whether you should get an eye-catching set right now but a matter of which kind.
My fellow Who What Wear beauty editors, friends, and I have seen a growing surge in cat-eye nails across the board, from icy, frosted iterations in the winter to softer versions in the spring. However, when we text each other our ideas before heading into our upcoming salon appointments, the color we keep landing on—whether for its neutrality, wardrobe versatility, or the fact that it’s downright pretty—is pink. However, celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec has a theory.
Why Are Pink Cat-Eye Nails Trending?
It’s a known fact that Asian nail artists remain three steps ahead of the Western world—their designs often inspiring the manicure trends that will finally trickle onto American fingertips six months to a year later. So when Kandalec observed a sharp spike in cat-eye polishes at the 2025 Tokyo Nail Expo (one of the biggest nail conventions across the globe), she knew the rest of the world would eventually catch up.
“Every brand there had full lines of cat-eye, in every color from subtle to vibrant, and in multiple finishes of varying degrees of sparkle, too,” the manicurist recalls. “With that said, pink is and will always be ‘that girl’—the most versatile color,” she adds. “When paired with magnetic shades, you really have the cherry-on-top nail color!” Kandalec even partook in this trend over Oscars weekend, adorning her A-list clientele with orb-like pink tips.
For the trendy manis we’re eyeing that feel a bit more current than chrome, keep scrolling.
10 Pink Cat-Eye Nail Ideas
Frosé
Pink cat-eye nails look chic anywhere, but especially on the red carpet. Kandalec recently shellacked Rachel McAdams’s nails in the pink champagne velvet shade Lush from The Gel Bottle for the 2026 Oscars, and I couldn’t be more obsessed.
Icy Bubblegum
Pictured above: The perfect pink manicure. Cat-eye polishes add a textural twist that can either read glassy and watery or like high-shine shimmer, and this stunning ballerina slipper pink favors the former. If you want something that feels classic while still trying out this trend, this is the picture to show your manicurist.
