Milky Nails Is the 2022 Update to a Timeless Neutral Manicure

From checkerboard patterns to rainbow French manicures, there are always a number of bold, bright nail art designs that go viral on TikTok and Instagram. However, if you prefer laidback, subtle manicures, some trends fall on the neutral spectrum, too.

Enter milky nails, a manicure that's all about the polish color rather than nail art. It's a minimal yet chic, falling smack in the middle between opaque white and sheer white. As the name suggests, the finished look resembles a tall glass of milk, whether you prefer whole or non-dairy.

The #milkynails hashtag has 9.8 million views on TikTok, but the manicure is having a moment offline, too. Lizzo often wears the look for performances, and milky nails are even J.Lo approved. Celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik Instagrammed the milky white manicure with almond-shaped French tips that he gave the star, sharing that he used Bio Seaweed Gel's Be The Light to create it.

Kylie Jenner, Lizzo, and Hailey Bieber are a few other stars who are fans of the manicure, and if you follow any of them on social media, you've probably caught a glimpse of their milky white tips on their Instagram Stories over the past few seasons.

Bieber even wore the look to the 2022 Met Gala, and her nail artist Zola Ganzorigt included the breakdown of products she used to achieve the milky white finish in her Instagram caption. The mixture included OPI GelColor in Funny Bunny and OPI Chrome Effects in Tin Man Can.

And like Bachik demonstrated with J.Lo's milky French manicure, you can add a touch of nail art to a milky white base, should you so desire. Here, a manicure from Modern Pamper Salon in North Hollywood (Bieber and Jenner's go-to manicure spot), incorporates matte white negative space lines.

While professional nail artists like Ganzorigt may use powders to achieve the effect, milky white nails can be done at home with a single polish. Ahead, a few of our favorite shades to use for a milky manicure.

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Milky White Nail Polishes to Use for Your Next Manicure