Floral Milk Bath Nails Are The Perfect Spin On The Trendy Look

If you've been keeping up with celebrity manicures, then you've likely noticed the creamy colors of milk nails popping up on Instagram posts and red carpets. This minimalist design has been seen on the hands of Lizzo, Zendaya, and Kylie Jenner, and is known for its semi-opaque finish and off-white hues.

Floral milk bath nails have since emerged from this minimalist trend, putting a colorful twist on the subdued design. If you're unfamiliar, a milk bath is a warm tub soak diluted with milk that is intended to rejuvenate the skin. Often, essential oils and dried fragrant flowers are mixed in, which is the combo that the trendy milk bath nails draw inspiration from.

An example of this can be seen on Jennifer Lopez's nails, which were created by celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik. The set features the well-known transparent base of milky nails but adds a purple, orange, yellow, and red flower design that is perfect for the spring season. Just like creating the perfect milk bath, there's a method to achieving this stylish nail design and we have just the inspiration you need.

Looking at milk bath nails, you may be wondering just exactly how these colorful, floral designs are created. Believe it or not, this nail trend uses real dried flowers and leaves, though you can use imitation flowers, with an encapsulation technique to create the milk bath effect. Typically, acrylic dip powder or gel nails are used to achieve the cocooning effect.

For an example of what kind of looks you can create within this trend, we love the set from @cheyennenailedit, which features trendy square-shaped nails adorned with entire flowers, partial leaves, and small petals.

Instead of featuring whole flowers, milk bath nails can also take a more dainty appearance by using tiny flowers and petal pieces. This subtle look goes particularly well with the creamy minimalism of milky base polishes, creating a colorful but subdued look.

As an example, check out the Instagram post from @amour_beauty_bylyndsey which shows off petite petals and small flowers in bright colors. If you like the simplicity of cream-colored nails but want something a little more colorful, then these dainty milk bath designs are definitely worth considering.

Besides flowers and petals, leaves and herbs make great additions to milk bath nails. Dried leaves have an interesting texture that can make your nail designs look truly dynamic. 

For instance, the nails featured by @the.cutie.room use several whole leaves in orange, yellow, pink, and green in addition to smaller flower pieces to create an eye-catching appearance. When planning your own milk bath nails, don't be afraid to incorporate fronds, blades, and any other plant pieces that add compelling texture to your design.

In addition to leaves and herbs, gold nail foil is another common addition to milk bath nails. These foil pieces are used in lots of different types of nail art, being particularly common with dip powder nails, but they look especially great when paired with the delicate appearance of this trend.

We are big fans of how this design element looks in the Instagram post from @glam_bysami, which shows watercolor-like flowers in cool-toned colors surrounded by small pieces of foil. If you're wanting to add a little extra shine to your hands, then we definitely recommend adding gold foil to your milk bath nails.

When designing your own flowery milk bath nails, you can also play around with different finishes. For example, a glitter top coat could be an easy way to add a touch of sparkle. We particularly love how chrome finishes look with this nail design, though, as it adds a really dynamic shine to the floral look.

An example of this comes from @nailedbybrandi, who uses a pink-toned chrome finish on a milk bath set featuring pink and purple flower pieces. The resulting effect is reflectively eye-catching and especially ethereal.

When it comes to the coloring of your milk bath nails, there's lots of room for customization. You can play around with the tone of your diluted base coat as well as the hues of your flower pieces and petals. 

For instance, @sassnailartistry features a set that maintains the classic semi-opaqueness of milk bath nails but uses a more pink-toned coloring instead of the typical eggshell white. Paired with simple pink and yellow flowers placed on each pointer finger, this design choice is super elegant and airy.

As you experiment with the color palette of your milk bath nails, you can also think about incorporating other ethereal design elements to really personalize the look. We really love how @millie.coronaa uses an ombre effect in this blue milk bath set, limiting the floral pieces to an accent nail so they can really have an impact.

For your own set, brainstorm some of your favorite nail art features and think about how you could potentially integrate them into a milk bath look.