Unbelievable “Harry Potter” Manicures
If you’ve never paid anyone to brush tiny Harry Potter paintings onto each of your fingernails, you’re missing out. Most Harry Potter manicures toss in a broomstick, a Snitch, and a Deathly Hallows icon—and then they call it a day. But we say, go totally extra, or go home!
Ten Points to Gryffindor
With her 12,000+ followers and counting, Jess from @Allwaspolished creates absolutely striking nail art. You can really get lost on her Instagram page scrolling through intricate snowflake manis, festive themes, and ornate florals. But it’s her Gryffindor Quidditch manicure that was like a Bludger to the head, so to speak. Her impressive application of glittering gold icons over a Gryffindor red is simply stunning.
Oliver Wood would approve! Be sure to watch Jess’s video of the process.
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Bottle Fame, Brew Glory
If you prefer a more anime aesthetic for your nails, then @Hannah_Nails_it might be your artist of choice. A freehand creator from the UK, Hannah’s nearly 30,000 followers are crazy about her bright, cheerful designs and original art.
While you’ll find numerous Harry Potter creations on her page, her potions manicure stands out. With pops of bright yellow and bubblegum pink, Hannah brings Felix Felicis and Amortentia to life. Tiny, hand-painted banners label each eye-popping potion.
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We couldn’t jump to the next artist without also sharing Hannah’s Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans manicure. Apart from actual witchcraft and the tiniest paintbrush in the entire universe, we really can’t guess how she gets so much detail onto such a small canvas.
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Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
Next on the list is another freehand artist named Gracie. Her Instagram page, @NailArt_ByGracie, has amassed a huge online following. And while there’s tons to admire, it’s her Hogwarts Castle that really drew me in.
Unlike most Hogwarts manicures, Gracie painted hers freehand. Applying nail polish almost like watercolors, she builds up the scene starting with the sky. With a minuscule brush, she fastidiously creates the castle’s iconic outline. Then, she frames it with a night sky studded with stars. The end result is a very unique and painterly Hogwarts manicure.
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These aren’t real frogs, are they?
A self-proclaimed “stampaholic,” Kirsty’s page (@FairyTalesNails) is a dazzling burst of colors and prints. When we found her Chocolate Frog nails, they immediately hopped off the page and stole the show.
The clear design and the gold-on-purple scheme has terrific contrast. Unlike some nail art, Kirsty’s design keeps things simple and easy to see—making it one of the strongest and most original Harry Potter manicures we could find online.
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Each pack’s got a famous witch or wizard.
The next artist on this list is aptly named: @NotYourUsualNails. A departure from the previous artist’s minimalist approach, this artist took the Chocolate Frog concept and ran with it—as far as she could! Her name is Lily, and she uses press-on nails as her canvases, painting each one by hand before applying the super-detailed manicure.
When we came across Lily’s Chocolate Frog card design, it was truly jaw-dropping. The amount and quality of detail are just boggling! Just like you’d see on the box in the movie, familiar gold accents course across each beautiful nail. Be sure to scroll through her gallery to see the video.
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Have a butterbeer!
There’s one more incredible artist to Stupefy you today, and that’s Lorb (or Laura) of @OhMyLorb. Armed with her teeny tiny paintbrushes and all the paint and glitter you could dream of, Lorb has created a candy-colored collection that really wows her fans.
For our purposes, we’ll stop to admire her butterbeer creation—which I personally commissioned in order to match an entire butterbeer-themed outfit. Each fingernail has the appearance of a sweet, frothy pint of our favorite wizarding beverage. Lorb carefully hand-painted the foamy tops and little white foam bubbles to bring each glass to life. For the thumbnails, she created the iconic butterbeer banner on one and a full stein of golden butterbeer on the other, completing the iconic look.
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Let’s all raise a glass to Lorb! Nails like this call for one more round.
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