I've been watching Meghan Markle new show on Netflix With Love, Meghan, where she invites her celebrity friends to cook with her. The show is reminiscent of Martha Stewart as everything is from scratch and often from ingredients in her garden. She told Mindy Kaling that her last name isn't Markle, she should be called Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Fun fact Meghan is her middle name. 

I was completely mesmerized by her beautiful, opaque pale pink nails! The Sussex manicure features the ideal nude, milk bath nails. They are kept short in her signature squoval shape. She has gel nails but I wanted to find some regular polish that looked similar as I'm always on the hunt for the perfect pale pink nail polish. Since her and I have similar skin tones I figure whatever looks good on her would look good on me. 

Dreamy milk bath tones, also known as Soap Nails, are set to be the go-to neutral manicure trend for 2025. These nails have a sleek, clean look with a glossy, high-shine finish that gives off the vibe of polished soap. Think soft, neutral shades that create a smooth, flawless surface. It's a style that perfectly complements a minimalist fashion vibe. Soap nails are quickly becoming the go-to for anyone looking for a chic, sophisticated manicure.

I’ve always admired Meghan’s fashion, as she gravitates toward neutral tones, understated elegance, and sophisticated shades. Her style is regal yet grounded, blending timeless sophistication with modern edge. Much like a light pink polish, her look is soft but impactful, merging classic and contemporary elements. Meghan’s graceful, polished persona is both refined and relatable, balancing royalty with a down-to-earth charm. 

I scored the internet to see what color people thought she was wearing. Some people thought they were white nails but I think it's pink. I bought the top three colors people suggested. Both Essie shades are versatile and great for a subtle, chic look, but they differ in their undertones and the level of opacity they offer. After doing my research and buying these colors Meghan announced on her website the exact colors she used so I bought these too, which by then were sold out everywhere so I had to get them from ebay! That will be round two below. 

(left to right Essie Princess Charming, Matter of Fiction,  Skinny Dip, CND Unlocked & Beau)

Essie - Matter of Fiction (part of the Gel Couture line, which is a long-wearing, gel-like polish)

A blush pink cream nail polish spun with iris blue undertones. A cooler toned shade. This takes three coats to be opaque. I guess my coats were too thick because 24 hours after I painted my nails I closed my window and smushed my nail polish on three nails! After three days the color faded even though I was careful to wear gloves when doing dishes and hadn't washed my hair. On the fourth day I cut my thumb and put a bandaid on my finger and when I took the bandaid off to sleep, it started to peel off my polish. In spite of that, at the end of the week my right hand looked perfect, no chips. But my left hand suffered because of the thick three coats. I was impressed that I didn't need to immediately remove my polish after a week so the gel couture line really does work as gel. 

Matter of Fiction

Essie - Skinny Dip 

A light peach pink sheer nail polish with a slight hint of black. A warmer toned shade. You have to have short nails for this to work because if you have some whites to your nails they will show through the polish. The color is a beigey pale pink and wasn't very interesting for me. It requires three coats and each coat has to be perfect otherwise you will see that some spots only got two coats. After a week it looked like a peachy beige on my nails.

CND Vinylux - Unlocked with a top coat of Beau

Unlocked is a creamy beige/nude-pink while Beau is a semi-sheer, pink nail polish. This is what CND initially guessed what she was wearing. I tried this combo but found it to be a boring, pale beige with the slightest amount of pink.

Essie - Princess Charming A cream rose mauve

Just for fun, I also picked up this stunning shade which is the perfect pink for my color season. Plus the name "Princess Charming" is a lovely nod to Meghan's royal background. I bought it because I was inspired by Maya Rudolph's ruffled chiffon dress she wore to the Oscars in two shades. I always lean in to pale pink but now I realize that I look better in a mauve pink. This is a beautiful color, but on my skin tone it didn't stand out. On my mother's pale skin, it was perfect.

I painted 2 coats of each shade which made me nervous about drying time, thickness and I just felt that's too much work. I want one color that does it all. The final result leans a bit peachy. I did paint Satin Slippers alone on my mother,  a milky white, it's pretty but takes 3 coats because it's so streaky! Romantique is a completely sheer pink. I'm not a fan of either shade. 

Final thoughts: This post has been a three month project for me and now I can say I have found the perfect light pink and I would wear again Essie Ballet Slippers and Matter of Fiction.

Then I bought myself some light pink press-on toenails for the summer! I did a whole blog post about it here. 

Related posts:

Pale Pink for Nails

Press-on Toenails

Summer Nail Trends 2024