Syrup nails are the Korean manicure trend taking over the internet—and I want in

K-Beauty can do no wrong in my eyes

A fashion week guest wearing denim dress, gold earrings and a LV pattern denim handbag
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Syrup nails are the latest nail trend to join the food-inspired manicures the internet can’t get enough of. Love them or hate them, these micro trends are undeniably having a moment, and syrup nails joins our favourite fruit nails, blueberry milk nails and espresso nails on the seemingly evergrowing list. 

Syrup nails are as juicy as they sound, and the ultra-glossy manicure can be worn over your go-to nail colours and are already set to be our go-to autumn nail look. Honestly, I’m struggling to find a nail colour syrup nails don’t look great on. 

With over 8 million views on TikTok and Google searches on the rise, Syrup nails trending proves Korean beauty is always the way to go. Simple, soft and surprisingly natural-looking, syrup nails are far from the sheer glimmer of doughnut-glaze nails. With syrup nails we are turning it up a notch and going as glossy as possible with an ombré touch. I've found all the best syrup nail inspiration to drool over, (and take to the salon asap).

Classic syrup nails

Taking Summer's jelly nail trend, and adding all the syrup in the form of a high gloss, the trick to doing syrup nails right is seriously good cuticle work. 

You can see why these are being dubbed syrup nails. The high-shine, high-gloss look appears good enough to eat, and I love the slight ombre on lighter shades. 

Blackberry syrup nails

This light purple hue proves syrup nails are the perfect transitional manicure.

Cherry syrup nails

See why I said syrup nails work with every shade? 

Grape syrup nails

Simply stunning. The high-gloss finish makes this grape shade pop. 

The nail art details on this look are everything. 

Chrome syrup nails

I can't stop looking at these nails. The simple chrome accent makes the natural milky nail shade shine and proves chrome nails continue to be the hottest trend of the year, working with every style. 

Blueberry syrup nails

I'm no fortune teller, but my guess is deep purples and blue tones will be back this Autumn, and a blueberry-inspired syrup nail manicure is the only one I want.

How to achieve syrup nails at home or in the salon

Show your nail tech any one of the inspiration photos above and they should know exactly what to do and will perfect those cuticles for you. To get the syrup nail look at home, you need to dedicate time to some serious cuticle work because that will make or break the look. Buff and file nails and start with a base coat so the nails are prepped for a glossy glow. 

Choose your favourite shade, and use a gel polish to set the base for serious shine and top it off with the glossiest top coat you can find. 

Dionne Brighton

Dionne Brighton is a writer at Marie Claire UK, specialising in all things shopping, beauty and fashion. Born and raised in North London, she studied Literature at the University of East Anglia before taking the leap into journalism. These days, you can find her testing out the latest TikTok beauty trends or finding out what the next full Moon means.