What better way to get into a sufficiently summery mood than with a fresh new flowery manicure? Milk bath nails are inspired by and named after the luxurious and ancient practice of bathing in milk infused with floating flowers. This look emulates how the beautiful petals float on the surface by encapsulating dried flowers inside milky acrylic colours.

Perfect for weddings, garden parties or just your everyday manicure this time of year, these dried flower nails are one of our favourites for the sunny seasons! To learn how to do these stunning milk bath nails yourself at home or for your clients, watch our tutorial and follow our detailed instructions below.

You will need:

• Dried Flowers
• Nail Prep/Dehydrator
• Acid Based Nail Primer 
• Natural Acrylic Powder 
• Natural Beige Cover Pink Acrylic Powder
• Clear Acrylic Powder
• Lunar Blush Acrylic Powder 
• Loud and Clear Acrygel
• Urban Graffiti Top Coat
• Crystals

Step 1: Dehydrate and prime the nails

First, start by applying nail forms to each finger. Next, you need to add a coat of Nail Dehydrator and Ultra-Bond Primer to each nail to prep them for the acrylic powder.

Step 2: Apply your acrylic powder

The next step is to lay your base with acrylic powder. We’ve used our Natural acrylic powder because it’s the right milky colour for this look. Work this down the nail form to your desired nail shape and size, making sure it’s not too thick; it needs to look transparent. 

Then, add a layer of Natural Beige to add a little more colour to your base. Because we’re encapsulating flowers, you need to keep all layers very thin.

Step 3: Add your flowers

Now, add a layer of Clear acrylic powder to your nails to act as glue for your flowers. Kirsty’s used fresh flowers that she’s cut to size, but our ready-made dried flowers are perfect for this and will make life easier! Once you’ve applied a wet coat of clear, simply use your brush to pick up the flowers and pat them into place on each nail.

Step 4: Encapsulate the flowers

Once you’re happy with your flower placement, you can encapsulate your design with a layer of Natural. Start from the end and brush upwards, slightly going in between and over the flowers so that they’re semi-covered and look like they’re floating. This is where you’ll really start to see your milk bath nails take shape! When you’re finished, add another layer of Clear over the top.

Step 5: File each nail down

Once you’ve done all your fingers, you’ll need to file your milk bath nails. Start with the side walls first to shape them, then work your way across the top of your nails. When you’re finished filing, wipe them with an acetone wipe to remove the dust and slightly melt the top layer so that your flowers show through even more clearly.

Step 6: Add some crystal clusters

At this point, you can finish off your dried flower nails by adding some optional bling with crystals! To do this, add a little bit of clear acrygel in the spot where you want to add your crystals on each nail. Dip your brush into Gel Residue Wipe Off Solution and pat this down.

Next, add a layer of clear topcoat, and simply start to add your crystal clusters on top. When you’re happy with your crystal placement, cure each nail under the lamp (60 seconds LED, 120 seconds UV).

When each nail is cured, add a little cuticle oil and you’re finished! Your milk bath nails are complete and ready to show off this season. Whether you’re a professional nail artist or nail art fanatic, these beautiful dried flower nails are a must to add to your repertoire.