Milky nails are the celeb-approved twist on a classic nude mani and the best part about this trend is that it’s super easy to do at home.
What do Lizzo, Hailey Bieber, the Kardashians, and Nicola Beckham-Peltz all have in common? All are devoted fans of the milky mani. This clean-girl aesthetic manicure is all about the polish color rather than nail art. This minimal look is achieved using one of two shades: translucent pink or opaque white nail polish. A semi-opaque white with a ghostly translucent feel that, as the #milkynails hashtag suggests, is reminiscent of milk, whether you prefer whole or non-dairy.
This understated neutral manicure is a blessing because it goes with literally everything. Also what’s cool about this mani is that the lower the opaqueness levels, the harder it is to tell if there are chips/smudges/anything that would count as a nail lover’s nightmare. So while it’s off-the-charts high on the chicness scale, the milky manicure is also simultaneously low maintenance.
Today’s how-to will teach you how to do & maintain the milky nails mani from the comfort of your own home. For the gel lovers out there – I share my favorite budget nail supplies which can all be purchased on Amazon. Also included are simple nail polishes if you don’t like gel or don’t have time for it.
So without further ado, let’s recreate this basic look that is a perfect transition manicure as we welcome spring and summer.
Nail Prep
Nail prep is easy: I gently push back my cuticles with this cute trimmer/pusher using the Sally Hansen cuticle remover got from Amazon.
If you like to add a little length to your nails I usually use soft gel nail tips (never acrylic because they may cause nail damage). Adding gel nail tips to the nails is perfect if you bite your nails, or would like to add some protection to the nail while growing it out. My go-to Amazon gel extensions are these tips from a brand called Beetles, they have a ton of sizes and shapes on their page so achieving your desired nail shape is really easy.
Beetles Gel Nail Kit
they have over 20 different nail shapes to choose from
Cuticle Trimmer with Cuticle Pusher and Cutter,
Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover
Milky White Nails
For the regular nail polish girlies: the following nail polishes will help you achieve the milky white manicure.
How white you’d like your nails to be is totally up to you. Usually, 2 coats of Funny bunny is enough for me.
Next, you want to give your nails that hyper-glossy finish by capping them off with a shiny topcoat like Revlon’s Ultimate Shine Top Coat. THIS IS A SUPER IMPORTANT STEP!
For Milky White Gel Nails
For the Gel girlies out there, here’s how to achieve a beautiful milky white gel manicure that lasts for weeks, not days. I start off the manicure with this base coat by Beetles, then cure for 30 seconds. Next, I’ll layer on 2 layers of a milky white polish making sure to cure between every layer for 30 seconds.
My go-to polishes are MEMEDA Milky White Gel Nail Polish and Beetles Pink Champagne Polish. They are both exceptional.
Beetles Pink Champagne Polish is the number one best seller in the Gel nail polish section (with 40,000+ reviews) on Amazon and for good reason – this color is absolutely gorgeous, versatile, and feminine. I always get compliments on my nails when I wear this color.
Make sure to add a top coat to seal your gel manicures. My go-to is the Beetles no-wipe Gel Top Coat.
MEMEDA Milky White Gel Nail Polish
Essie Sheer Pale Pink, Ballet Slippers Nail Polish
Beetles Neutral Gel Nail Polish
Pink
I also love the jelly-pink rendition of this milky white nail mani.
For the nail lacquer girlies out there try these:
- OPI’s Bubble Bath
- Essie expressie, Soft Pink Beige
- OPI Put It In Neutral (is probably my favorite OPI color of all time!)
Gel lovers must try MEMEDA Neutral Gel Nail Polish or Essie’s Mademoiselle
Essie Gel Polish – Mademoiselle
MEMEDA Neutral Gel Nail Polish
OPI Nail Lacquer, Bubble Bath, Nude Nail Polish
More Favorites
Vishine Nude Gel Polish Kit
Glamnetic Press On Almond Nails
Haunted Mansion – Sheer Purple Jelly Nail Polish
KISS Bare But Better Nude Jelly Nails
Short Almond Gel X Nails
