I Could Have a PhD in Predicting Nail Trends—8 Manicures I'm Expecting to Soar in 2026
Quick humble brag: I have a special knack for forecasting nail trends. It truly brings me joy to dive into the season's most fashion-forward manicures and speculate on what we'll see next (good thing it's my job, right?), and I've been right on the money on more than a few occasions. Case in point: jelly bean nails for summer, rum raisin nails for fall, and nail crowns for whenever you want to exude a bit of elegance. If you're in the market for a design that feels chic, up-to-date, and non-basic, trust me—you've come to the right place.
As you can probably guess, I've had 2026 nail trends on the brain way before we entered the new year, and after saving a zillion IG photos, screenshotting under-the-radar Pinterest finds, and, of course, consulting trusted experts on their current obsessions, I'm finally ready to share my predictions. Scroll ahead for the eight trends we're bound to see crop up in the next few months. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Milk Bath Nails
"I think we will see a lot of milk bath nails (replacing the crowd favorite soap nails)," declares nail artist Fariha Ali. "I am definitely of the mind that milky white will be the new soft pink." You heard it here first! Both hues are undoubtedly classic, of course, but Ali predicts an oat or almond milk situation to be more popular than ever—namely, thanks to Pantone's Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer.
"People are pining for the soft life now more than ever, and with that, we'll probably see a lot of soft whites," she adds. Not to mention, sheer gel polishes are becoming increasingly more sophisticated with streak-free finishes that have the perfect amount of opacity. "This will be the reason why 2026 sheer-white mani will look so much better than their 2019 sheer-white mani and match literally any outfit or vibe," Ali notes.
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Y2K Mauve
That's not to say pink is "out." Rather, "I think the Y2K mauve pinks are making a comeback," Ali notes. I'm inclined to agree, as we saw rum raisin shades (aka, cool-toned berry mauves) dominate this fall. It's certainly a cozy choice for the cooler months, but it's actually pretty versatile for year-round manis. Just take it from nail artist Coca Michelle, who relied on a rum raisin shade for one of the nail looks for Grace Ling’s spring/summer 2026 show. "It can give grunge but also chic and mysterious," she previously told WWW about the trend.
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Built-In Pearl
I know, I know—a pearlescent, glazed-donut mani doesn't seem too groundbreaking. But according to Ali, you no longer need chrome powder to achieve the viral, Hailey Bieber-approved manicure. "I see more of it built into the polish as opposed to a chrome layer or glitter topper," she shares. Virality breeds innovation, it seems, and the updated iridescent polishes prove that this design isn't slowing down in the slightest.
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Waterdrop Manis
Speaking of product innovations, Ali shares that cat-eye technology (aka, polish with magnetic pigments) has also come a long way. "The latest iterations are made with the smallest pigment size and, when activated, look like a drop of light trapped under your nails," she describes. Enter, waterdrop manicures. According to celebrity nail artist Julie Kandalec, who recently attended the 2025 Tokyo Nail Expo (one of the largest nail festivals in the world), these magnetic nails with no visible glitter particles are poised to rise in popularity.
