As a beauty editor, I love indulging in the latest nail trends. And now that we're in the full swing of winter nail trends, you can bet that pinot noir manicures and mocha nails are all over my social feeds right now.
However, being the minimalist that I am, the nail colours I love more than anything else are often sheer nails and translucent polishes, such as milky manicures and sheer pink nail polishes. So, for me and other neutral-leaning connoisseurs, dark nail colours can be a little intimidating, which is why I'm backing porcelain nails as the minimalistic alternative nail trends for winter 2025.
What Are Porcelain Nails?
I first spotted porcelain nails on celebrity manicurist, Georgia Rae, who used Luxio's Builder Gel Polish in the shade Porcelain (£20) to create this beautiful manicure above.
With its sheer white tones, it has a translucency that mimics the delicate finish of porcelain with the same glassy shine you see on fine china. It's chic, expensive-looking and leaves your nails looking vibrant and healthy. And IMO, it's the perfect winter white that still feels seasonal and is a great alternative to the traditionally dark winter nail colours that dominate this time of the year.
Ready to try porcelain nails for yourself? Scroll ahead for all the inspo to take to the salon and the best nail shades to get the look at home.
Porcelain Nails Inspo
How stunning is this sheer porcelain shade on almond nails?
Porcelain nails look exceptionally chic on short nails, too.
I love the slightly more opaque finish of this milky manicure.
The squoval nail shape + porcelain shade combo might be my favourite yet.
I love how this sheer white hue brighten the nail beds, making them look so healthy and shiny.
This take is a little sheerer, giving a more subtle nod to the porcelain mani trend.
Why not try porcelain nails with a French tip?
Best Products for Porcelain Nails
Manucurist's Milky White is a sheer white that instantly gives the look of porcelain nails.
For an even glossier porcelain finish, you can buy Milky White in Manucurist's gel formula to use with Manucurist's LED lamp (below) for an even longer-lasting mani.
The Manucurist Green Flash LED Gel Polish Kit has everything you need for a long-lasting mani at home—it's a great gel nail alternative.
Essie's Allure nail polish has a sheer, off-white tone that looks so delicate on the nails.
OPI's Funny Bunny is a classic sheer white nail polish.
Celebrity manicurist Harriet Westmoreland has created the perfect sheer white nail polish for her own brand, Westmoreland Cosmetics.
This is the builder gel used by Rae for her beautiful porcelain manicure—best used by a professional.
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