Effortless Elegance: The “Soap Nails”

The 2025 Manicure Trend You Need to Try: Master the ‘Soap Nail’ Look at Home

After seasons of intricate nail art, bold colours, and elaborate designs, the world of manicures is taking a collective breath. The biggest trend set to dominate 2025 isn’t about what you add to your nails, but what you strip away. It’s chic, it’s clean, and it’s healthy for your nails. Think of it as the quintessential expression of effortless elegance: Soap Nails. It’s not just a look; it’s a philosophy—one that MAVALA lives by: your care, your style.

You’ve likely seen this look taking over your feed. It’s the manicure that looks effortlessly polished and immaculately healthy, as if your nails have just been pulled from a frothy sink of warm, soapy water. It’s a minimalist’s dream, a direct evolution of the “clean girl” aesthetic, and the ultimate antidote to nail art fatigue.

Don’t let the “barely-there” look mislead you into thinking it’s boring. This trend is all about a flawless, glass-like shine over a sheer, milky-hued base. It’s sophisticated, undeniably flattering, and the best part of it all, this technique is perfectly achievable from the comfort of your own home with MAVALA products there to support you.

What Exactly Are “Soap Nails”?

The “soap nails” trend is the ultimate minimalist manicure, designed to give your nails a fresh, flawlessly polished appearance with a high-gloss finish. This look is all about a minimalist aesthetic. This natural nail trend enhances your natural nails with a subtle, glossy, and sheer finish, creating a healthy, polished, and understated look.

Soap nails emphasise clean lines and a naturally healthy appearance, drawing inspiration from the “quiet luxury” aesthetics, and are often achieved with ultra-sheer or milky polishes to give the illusion of naturally perfect nails. A sheer, translucent wash of colour topped with a super reflective, wet look shine that mimics the delicate sheen of a soap bubble. It’s a departure from heavy polish, emphasising a healthy, natural, and effortlessly elegant nail that complements any skin tone and style.

As a professional, our personal style isn’t about chasing trends; it’s not only a reflection of who we are, but an investment in our well-being. This is why the Soap Nails’ understated elegance—a look of immaculately groomed nails—is so powerful. It instils a serene confidence and embodies a focus on health and quality. With MAVALA’s Swiss expertise, you can achieve this sophisticated look at home, creating a ritual that is both efficient and deeply rewarding.

How To Master The “Soap Nail” Look at Home

Achieving this flawless, high-gloss manicure is simple when you have the right products and technique. With MAVALA‘s range, you have everything you need to master this look at home. The key is to first create a healthy, pristine base with MAVALA‘s targeted treatments before applying the sheer polish and that signature wet-look topcoat.

Starting with a flawless base is essential for a clean, unblemished finish. To protect your nail’s integrity, use a gentle MAVALA emery board and always file in one direction. Work in long, sweeping curves from the side to the centre of the nail to create your desired shape. Avoid filing back and forth in a sawing motion, as this will heat the nail and fray the edges, which can lead to flaking. Also, be careful not to file too deeply into the edges, as this will weaken the nail.

Moving on to tidy up your nail bed to create a smooth, even surface that’s essential for a flawless polish application. Apply MAVALA Cuticle Remover to soften the nail bed before gently pushing back the cuticles with a manicure stick protected by cotton wool, and being gentle and taking care not to push too hard and cause damage to this sensitive area.

What MAVALA Base Coat to Use?

The base coat is an essential step for the “soap nails” look as it creates a perfect, smooth canvas for the sheer polish. Since MAVALA offers a range of targeted base coats, you can choose the one that best suits your specific nail needs:

Mavala’s Barrier-Base Coat is a comprehensive solution for delicate nails. This water-based formula, containing the Proflex™ Complex, helps to moisturise and strengthen the nail plate, fighting against dehydration, flaking, and breakage. It creates a vital protective barrier between the nail and nail polish pigments to prevent yellowing, while also improving the longevity and adherence of your manicure. It’s the ideal choice for those who want to both protect their nails and enjoy a longer-lasting, flawless finish.

Having perfectly smooth nails is essential for the “soap nails” trend, and MAVALA’s RIDGE-FILLER is the perfect solution. This product is designed to instantly even out the ridges and grooves on the nail plate, creating a uniform and flawless surface. When aiming for a high-gloss, reflective finish like “soap nails,” any unevenness on the nail’s surface can interrupt the light, making the polish look bumpy or dull. By using RIDGE-FILLER as your base coat, you ensure that the translucent polish and glossy topcoat can create that luscious, glass-like shine.

When it comes to general protection, MAVALA 002 Protective Base Coat is the ultimate solution. This is the classic choice that creates a barrier between the polish and the nail plate, ensuring your nails remain healthy underneath.

The Translucent Wash of Colour

This is where the magic of “soap nails” truly comes to life. After your nails are completely dry, apply one or two thin coats of a sheer, milky, or off-white nail polish. Creating a subtle, translucent wash of colour, not a solid white finish. This technique creates a clean, ethereal base that makes your nails look naturally perfect. Apply one to two very thin coats to build your desired level of translucency. Colour choices for the understated elegance manicure are sheer pinks, milky off-whites or subtle nudes. Ottawa, a firm favourite of Desray, a soft, subtle pale pink or, for a slightly warmer, translucent pink, the Budapest is the ideal choice. Lyric, falling under the linen shades, offers a soft, milky white finish that diffuses your natural nail colour for a clean, ethereal look. White Orchid, another beautiful linen shade, is a more sheer, milky white that creates a soft, translucent base, making your nails look naturally healthy and bright. Rose Dust is the perfect shade to create a gentle, sheer nude that magically captures the truly minimalist look.

The Perfect Final Coat

To get the perfect final coat for your “soap nails” look, the MAVALA Gel Finish Top Coat is your best option. It is specifically designed to give a plump, extra-shiny, and durable finish that mimics a professional gel manicure without needing a UV lamp. This product creates a flawless, glass-like sheen that is essential for the “soap nails” aesthetic. For a quick alternative, the Colorfix Top Coat offers a brilliant, protective shine, while Mavadry can be used to speed up the drying time

Why MAVALA Is Your Secret Weapon for This Trend

What we at MAVALA South Africa love it that the Soap Nail trend isn’t just about a one-time application; it’s about a commitment to nail health and this is where MAVALA’s Swiss expertise shines. The brand’s focus on targeted treatments means you can build a healthy foundation that makes the transparent look even more spectacular. This look is a powerful statement of effortless elegance and a commitment to your well-being, proving that true beauty is found in simplicity. With MAVALA as your trusted partner, you have all the tools to achieve this sophisticated look at home, ensuring your hands are always healthy, polished, and on-trend.

Are you ready to embrace the fresh, luminous aesthetic that’s set to define the year ahead? Explore the full range of MAVALA products to master your new signature look.

Products in this post

Best Seller

Ridge filler 10ml

R245,00

Best Seller

Mavadry quick drying top coat 10ml

R275,00

Best Seller

Cuticle remover 10ml

R270,00

Best Seller

Gel finish top coat 10ml

R290,00

Best Seller

Colorfix 10ml

R259,00

Best Seller

Mavala 002 base coat + silicum 10ml

R260,00

Best Seller

Barrier base coat 10ml

R369,00

Best Seller
MAVALA fine wooden emery board with dual grit for gentle nail care.

Emery boards (8 boards)

R135,00

Recent Articles
Nail Care

Subscribe to our newsletters and get 10% off your next order