Warmer than milky white, softer than yellow, and more distinctive than traditional nude shades, the vanilla manicure is shaping up to be one of the biggest nail trends for fall and winter. Celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt, whose clients include Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, and Sabrina Carpenter, has already called the shade her “new obsession.” And considering her track record for turning manicures into viral sensations—including the glazed-nails trend—it wouldn’t be surprising to see vanilla nails follow the same path.
The look is essentially a refined take on the milky neutral manicures that have remained popular for years, but with a warmer, creamier finish. Think understated luxury: classic, polished, and effortlessly elegant—the kind of aesthetic often described as “old money.”
For her take on the trend, Ganzorigt used OPI’s Put It in Airplane Mode, a creamy, clean shade with medium intensity that captures the soft sophistication of vanilla perfectly.
It’s an evolution of the milky neutral shades that have been among the most popular choices for some time, with an even more refined feel. Or, as they would say in the US, it’s an old money aesthetic: understated, classic and effortlessly elegant. For this manicure, she chose OPI’s Put It in Airplane Mode, a creamy, clean shade with medium intensity.
Ganzorigt told Byrdie that her clients were the inspiration behind this look, which works beautifully both as a solid-color manicure and as a French manicure. “The vanilla French manicure is very similar to a traditional French manicure, but it looks softer and subtler than the classic white version,” she explained. This is because the vanilla shade blends with the natural color of the nails, making the contrast between the base and the tip less pronounced. Vanilla is also such a versatile shade that it looks equally good on short and very long nails.
How to create a vanilla manicure
A very simple yet striking option is to apply vanilla-colored polish over the entire nail, ideally in two thin coats. This gives you full color coverage that still looks glossy and natural. Minimalist, but far from boring.
To follow Zola’s lead, start your vanilla French manicure with a base of Put It in Airplane Mode, a very light beige shade that is almost vanilla white. Apply My Vampire is Buff to the tip of the nail to create the crescent: a warm, milky ivory shade that is slightly richer and yellower than the base. The result is a soft French manicure in shades from the same palette, with enough contrast to clearly define the edge of the nail.
If you love the glazed effect, you can enhance this manicure with one final step by applying OPI Tin Man Can Glaze Chrome Effect powder over the entire nail, just as Zola does. In fact, you can use any chrome powder, depending on how intense you want the sheen to be, to achieve that signature glossy, subtly pearlescent finish..
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