“Soap Nails” Is The Understated Manicure Trend That Suits Everyone

We are mere weeks into 2025 and there is already an abundance of new nail trends to inspire your next visit to the salon. From kitsch scrapbook nail art to high-shine glass nails, this year’s emerging manicures cater to every style and taste. But if you have a penchant for a more pared-back manicure — I’m talking sheer nail tints or the “invisible” French — then this newly trending nail look will be right up your street.

Enter: “soap nails”. 

Soft and sheer, soap nails are the latest iteration of our collective obsession with “clean girl” manicures. Less cloudy than milky nails and not as jelly-like as a lip gloss manicure, soap nails will appeal to anyone who likes a manicure that’s fresh, simple and perfectly executed. “Soap nails are a gentle, delicate nail finish that mirrors the subtle shine of freshly cut soap,” explains nail tech and Mylee senior ambassador Tinu Bello. “Soap nails have a translucent, almost milky quality that makes them look soft and light, like something straight out of a bubble bath.” 

The colour palette is key for a soapy manicure, and Tinu mentions that pale pink is one of the most popular shades for the look. (She says Mylee XOXO Gel Polish, £9.99, is the perfect translucent ballerina pink.) However, if pink isn’t your bag then a whole spectrum of soft, powdery pastels work well, too. “Soap nails look great in baby blue, lavender, soft yellow and mint green,” says Tinu. 

While a professional manicure will undoubtedly give you the most clean and precise finish, soap nails can be achieved at home if you spend some time on the prep. Tinu recommends pushing back your cuticles and buffing the surface of your nails for a smooth and tidy base, and suggests filing your nails into a square, oval or almond shape.

“Apply a base coat and then, once it’s dry, carefully apply thin layers of your chosen soft pastel polish — allowing each layer to dry or cure fully before adding another to prevent streaking,” she explains. Build up slowly to your desired intensity, but you really just want a soft wash of colour rather than anything overly pigmented. The real key to soap nails lies in the top coat, though. “Add a high-shine top coat for that glossy, soapy finish and to enhance that almost ethereal effect,” Tinu says. 

Admittedly, at first glance soap nails can look remarkably similar to a milky manicure due to the similar soft colours and simple execution. However, there are subtle differences.

“Milky nails have a soft, semi-sheer white or neutral base that creates a creamy, milk-like appearance,” explains Tinu. Soap nails, on the other hand, are a lot more shiny. “They have a glossy aesthetic with a shinier, almost wet-look finish,” says Tinu. Soap nails also tend to be a lot more sheer, and often have an iridescent or pearlescent effect to “capture the glistening aspect of soap or bubbles”.

Ready to book your next nail appointment? Ahead, here’s all the inspiration you need for your own set of soap nails.

Simple yet perfectly polished, Harriet Westmoreland’s minimalist manicure proves that an ultra-glossy top coat is the key to the soap nail trend. Try OPI Mirror Shine Top Coat, £17.60, for the ultimate high-shine finish.

Capturing one of the more ethereal colours of a soap bubble, Mateja Novakovic’s beautiful purple-toned manicure is so pretty. Use Gelcare Lavender Water, £15, to recreate it exactly at home.

Manicurist Millie Flemming has created the most fresh and clean manicure with this combination of a rose-tinted base and uber-glossy top coat.

If your nails are in need of some TLC then make like Georgia Rae and ask your manicurist for builder gel to create a strengthening yet glowy soap nail look.

Unlike other clean manicures, there’s room to play with a little shimmer and sparkle with soap nails, as Alyx Lippiatt proves with this subtle look. Try Manucurist Active Shine, £16, for the softest wash of diffused glitter.

Julia Diogo’s fresh new year manicure was created using Essie To The Rescue Nail Polish, £10.99, for that sheer, shiny, juicy finish that we all want from our soap nails. 

From the glasslike finish to the spectrum of subtle pastel hues, Salon Nude’s take on the soap nail trend is utterly perfect.