There's a reason that neutrals and nudes are a classic, but when it comes to our nails, barely-there polishes have exploded. The latest? Bubble gloss nails are the cutest way to lean into the glossy sheer mani movement.

They may not be breaking the wheel, but bubble gloss nails are true to their name. Imagine perfectly tended-to bare nails seen through a sheer bubble. A luminous, semi-transparent nail colour over the top recreates the same effect and offers the airiest, lightweight hint of tint, by way of a translucent white or barely-there bubblegum pink. Then they're finished off with an extra shiny and glossy top coat.

The key, before any colour is involved, is to start with nail care. You know the drill: a painting is only as good as its canvas, and that's true of bubble gloss nails. The more polished you can make your base, the better your mani will look, so more time should be spent on prep – trimming cuticles, buffing nail beds and perfecting the shape. It's good to get into the habit of regularly applying nail oil, too in order to avoid brittle and dehydrated nails (been there, friends… *still there).

One rendition that really has us crushing on the trend hard comes from Melanie at @overglowedit. She uploaded a deliciously glossy bubble gloss mani to her Instagram with the caption: “clean slate 🫧,” alongside the bubble emoji that helped inspire the name. Even better, she shared the exact polish she used to create it. “Shade DS01 by DVOK,” she shared. And on a video of the mani she added: “found a new favorite sheer neutral and now I need a backup," noting “I bought mine on @sweetienailsupply.” So we did our research and – good news – they ship to the UK.

But if you want a more universal shade that you can ask for in your salon, OPI's pro-only gel colour shade in Love Is In The Bare is a beautiful sheer pink that's perfect for a bubble gloss mani.

And it goes with out saying that OPI's Bubble Bath is another solid option when it comes to bubble gloss nails.

For more at-home shades, try Essie's Sugar Daddy and OPI's Bare My Soul.

For more bubble gloss mani inspo, here's 6 more of our favourite ways to wear the trend below…

Rose pink bubble gloss nails

Ballet pink bubble gloss nails

Almond-shaped bubble gloss nails

Short bubble gloss nails

Pearl pink bubble gloss nails

French bubble gloss nails

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

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