Milky nails are the dreamiest new nail trend you need to try
Whether it’s shiny versus matte, round versus square, or oval versus squoval, everyone has their manicure preference. But this new nail trend falls into an entire category of its own: milky. Milky nails are all over Instagram, and we are loving the dreamy—and dare we say, creamy?— look.
The classic milky nail manicure falls somewhere between an opaque and translucent all-white look, but there’s a lot of room to expand upon the lactose-inspired trend. Some nail artists have also experimented with a matte finish, while others have added florals and gems to the mix.
Check out some of our favorite takes on the milky nails trend below.
Milky white nails
A post shared by 🌺💅Alina💅🎨🌺 (@alina_maria_birlan) on Aug 3, 2019 at 10:30am PDT
If you’ve always avoided white polish for fear of looking like you painted your nails with Wite-Out, here’s the proof that it can actually be a really good thing. If you’re trying out the trend at home, you can swipe on a single coat for a sheer, watered-down look, or pile on the layers for a thicker pigment. When you’re done, apply a shiny top coat to get the glossy look.
Shop it! OPI Nail Dip Powder Perfection, $25.99, walmart.com
Shop it! Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, $9.35 for a set of two, amazon.com
Matte milky white nails
A post shared by Gélové Nechty 💅🏼 (@_ks_nails) on Oct 28, 2019 at 8:43am PDT
With a matte finish, this manicure looks like an ice-cold frosted glass of milk—and surprisingly, we don’t hate that. Apply a matte top coat to get the frosty and Frozen-worthy finish.
Shop it! SNS Natural Set Nail Dipping Powder, $24.99, amazon.com
Shop it! Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat Nail Treatment, $3.69, target.com
Milky pink nails
A post shared by 🕊 Llynails (@llynaiils) on Dec 14, 2019 at 10:31am PST
We want to live in the tie-dye bubblegum world of this manicure so badly. To recreate the ombré look, paint two shades of light pink onto a nail sponge and press onto your already dried base. Finish with a milky top coat.
Shop it! TOODOO Nail Brush Sponge, $6.99, amazon.com
Shop it! Essie Nail Polish in Hi Maintenance, $8.79, target.com
Shop it! Essie Nail Polish in Lighten The Mood, $8.59, target.com
Shop it! Urban Outfitters Iridescent Top Coat Nail Polish, $6, urbanoutfitters.com
Milky nails with flowers
A post shared by Sara (@nailsbysarameas) on Jun 20, 2019 at 7:06pm PDT
If this manicure were a milk bath, we would be in it ASAP. It may be best to leave this delicate nail art up to the experts, but if you want to try it on your own and pull out the tweezers, you can use these dried flower nail art stickers to get a similar look.
Shop it! Hapythda Dried Flowers and Leaves 3D Nail Art Sticker Decals, $7.99, amazon.com
Shop it! Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Color, $4.69, target.com
Milky gel nails with gems
A post shared by 🎀ⓈⓄⓁⓄⓋⒾⓃⒶⓈNAIL♡CLUB🎀 (@solovinas) on Sep 30, 2019 at 10:34am PDT
This manicure is the full-on royal treatment, and thanks to the foil flakes and gold gems, we’re sure that Princess Peach would approve of this spin. You’ll need tweezers again to recreate this one, but hey, glam doesn’t always come easy.
Shop it! Sindy Nail Art Glitter Flakes, $7.99, amazon.com
Shop it! Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Color, $4.69, target.com
Shop it! Teenitor Professional Nail Decoration, $13.99, amazon.com
