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Elevated neutral nails have taken the manicure world by storm—so much so that it’s hard to keep up with every subtrend. Sure, you love a polished, minimalistic manicure that goes with everything, but will that lead you to squeaky clean soap nails or a creamy milk-bath mani? Maybe you measure a mani by its eye-catching shine, but with a toasted or glass-nail finish?
It seems there’s a new “your nails, but better” trend making its viral rounds every month, but real fans know that each one has its own unique perks. “I think maybe with all the craziness happening in the world right now, minimalism in beauty feels like a nice balance,” says celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik, whose clients include Selena Gomez, Margot Robbie, and Jennifer Lopez. “We still want to feel beautiful, but not in a ‘look at me’ sort of way.”
If you’re looking for a fresh nail look (that still goes with everything in your closet), or you’ve simply lost the plot on the never-ending neutral-nails craze, you’ve come to the right place. Ahead, we rounded up every neutral nail trend that should be on your radar in 2026, along with pro tips on how to wear them.
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Toasted nude nails
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Beginning in fall 2025, toasted beauty became a massive trend, spanning from makeup to semisheer nail looks. Bachik, who coined the term, told Glamour that the perfect toasted mani combines a nude base with “golden-hour tones—like pink iridescence and glowy satin chrome effects.” If a plain nude manicure feels too subtle for your taste, use a nail effect to “toast” your favorite shade—or let some natural nail shine through, as in this version Bachik created for Margot Robbie.
Milky white manicure
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We’re clearly not ready to let go of our milk-bath nail obsession. After cycling through every flavor of milky manicure, from strawberry to lavender, we’ve landed right back at the original. This trend brings some luxurious depth and brightness to the neutral nail movement, without crossing over into stark white territory. It incorporates a semitranslucent creamy coat that’s both understated and eye-catching.
Glass nails
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If you love a high-gloss finish on your manicure, glass nails are the perfect trend to try. This manicure involves a finish so shiny, your nails look almost see-through. This look doesn’t have the subtle shimmer quality that a chrome powder brings, but it still catches light beautifully for an ultrapolished look. It’s also super easy to execute at home. To ensure that your glass nails stay fresh, “I recommend applying a fresh layer of topcoat every three to five days to keep it long-lasting and brand new,” Bachik says.
Soap nails
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This manicure evokes the slick, clean feel of a wet bar of soap. Soap nails dominated the 2025 trend cycle—with celebs like Lindsay Lohan, Selena Gomez, and Scarlett Johansson leading the charge—and shows no sign of slowing down in 2026. To get the look, combine a rosy, semisheer pink base and an ultraglossy top coat—and give your cuticles some love for extra-polished final result.
BB-cream nails
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The BB-cream manicure borrows its name from the K-beauty skin innovation, which blurs the surface of the skin without overpowering its natural glow. Apply the same principle to your manicure by picking a creamy shade that’s a tone brighter than your natural nail beds and compliments your skin tone.
Rose water nails
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Light pink is typically considered a neutral in the nail realm, especially since it flatters every skin tone. Rose water nails are less opaque than the traditional ballet slipper mani. They typically use a jelly polish to achieve a liquid effect—think tinted water, not strawberry milk. If you prefer a natural glow over your natural nails to an opaque manicure, this trend is made for you.
Glazed-donut nails
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Hailey Bieber (and celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt) put glazed-donut nails in the manicure hall of fame in 2022, and we’ve never looked back. The look involves a nude base and a dusting of chrome powder (usually white, pink, or silver), resulting in a shiny, reflective finish. For those who like a versatile manicure with a little something extra, this treatment gives the nails an elevated, futuristic vibe. While it works on any nail shape, glazed-donut nails are most typically seen on almond-shaped tips.
French manicure
There are so many ways to customize the OG neutral nail trend, the French manicure deserves its own trend roundup. While you can always opt for bold Y2K-coded tips, lots of neutral nail devotees prefer their French to fly under the radar. If that’s you, try a micro French tip (a superthin white line over a natural nail shape), which can easily be added to any of the neutral bases above. You can also opt for a blurred or milky French (sometimes called an ice cream manicure), which melts the demarcation between the nude base and the white tip for a softer final look.
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Grae McCarty is the associate beauty editor at Glamour.