If you’ve taken a scroll through popular nail accounts on Instagram or checked out BeautyTok videos this year, you’ve more than likely come across one of the most stunning and enduring 2022 beauty trends— the milk bath manicure.
As seen on celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Vanessa Hudgens, Sydney Sweeney and more, this nail trend revolves around replicating the elegant look and luxurious feel of a milk bath— one of the most glamorous, Old Hollywood-esque, regal and relaxing ways to wind down (even Cleopatra was reportedly a fan). With that said, we rounded up 12 refreshing, eye-catching and epic milk bath-inspired manicure pics to bring with you to the salon this winter.
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Imagine, for a moment, soaking your skin in a warm milk bath, and how that might feel. Now, picture painting your nails with colors inspired by this kind of bath, and either going for a classic, simple, white-tinted, nude nail look, or even adding little details or embellishments.
That, friends and beauty lovers, is the appeal of the milk bath manicure trend, and why we’ve seen stars and style icons like Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Jenner and Rita Ora rock glossy, shiny and healthy-looking nails all year long (and they shimmer as if they had been soaked in a milk bath!)
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Speaking to POPSUGAR, celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein detailed why the milk bath nails are so enticing and what the term refers to. “Milk-bath nails are acrylic nails where [sometimes] colorful dried flowers are embedded into a milky color acrylic,” she said. Gerstein added that many lovers of the trend choose to replicate simply the “milky” color and skip the floral elements or other designs, depending on their personal preferences.
She also continued that creating this look usually won’t take much longer than time required to do gel. “Depending on [the] length [of your nail] and how fast your tech is, [it could take] about an hour or two,” she noted. Now, let’s get into some chic designs and celeb-fave possibilities for flaunting a milk bath mani:
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As seen on Jennifer Lopez, this iconic, simple and no-fail nail look is the quintessential milk bath manicure. Lopez’s nails shine with the help of a white-tinted, sheer polish, and hers also features glitter. With the romantic, rounded shape and sharp, protruding boldness, this standout look can be the perfect last touch to your beauty routine and outfit for any occasion!
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Hailey Bieber rocked what her and her manicurist deemed to be ‘pearly baby pink nails,’ and subtly followed the milk bath mani trend. While looking both simultaneously delicate and edgy, this iteration of the trend has an enviable, glowy shine while also being sharp, rounded and long. Bieber also notably promoted the ‘glazed donut’ nail trend earlier this year, which still had a similar shiny look but with a darker, more brownish hue. If the milk bath nail is more of your vibe, this Bieber look is a subtle, shiny and healthy-looking version!
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Sydney Sweeney also nailed the milk bath mani trend (pun intended) with a glossy, nude polish. Along with this, the Euphoria star’s manicurist painted multicolored, 60s pop art-like flowers, adding two per nail. Sweeney’s nails were styled into a long, oval shape, and while spring may be months away, these cute floral patterns have us awaiting its arrival!
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Camila Cabello’s gorgeous milk bath nails feature a singular, central strip of silver glitter while also shining thanks to shiny, sheer, milky polish. This take on the trend is still rounded, but much shorter, which is great inspo for those of us who don’t always feel like having ultra-long nails. The overall effortlessly chic look isn’t too difficult to recreate, and Cabello’s manicurist revealed on Instagram that he used a gel shade for her camera-ready nails.
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Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline’s milk bath mani is unforgettable as it adds a pop of color to an otherwise nude, dainty look. Cline’s manicurist painted on a graphic, rich, sapphire-blue outlined edge to each rounded, sharp nail, replicating a French manicure with a modern twist.
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While many milk bath manicures have sheer, nude or natural-looking shades, you can still revamp the style with a bright neon color, instead! With this rainbow-inspired idea, the manicurist painted each nail a different, vibrant hue while still emulating the shine, gloss and shimmer of the previous looks.
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These stunning, butterfly-adorned nails were made possible with a pink and bluish milky base. Little butterfly stickers and painted flowers help transform this whole look, and its epic shine, powerful, long shape and overall whimsical feel make us instantly inspired to jump on the milk bath trend with our own favorite patterns!
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This unique milk bath nail look takes the typical pink, sheer, milky base and adds painted-on flames (in a vibrant blue hue and red outlining!) for an exciting change. One nail even features cute flowers with smiley faces on them, showing how you can easily make the milk bath trend your own with little personalized touches!
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Rather than painting on flowers, this nail artist used dried floral petals in their milk bath look, and flipped a traditional French mani by adding sparkly rhinestones only to the very bottom of each nail. The breathtaking end result also featured a long, rectangular shape.
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If you love all of the following; French manis, glitter, and now the milk bath trend, you can effortlessly combine all three, just like a manicurist did in this example! Rather than an intense or thick line on the outer rim of each nail, this look stuns with its simplicity, and a delicate, glistening line to top off the traditional pink, sheer, milky look.
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These long, pink and shiny milk bath nails are highlighted with the help of silver, metallic chrome paint used to create dazzling swirl designs. From their daring length and sharp shape to the shimmering swirls, this is one way to make your milk bath mani stand out instantly!
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Neon nails were also huge this year, and combining them with a milk bath look is a fun way to try something new. This celeb manicurist replicated your usual thick French manicure but with radiant neon bases and swirly, groovy lines on top of the nails. The bottom of each nail looks as if it was soaked in a milk bath, successfully uniting both 2022 nail trends!
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Overall, whether you love the milky look of this trend all on its own, want to try it while shining in a different color or with little accents and embellishments added, however you choose to rock your milk bath manicure is up to you.
Luckily, there are so many different options, ways to customize your nails and inspo pics to choose from. As 2022 comes to a close, there is truly no denying how prevalent the milk bath mani look was on social media this year (and we believe it’ll live on in 2023). Happy nail painting!
Marissa is a Brooklyn-based culture journalist and staff writer at SheFinds, covering edgy celebrity style, timeless beauty trends, lifestyle and entertainment news. Her coverage of indie music, NYC fashion, underground and pop culture is featured in PAPER Magazine, Paste Magazine, The Knockturnal, Bandsintown and more. You can reach her at [email protected]