While a certain romantic event might fall in February, you don’t have to partake in the rosy pinks or reds that are so synonymous with it, especially when it comes to your manicure. In fact, our beauty team have bypassed it altogether, opting instead for either milky tones or subtle, pearlescent washes.
Selecting your January and February nails can be notoriously difficult, as after the cosy, rich shades of December and entering a New Year, a change feels due. But with the winter season persisting, bright colours and pastels just feel wrong. As a team, we’ve been trading festive cherry reds, cosy browns and luxe burgundies for months now, and so, have indeed entered February feeling very much in need of a manicure reset. So, have all opted to keep things very chic and simple, with a few nods to the new 2026 nail trend entries.
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The 4 elegant manicures our team are sporting this February
When in doubt, a subtle manicure is usually our first port of call, and while February does offer the opportunity to sport cute heart motifs and romantic shades of pink on your nails, the fact that it’s still so early in the year (and something of a transitional month) also calls for fresh and sheer milky tones. These sorts of palate cleanser-y nail colours are timeless for a reason and go with every outfit, season and setting – thus making them a very reliable pick, especially when you’re struggling to choose. And as you will soon see, our team really doubled down on them…
Our February nailcare buys
Before we dive into our February nail looks (or look, as we should say, just interpreted four different ways), we’ve also rounded up a few nail essentials that we love and rely on for healthy and pretty-looking talons.
Bio Sculpture
Lavender Base
RRP: £15.50
Nail health is a key focus this year, as is sheer, milky nail looks. Bio Sculpture’s Lavender Base delivers both, with ingredients like rosemary, lavender and ginseng extract helping to strengthen and repair damaged nails, whilst its pastel purple colour delivers a soft, creamy tint to them.
Barry M Cosmetics
Air Breathable Nail Paint in Cupcake
RRP: £4.49
If you want to give yourself a milky pink manicure at home, Barry M’s Cupcake is a lovely sheer nail polish. It’s buildable and breathable, offering a creamy, rose tint to your nails that you can wear alone or layer with a chrome top coat or a French tip.
L’Occitane
Shea (Karité) Nail & Cuticle Oil
RRP: £16
As mentioned, nail care is high on the agenda this year, and whether you get professional BIAB nails or prefer to paint your nails at home, a cuticle oil is a must-have for keeping the surrounding skin hydrated. This one from L’Occitane features shea, karitene and omega-6 extracts to strengthen and nourish your nails and cuticles – and comes with a handy brush applicator.
1. Fiona’s milky BIAB nails
(Image credit: Future)
“January was dedicated to rehabilitating my post-party season (ok fine, post repeatedly picking off my BIAB) nails,” says Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim, “but now I’m bored and beyond ready to get some colour on these claws again. So, off I skipped to Townhouse with a can’t-wait-for-spring in my step and asked for… a very plain milky white BIAB.
“I know! Bit of a bore, and also the thing that led to my troubles in the first place. In my defence: these February nails will be with me for half a month in icy, probably stormy London, then another half in steamy, beachy Thailand. Riddle me that. This tasteful neutral is the only colour I could envision coping equally well with such polarised conditions, so fun spring shades can wait. Oh, and in a stunning display of personal growth, I’ll absolutely get the BIAB removed by professionals this time around.”
2. Aleesha’s iced vanilla nails
(Image credit: Future)
For our Digital Beauty eComm Editor, Aleesha Badkar, her February nails need to sit somewhere between subtle and birthday-ready, cue the chrome…
“After a few weeks’ break from BIAB nails for a little January refresh and with some fun birthday celebrations coming up over the next month, I wanted to move away from my usual neutrals and go big for February. And for me, iced is probably as big as I will go,” Aleesha quips.
“Building on my go-to Bubble Bath base, I opted for a pearly glaze over the top for a chic iced vanilla look that is perfect for keeping neutral but with a little extra pizzazz.”
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3. Naomi’s short, rounded milky nails
(Image credit: Future)
For Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson, her January and February nails have been all about going back to basics.
“It’s no exaggeration when I say that before the New Year, I’d been wearing dark reds and burgundy for about four months. Autumn/wintery manicures are by far my favourites, but even I was feeling a bit fatigued with the rich shades by the time January rolled around. So, after taking a little break from gels altogether and relying on my go-to Manucurist Active Smooth polish for a few weeks, I decided to enter February with a fresh and cool milky white on my nails.
“I chose Bio Sculpture’s ‘Donna’ shade, which is slightly sheer and requested shorter, more rounded nails to really lean into that refreshed and neat look. I also thought it was a good opportunity to trial some bridal nail colours in prep for my wedding this year, and for me, Donna is definitely a top contender.”
4. Sennen’s pearly pink nails
(Image credit: Future)
“In all honesty, I find the first few manicures of the new year some of the trickiest as I’m always strapped for inspiration,” Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett explains, “But I tend to say, if in doubt, then stick with minimalism, so that’s exactly what I did.
“For February, I settled on a sheer milky pink base paired with a soft pearlescent chrome layered over the top. Not only is this mani perfectly soft and unassuming for the winter months, but it also complements any and every outfit thanks to its simplistic yet sophisticated nature. As usual, I paired this look with my classic almond-shape BIAB nails and glossy top coat for an enviable shine.”
