The Gist
In Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” music video, she flashes a glittery blue-green manicure.
The look is a reference to the titular opalite, a man-made stone resembling opal.
Get Swift’s look using a sea green or teal polish, or pick an iridescent white color to mimic actual opalite.
Taylor Swift has a habit of breaking the Internet every time she drops a new music video, and “Opalite” continues the trend. Swifties had plenty to obsess over—from the pop queen going brunette to the oh-so-many celebrity cameos from Swift’s 2025 appearance on The Graham Norton Show—but it was her impeccable manicure that really caught fans’ attention.
To understand the significance of the singer’s holographic teal-hued set, you need to turn back to the song itself. The titular “Opalite” is an artificial opal made to resemble the real deal—which is exactly why Swift chose it.
“I have favorite words, favorite phrases, things that I’ll put in an endless file of lyrics that I’m constantly going to go and cherry-pick from when I’m writing,” she explained in an October 2025 appearance on the radio show Capital Breakfast. “And I had written down the word ‘opalite’ because I learned that it’s actually a man-made opal. Opal can be man-made just like diamonds. And Travis’s birthstone is an opal. So I’ve always fixated on that.
“I’ve always loved that stone, and I thought it was a cool metaphor, that it’s a man-made opal and happiness can also be man-made, too,” she added. “So that’s what the song is about, that juxtaposition of those two.”
Like Swift’s manicure, opalite has an iridescent blue-green hue that flashes orange in different lighting. Orange happens to be the star color of the album “Opalite” is from, “The Life of a Showgirl”—it’s all connected with an invisible string. Swift tie-in aside, opalite nails are likely to be everywhere this year simply because of how gorgeous they look.
Ready to adorn your tips with the dazzling faux-opal effect? Here are 13 opalite nail ideas inspired by Taylor Swift’s latest look.
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Blue-Green Glitter
Color-shifting flakes in sea green, blue, and yellow make this polish the perfect opalite manicure dupe. Layer on two or three coats for a glitter-bomb effect, as seen in this look.
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Swiftie Seafoam
Another close dupe for Swift’s opalite nail color? This holographic blue jelly polish, called Saboteur, part of a duo by Cirque Colors x EvilTwinNails.
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Seashell Shine
While Swift’s music video mani is boldly blue, opalite stones can also be milky in appearance. This baby pink look captures the shine of a precious stone—and nods to the glossy interior of a seashell because of its chrome finish.
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Opalite Accents
If you want to go “Opalite”-inspired rather than literal, consider a medley of blue-green, silver glitter, and moonstone white polish—the latter color is based on the stone of the same name that’s often compared to opal and opalite. Call it Taylor’s Nails (Your Version).
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Star Power
This look blends the “Opalite” music video vibes with the razzle and dazzle of Swift’s showgirl era. Accent an iridescent, sparkly base polish with orange, green, and purple star nail art to create a true crowd-pleaser.
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Twinkly Teal
Turns out it is easy being green—when you’re a stunning nail polish, that is. This aqua teal jelly doesn’t skimp on the flakes. The result? A gleaming and glamorous green set.
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3D Starburst
Riff on opalite nails by adding unexpected texture, as in this manicure. To get the effect, you’ll need to start with a cat-eye base polish, add a chrome finish, and use builder gel to create the textured starburst design.
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Soft Opal
Not a big fan of blue nails? Opt for a glittery grayish-pink instead. It’s eye-catching with a touch of fire when the light hits—just like Travis Kelce’s birthstone, opal.
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Dramatic Dark Blue
Combine winter blues with opalite-esque shine by opting for a darker base polish shade. Choose a glitter finish that has flecks of yellow and orange to mimic Ms. Swift’s fiery shimmer.
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Opalite Ombre
Since everyone’s living like it’s 2016 in 2026, ombré nails are back in style. Do a gradient of cool blue to blue-green for a natural seafoam look. Turn up the dazzle with a dusting of chrome and (optional) twinkles.
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Midnight Shimmer
If “Opalite” has you ready to hit the dance floor, these nails are night-out-approved. For this gray-blue cat-eye manicure, the artist used the magnet technique.
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Futuristic Opalite
It doesn’t matter what the question is, chrome is always the answer. Put a futuristic twist on opalite nails by beginning with sky-blue gel polish and finishing with a yellow-tinted chrome.
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Deep Blue
This look approximates Swift’s polish color from the “Opalite” video while swapping the glitter flakes for a smooth chrome finish. Heart accent nails nod to the romance of it all.
Read the original article on InStyle