'Cappuccino Milk Nails': The Fresh, Earthy Manicure To Try In Spring 2024

Spring 2024's "cappuccino milk" nails are a throwback to the pastel-pink strawberry milk nail trend from the previous year — however, we're swapping pink for creamy foam beige. This manicure took off thanks to model Leni Klum — daughter of supermodel Heidi Klum — who flaunted her luminous stiletto nails in a Dior photoshoot on Instagram in March. The trend's name "cappuccino milk" was popularized by Glamour Germany, and features a softer and lighter variation of fall 2023's chocolate milk French manicure. It also calls for a much warmer polish than a standard French manicure, which uses a cool pink-nude base underneath a swipe of pearly white for the tips.

Thus, this mani is well-suited to those with warmer undertones, such as olive and yellow, nail expert Julie-Anne Larivière explains to Scratch Magazine. According to Larivière, "... skin tone should always be the main focus when choosing a base shade for your French manicure. For people with fair or light skin, pink and rose-based shades are best, whereas medium and olive skin tones will suit beiges [and] light brown nudes," she shares. "As for dark and deep skin tones, choose creamy/caramel type nudes." Nevertheless, the defining feature of this milky manicure is the sheer polish. So, whether you opt for a brown beige or rosy beige, the key is combining it with a milky, high-shine lacquer. 

If done subtly, this coffee-inspired look can easily match the criteria for minimalist quiet luxury nails — a predominant trend for spring 2024 beauty, nails, and fashion. During your next nail appointment, ask your tech for a milky pink base and barely-there beige polish for the tips. 

There's nothing more chic than classic French tips but you can't deny that a French mani looks even more sophisticated with a brown-beige base. Compared to a rosy-pink polish, a beige polish blends in much better with the skin, enhancing the pearly-white tips and iridescent sheen. Play around with different shades to find the perfect beige for your skin's undertone. 

Although stiletto nails are one of the trendiest manicure shapes for spring 2024, you can still pull off the elegant French mani look with shorter nails. In this case, go for a micro French mani to manipulate the appearance of your nails and make them seem longer. "The micro French manicure is a very subtle, understated take on the classic French," Glosslab founder Rachel Apfel Glass tells Refinery29. She adds, "The line of polish is made much thinner than the typical one."

Sheer and glossy polishes look ever so flattering on sunny days, so elevate your usual French mani by layering a milky beige polish with a high-shine finish. As chrome manicures are set to be a go-to look for 2024, consider a subtle chrome base, barely-there tips, and stiletto-almond nails.

If you thought the "cappuccino milk" trend only catered to manicure minimalists, you were wrong. Fans of loud or unique nails can certainly take advantage of the cappuccino trend by adding abstract swirls, double French accents, and reverse French manicures. Mix it up by painting your tips and any other designs you like a toasty beige hue, and reach for a nude polish for the base.