Strawberry Milk Nails Are Spring's Cutest Manicure Trend

The trending manicure names have become...unhinged. But can you blame them? Manis like lip gloss nails, glazed donut nails, and aura nails actually resemble their namesakes, plus, there's no reason your nails shouldn't sound as fun as they look. The latest trend calls on your favorite childhood drink, strawberry milk. Yes, "strawberry milk" nails are officially a thing, and they play off the reigning creamy milk bath manicure. Ahead, everything you need to know about the yummy trend.

What are Strawberry Milk Nails?

The strawberry milk manicure wouldn't be a thing if it weren't for the milk bath manicure. A traditional milk bath nail features a white or cream semi-sheer base and a high-shine top coat—the manicure is simple, yes, but it makes the nails look highly manicured with very little effort. It’s what you might imagine wedding nails to be—something that makes the nails look perfect but not "out there" with frilly designs or intricate toppers.

The strawberry milk manicure is a riff on the OG milk bath manicure in that it still offers a pristine look that can almost make the nails appear artificial (even if the manicure is done on natural nails) but has a pinkish tint instead of white. Furthermore, strawberry milk as a drink has slight depth in its appearance, and the strawberry milk manicure has just a touch of sheerness to create that same hazy finish. Stars like Kourtney Kardashian Barker and Zendaya have all hopped onto the trend by wearing a cherry flavored strawberry milk mani, and classic strawberry milk manicure, respectively.

How to Get Strawberry Milk Nails

Although it seems as simple as slapping on a pale pink nail polish onto each nail, it takes a little more prep for the clean look. The “Russian manicure” is trending on TikTok, and it’s a technique that calls for pushing the cuticles as far back as possible and then sanding them off with a nail drill. The result is an immaculate and long nail bed that pairs perfectly with a strawberry milk manicure—but the process can be scary (and damaging) to DIY.

For a safer alternative, you’ll first want to push your cuticles back with a cuticle pusher (if you have really overgrown cuticles, you can use a cuticle softening oil like the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover, $5). After gently scooping off excess cuticle product from the nailbed, wipe your nails clean and apply a base coat. After that, you can apply two coats of a semi-sheer pink nail polish.

It’s really up to your discretion how pink you want to go, so for a nude-pink you can opt for the Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Ballerina ($30), for a rosy mauve pink go for the Londontown Kur Perfecting Nail Veil #4 ($20); and for a bright yet sheer Barbie pink choose the Essie Expressie Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Mall Crawler ($10).

Finish off with a high-shine top coat, et voila, you now have a manicure inspired by the cutest childhood beverage.