Whether you're planning extravagant Christmas nail art or just want a pretty wash of color on your digits, you need the right polishes in your arsenal. And you can't go wrong by leaning into shades that are cheery, festive, and perhaps a bit bolder than your everyday nail look.
40 Winter Nail Designs Ranging From Icy to Cozy
"Christmas is a time of celebration, and having a special nail color gets you in the holiday spirit," says Heather Reynosa, director of global education design at OPI. "Anything that’s festive and adds a little sparkle to your look is a great Christmas nail color. We typically associate green and reds with Christmas. Metallics, glitters, and shimmers in silver, gold, red, and more are also great—all these shades convey a cheerful and celebratory mood."
Meet the expert
- Heather Reynosa is the director of global education design at OPI.
- Naomi Yasuda is a celebrity manicurist who works with Addiction Tokyo.
Buy any of the Christmas nail colors below for the ultimate festive look.
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Addiction Tokyo Moonlight Story
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"I love a good champagne gold for the holidays," says Naomi Yasuda, a celebrity manicurist who works with Addiction Tokyo. Moonlight Story is a beige-adjacent metallic shade that can serve as a chic and striking neutral.
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OPI Rhinestone Red-Y
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Nothing says Christmas like a super shimmery red. This shade, Rhinestone Red-Y by OPI, is the perfect bright, jolly red and is packed with glitter of varying sizes for a dynamic finish.
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ILNP Venom
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This iridescent, black-green shade, Venom by ILNP, is fab if you want a Christmas shade with some depth. It has hints of gold that further its festive feel.
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KB Shimmer Yes We Cran
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Yes We Cran by KB Shimmer is a gorgeous golden-berry red. It's packed with light-reflective shimmer for a festive look.
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OPI Rebel With A Clause
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"You can’t go wrong with a classic red like OPI’s Rebel With A Clause,” says Reynosa. It's a true red that doesn't lean orange or blue.
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OPI Peppermint Bark and Bite
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“I really like OPI Peppermint Bark and Bite,” says Reynosa. “It’s this beautiful dark forest green that has a shimmer to it.”
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Olive & June Mulberry Tab Press-Ons
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If you're running out the door to a holiday party, you can pop on the Mulberry Tab Press-Ons from Olive & June in a flash. Think of them like high-strength stickers—just peel of the backing and press them on.
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OPI Chill ‘Em With Kindness
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OPI Chill ‘Em With Kindness is a stunning cool-toned white complete with lilac shimmer for a winter-ready finish.
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Addiction Tokyo Shanghai Romance
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Yasuda also loves Shanghai Romance, a deep red shade from Addiction Tokyo, for Christmas. It's a moody, high-gloss polish that packs serious drama.
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OPI Put On Something Ice
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“For a glittery shade, opt for OPI Put On Something Ice” says Reynosa. It's a lilac polish embellished with blue, pink, purple, and silver glitter.
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Essie Head to Mistletoe
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Essie's Head to Mistletoe is a shimmery gold-green shade that's perfect if you want a dramatic shade without going too dark.
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OPI Blame the Mistletoe
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OPI Blame the Mistletoe is a shimmery, fuchsia-toned red. The best part? You still get to enjoy a ton of shine without any chunks of glitter.
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OPI Hot Toddy Naughty
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Go dark with OPI's Hot Toddy Naughty. It's a cool-toned bronze that gets a hint of warmth from gold shimmer. It's a gel polish so it requires a UV light to cure.
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Hermès Vert Ecossais
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If you love green shades that lean blue, Vert Ecossais from Hermès is a gorgeous option. It evokes the ethereal feeling of a winter forest.
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Olive & June OJSM
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Diverge from classic metallic shades and grab OJSM, a rose-gold shimmer from Olive & June. It's warm and festive without being too on-the-nose.
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Lights Lacquer To the Nines
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Go gilded with To the Nines from Lights Lacquer, a stunning gold-green shimmer polish that just looks expensive.
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Cirque Colors Ethel
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Cirque Colors' Ethel is a deep green jelly polish complete with silver glitter. The light-reflective finish is thanks to a combo of shimmery and holographic flecks.
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Holo Taco Trophy Wife
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Trophy Wife from Holo Taco is a gold chrome polish with strong yellow-green undertones. Get an opaque finish in just one coat.
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Luxio Fortune
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Luxio Fortune is a deep conifer green that will pair beautifully with cozy seasonal knits. It's a gel polish, so it requires a UV light to cure.
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GAOY Pop Reflective Silver
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"I actually did this style of nails for myself to go to Disneyland last Christmas," says Yasuda."It shines like magic when you take a pic with flash!" It's a gel polish so it requires a UV light to cure.
