Cardi B’s Duck Feet Nails Are Dividing the Internet

cardi b shoes — (Image credit: Axelle Bauer Griffin/Getty)

Bleached eyebrows and frosted lips divide the beauty world like no other—you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. But thanks to Cardi B, Twitter has found a whole new beauty category to lose it over: Duck feet nails. The nail shape, which is hallmarked by a dramatic, flared tip, had its moment, albeit a controversial one, circa the early 2000s. And apparently, the “WAP” singer is petitioning for the shape’s return. She took to Instagram during son Wave’s first birthday party to give her 140 million followers an up-close-and-personal look at her over-the-top manicure.

The duck-feet shape certainly stole the show, but it was far from the sole focal point. The classic French was blinged out with gems—we’re talking red hearts and white rhinestones. Her ring finger even featured a 3D cherry design. It was extra in the best way possible. Alas, the Internet had thoughts—and lots of them. Twitter was in all out tizzy over the Y2K-esque look.

Some, we’re all for the duck-feet manicure resurgence. “Me when I saw Cardi B post her duck feet nails on Instagram,” one person captioned a meme of the singer saying, “Oh my god, what is that?” Others couldn’t help but reminisce on year’s past. “I swear I remember duck nails in my senior year,” one person recalled, while another said, “Snooki was the first person I ever saw do the duck nails in the early 2000s.”

While the duck-feet manicure may be a bit out-of-the-box, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Cardi, along with her go-to nail artist Jenny Bui, are always creating one-of-a-kind looks. She's had Louis Vuitton monogrammed sets, extra-long acrylics, and blinged out designs that easily weigh upwards of 10 pounds. That in mind, we can't wait to see what mani she breaks out next.

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.