Mark My Words: "Milky Floral" Nail Art Is the Major Upcoming Spring Nail Trend to Know

Harriet Westmoreland is a Who What Wear UK Editor in Residence and cofounder of Westmoreland Cosmetics. She is one of the most sought-after manicurists, having tended to the hands of celebrity clientele such as Zendaya and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Her signature minimalist and luxurious manicures have garnered her worldwide demand, and she is one of the leading tastemakers in nail trends.

As a celebrity manicurist, I see so much demand for micro nail art, especially at this time of year. My clients often ask for it in the spring, as it's a cute and chic way to have a little bit of fun with your usual manicure and tap into a seasonal nail trend. My clients and I wanted to find a way to have some fun with their manicure whilst keeping it elegant and timeless, and the micro floral is such a great way to do this.

Personally, I love doing floral nail art on a milky nail base and choosing one accent nail for the art. At first glance, it just looks like a milky manicure. It's only if you see the nail art on the thumb that you notice the little pop of colour and the flower, and I think that's part of the appeal of milky nail art.

My nail art style is definitely minimal, so I like the micro nail art to be super small and detailed. I love to work with intricate details because you get that classic finish to the manicure, and the nail art is very wearable. That tiny little bit of colour catches the light and is honestly such a joy every time you see it.

Below, I'm sharing my tips and tricks to help you create a "milky floral" nail art design, alongside my favourite products to achieve the look.

How to Do "Milky Floral" Nail Art

For a milky manicure, once you've prepped your nails, start by applying Westmoreland Cosmetics Glass Base Coat (£20), followed by Glass Gel (£25) in shade 1 or 2, which suit all complexions. Shade 1 is a little bit milkier, and Shade 2 has a touch of pink, but is still milky. They both have that beautiful sheer finish.

If you're working with nail polish rather than gel, be aware that, obviously, polish dries faster, so you need to paint it as quickly as possible to avoid any dragging. If you're using gel polish, cure it and then wipe the nail with acetone to remove the sticky layer.

For the nail art itself, I would paint the individual leaves of the flower one by one using a tiny nail-art brush. Then, I would place a dotting tool into the centre of the leaves to create the little heart of the flower. I do it intuitively as I go, so I'll look at the size and the shape of the nail and then build the design around that. I only ever do one tiny flower unless the client asks for more; I like to just do one so it feels balanced rather than overcrowded.

The biggest technical challenge is spacing the petals correctly, but once you put the dots on top, it'll all pull together and look neat, so trust the process! If you have short nails, a small flower in the centre of the nail works perfectly if you don't have much space for your nail art. Don't worry if they're not perfect; they can be a little bit messy, and the petals can be different sizes.

I personally find that simple flowers always look best. I usually do cute, cartoon-esque flowers because I think they're super cute, and my clients all love them. We'll usually do this in a pastel colour; yellows, greens, blues and pinks all look great for floral nail art.

To finish off the manicure, you need to lock it in with a top coat. After you've cured, you can then scrub with soap and a nail brush. This cleans the nail, helps smooth surrounding skin and is a super-easy way to elevate your manicure and look after your nails for that polished, luxurious finish.

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