Hailey Bieber for Jimmy Choo's Winter 2021 Campaign. Shot by Tyrell Hampton
Hushed nude tones have been catnip for DIY manicure stans in 2025. While rose water nails made a splash in summer, it's now the turn of rose BB cream nails to become the go-to for a clean, natural-looking manicure this winter and festive season.
Canadian nail brand Gelcare is most synonymous with BB cream nails, having formulated a line of nail polishes inspired by a BB cream - a hybrid makeup and skincare product. As a recap, BB creams act as a primer, foundation and moisturiser and add a sheer tint to the skin to cover up redness, acne scars and an uneven tone.
Translated into a nail polish, BB cream nails have gone viral for their skin tone-like hues ranging from sheer vanilla to chocolates with neutral undertones. So what exactly are rose BB cream nails?
Colour-wise, think petal-soft hues that make your nails look nearly naked with a soft blush pink afterglow. In terms of texture, rose BB cream nails are milkier than rose water nails, sitting somewhere between a translucent and semi-opaque finish that blurs away the appearance of ridges or discolouration on the nail plate.
"The look is timelessly chic and enhances the natural beauty of your nails, giving them a very fresh finish," says Daisy Kalnina, founder of The Gel Bottle Inc.
Such is the draw of a buffed, barely-noticeable manicure, celebrity manicurist Harriet Westmoreland has captured that rose BB cream nails aesthetic with her Westmoreland Cosmetics Vanilla Gloss nail polishes. Four of the five shades designed for light, medium and dark skin tones have a rosy hue that match your skin's undertones and are free from white and grey pigments.