I Tried the Milk-Bath Manicure Celebrities Can't Get Enough Of
Image Source: Getty/Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor
- Milk-bath nails have been seen on celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Simone Biles.
- The manicure involves using a milky overlay, sometimes to encapsulate dried flowers.
- One editor tried milk-bath nails and loved the results.
One of the beauty rituals that makes me feel most put-together is having my nails done. It is one of the few treatments that manages to immediately give me a mood boost every time I look at my hands. That’s why I love trying trending manicures, and one of the biggest to come out of Hollywood is milk-bath nails.
Seen on celebrities like Simone Biles, Meghan Markle, and Jennifer Lopez, milk-bath manicures provide an ethereal take on colorful nail art. “Milk-bath nails are acrylic nails where colorful dried flowers are embedded into a milky color acrylic,” celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein previously told POPSUGAR. Depending on your personal preference, you can skip the floral element and just opt for the milky color, which would give you a subtle manicure fit for a minimalist.
After seeing the design all over my social media feeds, I decided to try it for myself. I went to Vanity Projects nail salon in Manhattan. Once I arrived and got my previous set removed, the technician immediately got to work on applying the Aprés Gel-X extensions, a clear overlay made from soft gel that is already in a nail form and is attached over the entirety of your natural nail. This method is much more gentle on the nail than acrylics are, given that the products are not acid based. As a result, Gel-X nails are also much easier to remove.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography/Ariel Baker
Once the nails were on, it was time for the design. After applying the Aprés Base Gelcoat ($12), the technician applied one coat of the Leafgel Premium Color Gel in Coconut White ($20), followed by one layer of IBD Hard Gel ($12). Then, real dried flowers were meticulously placed on each finger. After that, the technician repeated the process: cure, one coat of the white Leafgel, one coat of the IBD Hard Gel. Lastly came the Aprés Top Gelcoat ($12), which was used for a glossy finish before curing the manicure once more.
Image Source: Vanity Projects
The end result was a soft, milky look that is perfect for spring and summer – and I’ve already been looking into buying the polish colors so I can try this trend at home. The most time-intensive part of this trend is the floral placement, so if you’re in a rush but want to DIY this manicure, try putting the flowers on an accent nail instead of the full hand. However, if you’re ready for the full milk-bath nail treatment – florals and all – I can’t recommend this design enough.
