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.
“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
Buy any of the Christmas nail colors below for the ultimate festive look.
Addiction Tokyo Moonlight Story
Addiction Tokyo
“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.
OPI Rhinestone Red-Y
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.
ILNP Venom
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.
KB Shimmer Yes We Cran
Yes We Cran by KB Shimmer is a gorgeous golden-berry red. It’s packed with light-reflective shimmer for a festive look.
OPI Rebel With A Clause
“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.
OPI Peppermint Bark and Bite
“I really like OPI Peppermint Bark and Bite,” says Reynosa. “It’s this beautiful dark forest green that has a shimmer to it.”
Olive & June Mulberry Tab Press-Ons
Olive & June
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.
OPI Chill ‘Em With Kindness
OPI
OPI Chill ‘Em With Kindness is a stunning cool-toned white complete with lilac shimmer for a winter-ready finish.
Addiction Tokyo Shanghai Romance
Addiction Tokyo
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.
OPI Put On Something Ice
“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.
Essie Head to Mistletoe
Essie’s Head to Mistletoe is a shimmery gold-green shade that’s perfect if you want a dramatic shade without going too dark.
OPI Blame the Mistletoe
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.
OPI Hot Toddy Naughty
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.
Hermès Vert Ecossais
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.
Olive & June OJSM
Olive & June
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.
Lights Lacquer To the Nines
Go gilded with To the Nines from Lights Lacquer, a stunning gold-green shimmer polish that just looks expensive.
Cirque Colors Ethel
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.
Holo Taco Trophy Wife
Trophy Wife from Holo Taco is a gold chrome polish with strong yellow-green undertones. Get an opaque finish in just one coat.
Luxio Fortune
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.
GAOY Pop Reflective Silver
Naomi Yasuda
“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.
