Lip gloss lovers are drawn to the sheer, shiny wash of color a slick of the product gives our pouts. And luckily, it’s a look that can easily be emulated for a pretty, pared-back manicure. Enter: lip gloss nails.
“Lip gloss nails are minimalistic nude nails that mimic your natural nail bed color with a high shine top coat for a super glossy shine,” says celebrity nail artist Thuy Nguyen. “Sometimes, if your nail bed does not have enough of your desired pink hue, you can opt to use a light pink jelly gel for color balancing.”
Although the term “lip gloss nails” has been trending over the past year, the look is quite timeless. “This high-shine sheer pink look has been heavily requested nail color for as long as I’ve been doing nails and certainly even before that,” says celebrity nail artist Steph Stone. If you’re looking for inspiration, see 15 covetable lip gloss nails looks below.
meet the expert
- Thuy Nguyen is a celebrity nail artist whose clients include Joey King and Kaia Gerber.
- Steph Stone is a celebrity nail artist whose clients include Aubrey Plaza and Tessa Thompson.
Chic and Classic
Thuy Nguyen
Thuy created this super subtle lipgloss nail look on Sofia Richie Grainge. The polish is sheer enough that you can really appreciate the natural color of the model and influencer’s nails.
Pearls and Mixed Metals
The barely-there color in this look is Gossamer Garments ($13) from Essie’s Gel Couture line. It features metal and pearl decals to add a bit of interest.
Watermelon Lip Gloss
Although ip gloss nails tend to lean baby pink, if you love a pigmented gloss, you’re sure to love this deeper take on look. It features the shade Summer Loving ($10) from Kathleen & Co.
Glossy and Bejeweled
Inspired by this dusty pink velvet shoe — the result of a Vans x Sandy Liang collab — this look was created with rhinestone decals and the shade Vanity Fairest ($10) from Essie.
Hearts and Gloss
Just because you’re going for the lip gloss look doesn’t mean you can’t throw some saturated designs into the mix. This look features a single accent nail with a few hearts.
Candy Pink
This light pink shade from Essie’s Gel Couture line is great if you want to try the trend with a bit more coverage.
Glossy Flames
The lip gloss effect serves as the base for this bold white and pink flame design.
Sparkle Gloss
If you like your gloss with a super subtle hint of shimmer, this look is perfect. It features the Rose Jelly ($13) polish from Cirque Colors with a sparkly top coat.
Milky Gloss
Paintbox
This barely there milky white shade keeps the pink tint in this lip gloss nail look very, very minimal.
Coral Gloss
Paintbox
This coraly pink sheer polish is great if you want the lip gloss nail look with a bit more depth.
