Party season has officially begun! Whether you’re already curating a festive schedule to be reckoned with or scouting out the cosiest Boxing Day pyjamas for your family, this time of the year can be as stressful as it is fun.
Marking the occasion with an excellent festive manicure is a brilliant way to treat yourself and ensure your fingertips are season-appropriate. There are so many options when it comes to designs. Go all out and enjoy the spirit of the season, and adorn your nails with tiny trails of tinsel or delicate snowflakes.
For the base we like warm shades – think gingerbread and spice. If you’re not sure you want to commit to full kitsch, limiting the Christmas nail design to one nail or just the tips is a good way of incorporating a little festive cheer. Candy canes, Santa hats and mistletoe garlands are all great places to start.
Here are some of our favourite Christmas nail designs to try now!
Ruby French
Throw a nod Christmas’s way with a festive-ready French manicure. Top each tip with a seasonal colour – we love this zippy, subtly iridescent red – and, if you like it, make it a block colour on your little fingers.
Digit decorations
Never have Christmas decorations looked so sweet as when they’re made tiny and dotted onto a nude nail bed. Pick a sheer, neutral base as the backdrop (this allows the designs to shine) and go as whimsical or abstract as you like. This set of storybook drawings is the pinnacle of all things merry and bright.
Candy stripes
If Copenhagen Fashion Week and December had a baby, the result would be this Christmas nail design. A bold, cheerful, colourful stripe with glinting stars dotted on top makes it the consummate festive manicure.
Celestial skies
If stripes aren’t quite your thing, choose a milky base colour and add a few golden dots and glinting gemstones to the centre of each star.
Snow chrome
If you’re in the mood for something a little less obviously festive, chrome is still enjoying a moment. To mix it up a bit, forget going for an all-over glaze, and instead use it as an accent, whether it’s on the tips, half moons or as a spray of twinkling stars.
Silver French
Working with ombré designs and gradients is a chic way to step into the season and better still, the baubles hanging on your Christmas tree are the perfect place to find some inspiration. When it comes to shades, metallics will always look festive and chic.
Gemstone milk
A set of small gemstones can bring a certain sparkle to the simplest of manicures. Place in the centre of the nail, towards the base, to draw the eye down and elongate the look of the nails.
Pearl
Ideal for minimalists who want to show an affinity for the festive season, a pearlescent finish feels fun without being overt.
Festive French
We won’t call this a deconstructed Santa’s hat because it feels a little too naff. What it is, though, is a wonderful interpretation of one of Christmas’s most enduring symbols, save, perhaps, for the fluff and jolly-cheeked man.
Mulled wine
A deep, burgundy manicure is suitable for any occasion, but there’s something about December that gives it new meaning. Sensual and slinky, it looks wonderful on both a short, square nail (as seen here) or on a long, ultra-glossy nail bed.
Twinkle tips
Glint your way through party season with a French manicure that catches the light and catches your eye. A fresh iteration of the classic design, pick a sparkling silver, gold or other metallic colour for the full effect.
“I love doing glitter French tips as it lasts over the holiday period, without looking overly ‘festive’ by the time it gets to New Year,” says The Gel Bottle manicurist Becky Wood. “As the French grows out it’s not as noticeable, so you get the most out of your set,” she adds.
Coffee bean
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A sultry colour that feels festive without being trite, espresso brings to mind after-supper coffees and sweet espresso martinis.
Velvet polka dots
Marry two of this year’s biggest nail trends with a velvet polka dot mash-up. A bright white spot pops perfectly on this soft, rose base.
Truffle
Bring a flair of the unusual with a shimmering chocolate shade. Flecks of gold and amber bring a fizzing, fresh quality to the comforting colour.
Starry night
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An easy way to keep a Christmas nail design on the right side of twee is to pare things back. Here, manicurist Saskia Fenwick has paired monochromatic silver stars (of different sizes and placements) with a short, rounded nail and blush pink base colour.
Bows
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Ribbons are a sweet, minimal nail design that looks festive without feeling like too much. Alternate colours – here, Fenwick has chosen complementary shades of red and pink – or stick to one on both hands.
A ’tini tipple
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Like Hailey Bieber, I have a real affinity for ice-cold martinis – never more so than during party season. This cocktail-inspired set brings together the sweet, satisfying roundness of jelly nails with the unmistakable sheen of a Castelvetrano olive.
Chessboard French
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While the competitive nature of Christmas board games is enough to put anyone off, it’s hard not to enjoy this chess-inspired manicure by celebrity manicurist Iram Shelton. By sticking to the tips, the effect is suitable for work, play and, well, more play.
Chocolate box
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If you prefer to make a statement with colour rather than delicate designs, try picking a palette of shades that will give a nice nod to the festive season while being evergreen enough to also see you through to the new year.
Caramel cat eye
What better way to celebrate Christmas than with nails that emulate the syrupy middle of a delicious chocolate? This cat-eye design blends a fudge-like outer edge with a warm, golden inner to create the perfect truffle centre.
Cherry cat eye
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A sharp free edge brings a little attitude to this classic Christmas manicure.
Fairy dust
Like the first sprinkling of snow, this shimmering velvet cat eye is immediately full of festive cheer. Choose a neutral, pink or apricot-toned base for understated glamour.
Glitter ribbon
Glue sticks down, this glitter creation is the work of carefully painting an undulating ribbon over the top of a snow-white base. Pick a formula with large glitter particles to create textural contrast between the polishes.
What nail colours are best for Christmas?
Striking, unapologetic colours come into their own at Christmas. Think deep jewel tones, glinting metallics, slinky wine-inspired shades, inky navy and darkest black. For a traditional slant, play in the realm of ruby, emerald and gold – though, with a little flair, any shade can be made to work for the season.
Can I achieve festive nail art at home?
Yes, though the extent will depend on your skill. Easy designs to try are small stars – simply daub a small dot in the centre of the nail, then take a fine brush and draw out the points in concise strokes.
Snowmen and snowflakes are similarly done, starting with a dot of white and then creating the shape with a small brush. If you’re adept at a French manicure, swap the classic white tip for a glitter polish and, voila, a whole new look.
How to keep Christmas nail designs looking fresh
To keep your nails intact throughout the festive season, no matter how many parties are on the agenda, make sure you’re using cuticle oil. “I always suggest incorporating it into your skincare routine so you don’t forget,” adds Wood.
One final tip, especially if you’re on hosting duty this Christmas: “If you’re cleaning the house before everyone arrives, always wear gloves – and don’t use your nails to open things like cans or boxes, as it’s always a disaster.”
