Milk Tea Manicures Are the Next Refreshing Nail Trend

How to Get Milk Tea Nails at Home

1. Prep Your Nails

Milk tea nails focus on the color of your manicure, so you can choose what length and shape you want to really make the look your own. Start out by pushing back your cuticles and trimming any hangnails before filing your nails until you get your desired look. Then, make sure to prep your nails for polish by buffing them out and painting on a base coat. With this polish and clipper duo, you’ll be ready in no time. 

2. Pick Your Polish

Just like the drink they’re named after, milk tea nails can vary in color depending on what milky or tea-inspired shades you pick. You can pick from hues that range anywhere from a creamy white with a hint of brown to a light caramel shade. Play around with the undertones of your nail polish too, and figure out if you like a cooler or warmer-toned brown. 

3. Paint Your Nails

After you’ve prepped your nails and picked out your polish, it’s time to bring your milk tea manicure to life. Simply add a few coats of your preferred shade, or if you want to get creative, you can create an ombré effect with different “milk tea” hues you pick out. Another cute take on the trend includes creating swirls with a creamy white shade and a light brown one, mimicking the look of tea and milk mixing together. For more inspiration on how to make the milk tea mani your own, keep scrolling to see some delicious examples. 

6 Milk Tea Manicure Looks We Love

1. Milky Brown Mani

No matter what kind of beverage you like, chances are, you put your own twist on how it's served. These nails serve as the perfect representation for those who prefer their milk tea with a little more dairy. To get the look, pick out a barely-there brown polish and swipe on a few coats—but not too many, as the more you put on, the darker your manicure becomes. Finish off with a topcoat to get that sleek nude look. 

2. Multicolor Milk Tea Nails

Who said your milk tea mani had to be one color? Give the trend a refresh by painting each of your nails a different shade of light brown, creating a gradient across your nails. A subtle ombré on your middle finger will help blend the different hues together, just as if you were mixing milk and tea IRL. 

3. Glistening French Manicure

Give your milk tea manicure a refresh by adding a cat-eye effect into the mix. Start out by painting your nails with your preferred light brown shade, and then add a gold-toned cat-eye polish on top. Stop here for an icy twist on the look, or go maximalist by adding french tips. While this manicure tops off its look with navy french tips, you can lean into the milkiness of the trend with white details instead.

4. Edgy Embellished Milk Tea Nails

Add some edge to your manicure with some metallic embellishments. Not only is this look unique and fun, but it’s totally DIY-friendly—just grab some silver nail stickers or adornments and place them on top of your polish. If you’re feeling a little extra, you can even add on some more chrome details with a silver polish. 

5. Glitter Milk Tea Mani

Choosing a neutral nail color doesn’t mean your milk tea manicure has to be minimal. Add some sparkle to the light brown look with an accent nail coated in gold glitter. Even a little bit of shimmer goes a long way. 

6. Milk Tea French Tips

For an elevated version of the trend, use the creamy brown color of milk tea for your next French manicure. Elegant and easy to replicate, this look is perfect for all seasons, but pairs especially well with colorful summer outfits.