In winter, it’s only natural to capture the season’s spirit at nail level. Cool-toned colors, cable-knit textures, and—of course—loads of glitter are all on theme.
“Nails are one of the beauty looks we can play with most to celebrate a specific season,” says Mabelyn Alva, creative director at Paintbox. “For winter nails, [that can mean colors that are] deep, yet vivid and abstract designs.”
Meet the expert
To help you get ahead of your next salon appointment, we’ve rounded up 50 gorgeous winter nail designs that you’re going to want to screenshot.
Espresso Chrome
This dark and dreamy look features a deep brown base topped with silver chrome for a mirror-like finish.
Pearly Chic
This pretty little look features a gold base topped with clusters of teeny tiny pearls. It’s sweet and stylish.
Blue Winter Swirls
Naomi Yasuda
“I use blue a lot in wintertime,” says Naomi Yasuda, a celebrity nail artist who works with Addiction Tokyo. “I don’t like the cold, but blue nails help me to enjoy the snow and cold weather.” To create this look, Yasuda used Gel-X extensions, five shades of blue gel color, Swarovski crystals, and star-shaped hologram decals.
Taupe Chrome
This stunning look features a tan base topped with a silver chrome powder. The warmth of the base and the coolness of the chrome join forces to create the perfect taupe.
Navy
This nearly black navy screams dark winter days. It features a super-reflective top coat for a jewel-like finish.
Chrome French
Fine and dainty, this chrome French screams winter with its cool yet celebratory hue.
Pearly Whites
Paintbox
“We love creating effects using glitters, chromes, and foils at Paintbox,” says Alva.” A cool effect we’ve been able to recreate is a pearl-like finish that makes winter white nails a little more fun.”
Black Glaze Stiletto
Fierce is the only word that aptly describes this mani. It features a sharp stiletto tip, a black base, and a blue-silver chrome for a cool-toned masterpiece.
Glazed French
Simple and chic, this look features a French tip on a rounded nail with a chrome topper.
Sparky
Glitter nails can be fabulous when they’re approached with a bit of restraint. This look features a razor-thin silver glitter French tip topped with a glitter top coat. The top coat features finely milled glitter that’s well-spaced within the clear polish, giving the look tons of breathing room.
XL 3D
Long, coffin, cream, and textured, this nail design is giving third-in-line ice princess.
Christmas Mix
Carry this Christmas spirit throughout the season with this evergreen and snowflake manicure.
Pearly Gold Tips
Metallics are gorgeous any time of year but especially pop in the winter. This look features asymmetrical gold glitter tips accented by pearls of different sizes.
Glitter Swirls
Swirls on a nude, sheer base are one of the simplest ways to create eye-catching interest in a nail look. This design features a glittery, holographic silver polish.
Sparkle Half Moon
An icy blue polish is paired with a silver, glitter-brushed half-moon for a gorgeously simple winter nail design.
Gilded and Golden
Make a big statement with minimal effort by coating bare nails with a chunky gold glitter polish. This look is done on long coffin nails.
Hot Pink Knit
Winter nails don’t have to be done in muted colors. This fuchsia look leans seasonal thanks to the use of cable-knit texture.
Starry Forest
A snowy, star-filled night sky is the perfect scene for a gorgeous winter landscape design. Notice how the art remains similar on each nail, save for a few small celestial details.
Star Nails
Naomi Yasuda
“To create this look, I used a milky white base and added opaque white stars on top,” says Yasuda. “The design is simple, but using the same color in different opaqueness adds depth to the design.” The pro used crystals and a combination of silver and milky white gel polishes for this design.
Rhinestone Winter
This glam look uses a mix of white snowflakes with pink and silver rhinestones for a festive and sparkly design.
Ballerina French
A simple design with clean lines can go a long way. This look takes a traditional French tip to the next level by adding a gold accent along the smile line with another curved line below, making each nail look like a ballet slipper.
Snow Queen
Silver and blue glitter polishes come together to create this iridescent snowy nail look. The thick swirls of color create movement as if the wind is blowing snow from nail to nail.
Burgundy Snowflakes
White and burgundy are the primary colors in this look. The burgundy nails are adorned with white snowflakes and glitter, while the white nails have a shimmery finish.
Light-Catching Snowflakes
While fine glitter lends more of a shimmery effect, you can use big flakes of glitter for a more reflective effect. This look features iridescent flakes of glitter topped with snowflakes.
Penguin Accents
For a super cutesy look, accent one of your nails with a pop art penguin. To keep the look more subtle, the penguin is only an accent on one finger per hand, while the other nails get a glitter gradient.
Lilac Skies
Blurred lilac tips are used as the base of this chilly look. It features white clouds and stars, creating an ethereal winter sky,
Golden Tips
A sheer pearlescent polish serves as the base of this French-tip look. The tips were done in a reflective gold chrome, creating a high-shine finish.
Milky White
These milky white nails are the perfect polish for winter. The hue is a cool-toned white, making it similar to freshly fallen snow.
Snowing Glitter
Pretty baby blue, white, and silver create a cohesive color palette for this mix-and-match design. Different nails feature blue tips, snowflakes, and a chunky silver glitter gradient.
Sweater Weather
A deep green was used to create this intricate cable-knit look. The pattern was painted on a sheer nude base, keeping the design light and airy.
Minimalist Chome
We’ve been rocking chrome all year thanks to Beyoncé, but the color is particularly stunning in winter. This design uses silver chrome powder over 3D designs for a clean, yet maximalist look.
Iced Out
Naomi Yasuda
Take a different approach to icy nails by stacking your manicure with big gems. Accented with silver, gold, and onyx decals, this nail is packed with color, texture, and dimension.
Silver Glitter Arch
This look keeps it simple with a pretty sheer nude base accented only by a silver arch that follows the nail’s smile line. Its a super simple alternative to French tip design.
Snowy Tips
Varying shades of blue and white were used to create this winter nail design. Each of the square nails features a clean tip and snowflakes in the same shade.
Black Winter
Go dark with your winter nail designs by incorporating black nail polish. This design features French tips, solid nails, and snow flakes in a black and silver-glitter polish.
Winter Wonderland
Although only white polish is used, each nail has an intricate design thanks to the use of texture. Pearls, 3D polish, and line art embellish this winter wonderland-inspired look.
Milky Bling
Jazz up milky nails by adding a few rhinestones. They essentially create the nail equivalent of delicate diamanté jewelry.
Cozy Tweed
Tweed is a staple in winter fashion, so incorporating it into a nail look creates a super cozy vibe. This design features a blend of brown, white, and gold polishes along with gold metal and crystal decals for a chic effect.
White Swirls
White swirls on a sheer nude base create a simple yet striking winter nail design.
Simple Silver Sliver
This look also keeps it simple with its opaque nude base. Only two nails per hand are accessorized with a thin silver glitter line, adding a touch of embellishment.
Winter Metallic
Matte whites pair beautifully with silver shimmer in this winter-worth look. While some nails are solid silver glitter, while others use snowflakes, dots, and swirls to create a textured and varied look.
Festive Neutrals
You can never go wrong with neutrals, especially if you want a design-heavy look that’s not too loud. This look uses a beige polish as the base for plaid, reindeer, and cable-knit designs. Consider adding a single glitter nail for an unexpected touch.
Wintery Pink
Keep your winter nail look sweet by incorporating pink. Blush and white polishes are used to create this mix-and-match design featuring plaid, snowflake, and cable-knit designs.
Matte Sweater
Add another element to a cable-knit look by topping it with a matte clear coat. This creates a velvety finish that’s cozy and winter-ready.
Blue & Gold
Blue and gold are the stars of this look, which features a few white snowflakes. It’s both festive and statement-making.
Winter Blue
Baby blue, silver, and shimmer create this wintery nail look. The silver and shimmer are only used on two nails per hand, keeping the look a bit more minimal.
Cozy Sweater
Keep your winter look warm by using shades like this rich brick red. A textured cream polish was used to create the cable-knit and snowflake designs, adding even more character to this look.
Blue Chrome
Deep blue chrome is a great way to emulate the vibe of winter without being so literal. With nary a snowflake in sight, this look is wonderful for this time of year.
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