Meghan Markle's Fresh Manicure Says White Nails Aren't Just a Summer Trend

Meghan Markle's longterm affair with neutral colors may be one of the greatest love stories ever told. Truly, there is no bond stronger than this woman's loyalty to her color palette: white, beige, navy blue, and black. Every once in a while, you might catch her cheating with pink and green. But for the most part, the Duchess of Sussex doesn't deviate from her signature shades, even when it comes to her fingertips.

On Dec. 4, the Markle stepped out to support Tyler Perry—a longtime friend of the family, as well as her daughter's godfather—at the director's Paley Honors Tribute at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. She walked the red carpet in a custom strapless gown without husband Prince Harry in tow, but for once, I was grateful for his absence. That way, I could get a much better look at the American Riviera Orchard founder's milky white manicure.

White nails are usually considered a summer beauty trend, heavily associated with beach vacations, poolside hangs, Piña Coladas in exotic places. But here, Markle has made a very compelling case for winter white nails that evoke the hue of fresh snow, eggnog, and sugar cookies.

Think of the sugar cookie nail trend as the glazed donut manicure's mature older sister—there's no ethereal shimmer running through Markle's milky white polish, but both variations have a translucence that speaks to a broader cultural obsession with sheerness and naked dressing. The milky white nail trend specifically started over the summer, with early support from the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Hailey Bieber. But Markle has been refining her take on the cloudy white manicure since 2018, at least.

For Perry's big night, Markle paired her royal nails with a cascading black strapless gown designed by Oscar de la Renta and styled by Jamie Mizrahi. The dress featured a high slit that showcased a strappy black pair of Celine heels. She accessorized the look with custom diamond jewelry from Lorraine Schwartz and Engender, a gold Cartier Love Bracelet, and a romantic bun.

Consider this my earnest plea for Markle's nail artist to please stand up and drop a breakdown of her favorite shades. But in the meantime, I have a few sugar cookie-coded options to tide you over.

Shop White Nail Polishes Inspired by Megan Markle