Nicole Kidman’s ‘mother of pearl’ nails are an elegant update on trending milky manicures
We know the exact shade behind the actress's shimmering, neutral look
If there's one 2026 nail trend that has taken this year by storm, it's milk nails. Spotted both on and off the red carpet, the cloud-like, semi-translucent finish gives nails a clean, polished look that feels altogether more grown-up than the reflective glazed nails that came before it.
But at the 2026 Emmy Awards, Nicole Kidman offered up an elegant evolution of the trend – and it might just be our favourite version yet. The actress arrived on the red carpet in a custom Chanel gown, a column of ivory crepe finished with a feather trim across the neckline and shoulders.
Her manicure was pitched perfectly to match: a sheer, neutral nail design topped off with an iridescent sheen. We’re calling it a mother-of-pearl manicure – it sits somewhere between the opacity of a milk nail and the mirror finish of chrome, borrowing the best of both.
The sheer base keeps things soft and flattering against the skin (it’s also a particularly good nail design for short nails), while the iridescence stops it from tipping into anything too plain. Happily, Kidman's nail artist has revealed the exact shades behind the look – ahead, we share the details.
How to recreate Nicole Kidman's mother of pearl nails
Celebrity manicurist and Kidman’s go-to, Thuy Nguyen, shared the look on Instagram, detailing the exact products she reached for. The answer was DND, a California-born gel brand with a cult following – its polishes are vegan, cruelty-free and known for their impressive durability.
The one catch, as with most gel formulas, is that you’ll need a UV or LED lamp to cure each layer, so if you want an exact match, it’s worth reading up on how to do gel nails at home before attempting this one yourself. Or, if you prefer to paint with regular polish, we've found a pearly paint-on varnish that doesn't require any additional equipment.
Nguyen began with a single coat of DND DC Base Gel to create a smooth, even surface for the colour to sit on. A base coat also acts as a barrier between the polish and natural nail, helping to prevent staining.
Next came two coats of DND Perfect Nude #867, the neutral shade responsible for that sheer, iridescent wash of colour. With gel polish, each layer needs to be cured under a lamp before moving onto the next, and thin coats are key to maintaining that milky finish.
Nguyen then sealed everything with one coat of DND DC Top Coat No Cleanse – a no-wipe formula that doesn’t leave behind the sticky residue associated with some gel top coats – before finishing with DND Pineapple Cuticle Oil. It’s this final step that helps soften and hydrate the cuticles while adding to that glossy, freshly manicured finish.
