From the moment she floated out of the sky with a giant pink bubble, Wicked's Ariana Grande's Glinda, the so-called "good Witch" styled to convince anyone who met her that she was good, wears a foamy strapless ball gown woven with silver stripes; her blonde hair is gentle, and her hair is soft. Informal curls in hands holding her starburst pink wand are set with a bubble bath pink base and even the most meticulously French manicure.

When I first saw Wicked last week, it was this last familiar feminine detail that caught the eye of my beauty editor. Grande's Glinda (or Ga-linda, as she goes at the beginning of the film) is short in every scene, wearing a squoval French hint. They are clean and neat, coordinating with the pink shades washed over her wardrobe and her share of her Shiz college dorm room. In the world of beauty, where swirling designs and decorated sets are more common, her simple nails stand out.

I'm sure the citizens of Oz will call the French manicure by a different name. But the effect there is is the same as it is here on Earth, where women in the royal family, celebrities and politics often opt for French tips. It is elegant but inconspicuous; it is "popular" because it blends. Glinda seeks power and positive recognition from everyone around her in Shiz, so her nails need to be simply clean without distractions. What is less threatening than a French manicure?

Ariana Grande, a method dressing on Wicked's press tour with the help of stylist Mimi Cuttrell, is devoted to French tips, even if she changes from a pale pink Tom Brown dress to a butter-yellow Ralph Lauren. If anything, the choice further highlights her character's docile French Mani on screen. She uses all the tools in her arsenal to beckon people close to her "goodness", even her fingernails.

In contrast, Cynthia Erivo (a full set and 3D decor enthusiast) wears much more complex claws as Glinda's Foil, El Faba, and finally the evil Witch of the West. She starts the movie with a sharp, black manicure that matches her dour, high-neck dress and pointy-toe boots. Her makeover in the song "Popular" includes a slight update, turning her nails into "sparkly black, metallic green," as Erivo described in past Marie Claire interviews. There is a sheen of her Glinda/Galinda makeover with a hint of sparkle, but she is more true to herself than the way people see her in color.

Wicked Part Two two will arrive in 2025 with an update to Erivo's nail set, symbolizing Elfaba's continued transformation and her arrival to full power. "In the second film, they are much longer and much more expressive. We're playing with the marbling of it, we're playing with the ombre," Erivo told us.

Ariana Grande has not dropped a hint about the evolution of her character's beauty, but you can see another French tip in the sequel. Glinda will continue to try to "make good" by partnering with the Wizard of Oz over El Faba if the movie follows the musical — and the French manicure says she's sweetly committed to the cause, all the way to her fingertips.Glinda will continue to try to "make good" by partnering with the Wizard of Oz over Elphaba if the film follows the musical.