“Foggy French manicure”: the main manicure trend of 2026, which displaces “milk nails”

In the past, 2025, the undisputed favorite in the world of manicure was the delicate “milky” design in all its manifestations — from the classic “milk bath” to the BB cream effect. However, it is already being replaced by a new hit version — «foggy» or «blurry French manicure» . He has already won the love of fashionistas.

For the first time this look was brought to the general public by the famous nail artist Betina Goldstein, who did a manicure for actress Zoe Kravitz at the Golden Globe ceremony, writes xrust. On Instagram, the artist described the design as «soft natural nails with a hint of a French manicure.»

Now this trend is rapidly gaining momentum. It can be seen among stylish friends and fellow beauty experts who prefer to abandon thick gel polish, but want their nails to look flawless and well-groomed.

What is the secret of the “foggy French manicure”?

In fact, this is a fresh interpretation of the classic, in tune with Pantone's announced Color of the Year — Cloud Dancer. If you look at Kravitz's manicure in detail, it becomes clear: this is not the usual combination of a pastel pink base and a bright white tip. Instead, the design has a translucent, smoky texture.

Imagine a soft French manicure: an almost transparent nail and a creamy white, muted tip, reminiscent of light clouds on a winter day. This cloudy French manicure is a modern evolution of the vanilla manicure popularized by Hailey Bieber. Like the milky trend, it looks incredibly elegant on any nail length.

The key detail is the imperfectly clear, slightly blurred smile line. This is what makes the look so stylish, unexpected and a little rebellious compared to the traditional, neat French jacket.

How to create a “cloud French manicure” at home

To create the original look, Goldstein used The Gel Bottle products: a two-part base, thin layers of BIAB shades Chiffon and Milky on the tips of the nails for color correction, and then a top coat of Extreme Shine.

However, the effect can be repeated with ordinary varnishes. It is enough to apply a thin layer of pink varnish with light movements, and highlight the tip of the nail with a transparent stroke of cream, coconut or almond varnish. The main thing is to maintain the airiness and translucency of the layers.

Xrust “Foggy French manicure”: the main manicure trend of 2026, which displaces “milk nails”