Sarah Jessica Parker Channeled Carrie Bradshaw With a Patent Leather Manicure for SATC's 25th Anniversary

Writing about Sarah Jessica Parker always feels meta. Although Carrie Bradshaw is a fictional character, her witty, self-deprecating, and personal writing style has influenced most people in the editorial world in some way, and sometimes I can’t help but wonder, am I making Carrie proud? While I'm always trying to fill Carrie's shoes, last week Parker stepped back into them to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary at HBO Max’s immersive experience, “And Just Like That…It’s Been 25 Years, A Sex and the City Experience.” Parker attended the opening night looking chic as ever with a black patent leather manicure.

On June 8, Parker appeared at the opening of the experience which popped up last weekend in NYC wearing a Jenny Packham midi dress. The dress features sheer billowed sleeves, bows accentuating its plunging neckline, a voluminous A-line skirt, and a black polka dot pattern against its white fabric. She paired the dress with white opened-toed heels with black polka dots, diamond earrings, rings, and a black bracelet.

SJP was monochromatic from head to toe, including her black patent leather manicure. Parker has previously revealed to People that she typically favors naked nails for her day-to-day but likes to wear nail polish for special events. Manicurist Gina Eppolito created a short square manicure on the actor and coated her nails with a high-shine black polish. Much like actual leather, patent nails offer a gel-like glossy finish as well as an intensely dark base. The manicure is edgy, yes, but also elegant, which seems to fit the bill for our designer- and Marlboro light-loving queen.

Since patent leather nails rely on dark colors and a mirror-like finish, you’ll want to choose specific nail polishes to get the look. “For shine, use a shiny, more viscous top coat like Orly's Shining Armor Long Wear Top Coat or Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat,” Brittney Boyce, celebrity nail artist and founder of Nails of LA, previously told Byrdie. “Choose nail colors that are creamy and ultra-pigmented. Avoid anything sheer or shimmery.” To replicate Parker’s black patent nails, opt for a true black like Orly’s Nail Polish in Liquid Vinyl. If you want to add fun to the manicure, creamy navy, oxblood, or emerald polishes should do the trick for nails that will look amazing against a Cosmo.