10 Nail Polishes For Your Next Ice Cream Manicure

Yummy, soft, and stylish, an ice cream manicure is a subtle nail trend featuring a sheer, creamy pink or nude base that gradually blends into a soft, milky white tip, creating an “ombre” effect that resembles melted soft serve or “French frosting”. It’s known for its clean, minimalist, and timeless “clean girl” aesthetic, achieved with meticulous cuticle care, a rounded nail shape, and a high-shine topcoat for a glossy finish. Want this look for fall? Here are some polishes that will get you there. —Jennifer Cox

BKIND, $18

With a wide range of base coat colours as well as various shades of whites, BKIND polishes are perfect for achieving the ice cream look. And it’s the only nail polishes that are not only vegan but 77% plant-based and free of 21 common toxic chemicals typically found in nail polish. Enjoy beautiful, vibrant nails while taking care of yourself, animals, and the planet.

Essie Canada, $11

The mani possibilities are endless with essie’s 8-free, vegan original nail polish. There’s a range of over a thousand salon quality shades (and counting), which means you can have a whole sundae of colour combos.

Opi, $12

With Opi polishes, the limit does not exist. From neutrals to shocking brights, you’ll find every colour you want to perfect your ice cream manicure: whites and beiges for the tips, and soft dreamy hues for your favourite “flavours”.

Christian Louboutin, $55

Christian Louboutin’s signature nail polish collection adds a luxurious pop of colour or a sophisticated gloss (or both!) to any manicure. Each shade is meticulously crafted to deliver long-lasting vibrancy and a flawless finish, the ideal choice for this on-point trend.

Hermès, $64-67

Les Mains Hermès is the third chapter in the Hermès Beauty story. It’s a collection that combines care with colour, echoing Hermes’ dedication to true craftsmanship. Their Limited Edition shades for the spring/summer carries through to fall, with pretty pastels that work perfectly with the ice cream mani look.

ILNP, $10-12

Applied with delicate ease and glazing nails in a silky veil of colour, ILNP polishes are soft, sheen, and endlessly buildable. They leave behind a clean, creamy finish that pairs effortlessly with anything.

Cracked Polish, $7-13

These colours go on smoothly and effortlessly, with full coverage and never any streaking. Choose from a cornucopia of soft shades and blendable neutrals for sweet ice cream nails all season long.

Olive and June, $9-10

This brand carries salon quality polishes that are formulated to go on easily and keep your mani looking great for over a week. Opt for their quick dry polishes for on-the-go nail stylin’.

Zao, $22

Zao’s nail polishes have a wide range of colours, from classics to sparkling ones, and even darker hues, pastels, or iridescents. They are enriched with bamboo rhizome macerate and rich in organic silica to help fortify the nail. They offer a high-gloss finish and are fast drying.

Madam Glam, $11-13

The gel polishes by Madam Glam offer full coverage and simple application, so you can achieve a striking ice cream manicure in minutes. Their variety of colours mean you can always find a fun or sophisticated way to glam up hands without breaking the bank with expensive nail salon bills.