The face of avant garde nails, Cynthia Erivo switched her eccentric, ever-changing aesthetic up for her version of a minimal set at Variety 2026 Power of Women, where she was honored with the inaugural Power of Women London Award, celebrating her idiosyncratic artistry, authenticity and social advocacy.
Cynthia Erivo at Variety 2026 Power of Women London, presented by Lifetime, held at The Chancery Rosewood on Wednesday.
Her talon extensions were their usual length — roughly 2 inches — with a thick French tip design, which flip-flopped between classic white and a soft steel blue. The almond-shaped tips on her ring finger and her pointer finger on the opposite hand were stamped with two micro hearts in the same shade of blue, accentuating the hues of her plaid Vivienne Westwood wrap suit, styled by Jason Bolden and John Mumblo.
Cynthia Erivo on the red carpet outside Variety 2026 Power of Women London.
Doug Peters/Variety
Having donned every nail shape, color and adornment under the sun, often all at once, the two-toned French tip was a notably tame choice for Erivo. Her “Wicked” nails, on the other hand, were a physical manifestation of her character’s persona — dark and layered, with intricate embellishments that pay homage to the motifs in the movie. In almost every set, her nails were dressed in a different color, design and texture, from metallic foil to milky glass, with beads, gems and sea glass glued over top. These nails were crafted by the minds of Shea Osei and 20-year-old Mycah Dior, also known as @clawzbydior online. However, Ervio worked exclusively with Osei to bring her Wednesday night nails to life.
A close-up of Cynthia Erivo’s nails.
On Instagram, Osei shared close-ups of the design, revealing a subtle quirk. Each nail boasted a variation of the French tip, including a ’90s French, a deep-cut French, an old-school French and a classic “U” French, using OPI.
See here for a look at the Broadway star’s “Wicked” nail moments.
