From soft, natural nails to your-nails-but-better manicures, ‘quiet luxury’ has long been a source of inspiration in the realm of minimalist nail art, superseding the loud, brash 3-D talons and colourful tips that once reigned supreme.
Selena Gomez is the latest celebrity to co-sign the ‘quiet luxury’ manicure, this time debuting a new nail trend that seems to have piqued the interest of the nail world. Enter: soap nails. Fast becoming the manicure of 2025, everyone from Victoria Beckham to Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner is now making a strong case for the milky, high-shine nail trend.
Created by celebrity nail tech Tom Bachik, the ultra glossy manicure is one we now all want to emulate and can be achieved at home with nail polish or in the salon with gel or BIAB. To create Gomez’s, Bachik used his ‘favourite @tweezerman tools’ and @apresnailofficial Gel Couleur in ‘Spring Sigh’ to create the ultimate ‘Soap Girl Mani’ but this can also be recreated with your kit at home.
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What are soap nails?
‘Soap nails’ are a fledgling trend that are now taking over on TikTok – they nod to milky whites, soft pinks and nude nails that are particularly glossy and manicured. Effectively, they’re inspired by a clean, post-bubble bath aesthetic (think squeaky clean, shiny nails).
As ORLY’s UK Ambassador and nail expert, Lou Stokes, explains, soap nails border both skincare and nail art and tap into the rising demand for less-is-more beauty. ‘Soap nails are essentially a very well-manicured nail, in creamy milky tones or soft pink shades with semi-sheer, neutral coverage that emulates that clean, fresh and glossy feeling,’ she shares.
How to recreate ‘soap nails’
As Stokes explains, nail care is paramount: ‘extremely shiny well-groomed nails are what gives this manicure a luxurious feel and squeaky-clean finish.’ Think of it in the same way you do your make-up: starting with a good base and skincare is how to get the best results.
First up, use a cuticle remover, or warm water, before gently buffing your nails. Shape your nails into the popular almond shape to recreate Gomez’s nails, or if yours are shorter you can stick to square or round nails (see our guide to nail shapes here for more guidance).
Choose your milky shade and apply even layers. The real trick here is to add two coats of your top coat to emulate the high-shine finish, before ending with a cuticle oil.
Candy Floss Oxygenated Nail Lacquer
Chanel Le Vernis
Manucurist Active Shine Make-up & Care Nail Polish
Hermès Les Mains Hermès Nail Enamel
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Amelia Bell is the Senior Site Beauty Editor at ELLE UK, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and overseeing all beauty content for the site. Amelia has a particular interest in sustainable beauty practices, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women’s Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.
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