Dakota Johnson's Black 'Verity' Manicure Pays Beauty Homage to Kaia Gerber and Kylie Jenner

The actor's slick nails offer a telling look inside Colleen Hoover's 'Verity' book-to-movie adaptation.

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Dakota Johnson on the set of verity wearing a black manicure with headphones
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dakota Johnson has been vaping all over New York City, but not for the reason you might think. It seems the actor has officially begun filming for the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2018 psychological thriller novel Verity. Set to star opposite Anne Hathaway in the film, Johnson will portray the story's shrewd protagonist Lowen Ashleigh: a struggling writer who stumbles across a disturbing mystery when she's assigned to complete a book for a best-selling author.

Now, we're finally getting a first look at Johnson's styling for the project. On Mar. 12, the Madame Web star was spotted shooting one of the book's earliest scenes in New York City. Her taupe coat, burnt orange pants, and gold chain jewelry channeled an autumnal vibe. But in order to catch the most telling detail, you'll have to zoom in on the 35-year-old's short black manicure.

A photo of Dakota Johnson vaping on the set of Colleen Hoover#039;s Verity film adaptation.

Dakota Johnson vapes on the set of Colleen Hoover's Verity film adaptation.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For celebrities like Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner, and Dua Lipa, 2024 was the year of bubble bath nails and naked manicures—shorter styles that mimic mannequinlike perfection. But in recent months, the pendulum seems to be swinging back toward nostalgic nail trends, such as French tips and glossy shades of black.

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Recently, Kylie Jenner accessorized her vintage Celine shirt with long black nails for a tennis match date with Timothée Chalamet. And for several weeks running, Kaia Gerber has been rocking a chipped black manicure in an unexpected break from her biweekly baby pink gel appointment. Seeing Dakota Johnson embrace the look on set feels like even more confirmation that black manicures are so back.

A photo of Johnson sporting short black nails while filming the bloody opening scene of Verity in New York City.

Johnson sports short black nails while filming the bloody opening scene of Verity in New York City.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Black nails also make perfect sense for Johnson's character in the flick. At the beginning of the book, Lowen is an awkward and seemingly naive introvert drifting through life. By the end, she emerges with a cunning sense of self-preservation she never had before. In a way, her black manicure foreshadows this duality to her personality as well as her transformation from meek ghostwriter to main character.

A photo of Dakota Johnson portraying an introverted writer named Lowen Ashleigh in Colleen Hoover#039;s forthcoming adaptation.

Dakota Johnson portrays an introverted writer named Lowen Ashleigh in Colleen Hoover's forthcoming adaptation.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Of course, you don't need to be embroiled in a dangerous literary mystery to take this chic minimalist manicure trend for a spin. Any saturated black creme lacquer will do the trick. Just be sure to do thorough nail prep and a base coat beforehand to avoid streaking and staining.

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Hanna Lustig
Hanna Lustig
Staff Writer

Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.

Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.