Stylish Winter Manicures
Updated on January 6, 2017
If you’re anything like us, then you probably love having your nails done year round. Sometimes we simply choose colours, patterns, details, and designs we like, but depending on the time of year, sometimes it’s nice choosing holiday themes and seasonal designs.
Who are we kidding? We love themed seasonal nails no matter what the weather is like! Check out these 15 winter manicures that are extra cute for the chilly holiday season.
1. Buttoned up nails
This adorable dual colour manicure is pretty in and of itself because of the colour combination, but it’s also a great example of how a simple detail can really make a difference in nail design. Essie added neat little white dots all down the line between the colours to make it look like buttons on a cardigan or a winter sweater and we love it.
2. Stamped snowflakes
Some real nail enthusiasts have the equipment to make their own nail stamps and decales, but you can still get cute nail patterns like these little snowflakes even if you don’t have those things yourself. All you need is a very thin brush and attention to detail. We adore the way Simple Nail Art Designs placed the snowflakes on an ombre blue background and added a simple sparkle in the centre of each flake!
3. Winter waterfalls
We’ve always thought that white makes a great background for blue and teal colours that create a frosty winter aesthetic in manicures. That’s what first caught our eye about this winter waterfall design from Pshiiit! We love the way the brush has been dragged downward towards the tip of the nail, making each stripe look like an icicle in a frozen waterfall.
4. Snowman accent nail
Creating a little winter scene on your nails is no problem, particularly if you have a piece of sponge lying around to dab on a snowy effect, but what really caught our attention when it comes to this cute winter manicure from Chickettes was the snowman accent nail! Even past Christmas this nail makes your fingers great for the holiday season.
5. Silver sparkly tips
No matter the season, we can pretty much always find ways to incorporate glitter into our nail designs! Silver sparkles are particularly useful in the winter because they look like the glitter of frost. Just because you’re using glitter, however, doesn’t mean you have to put a lot and make it really overwhelming. Dust a little bit on the tips of an otherwise blue manicure, just like Essie did here!
6. Crystal chevron nails
Have you discovered the joy of sticky crystal sheets at your local craft store yet? They’re adhesive sheets that feature actual little rhinestones and will stick to just about any surface. That’s how OPI created this glamorous X accent that adds a bit of winter shine to an otherwise seasonably dark manicure.
7. Polar bear nails
guides you through the process of creating an awesome winter themed manicure scene with a polar bear painted right in the middle on one accent nail! Copycat Claws guides you through the process of drawing a little bear of your own and making the rest of your nails look like the snowstorm the bear is walking through.
8. White and mint winter wonderland nails
The combination of white and mint always looks cool to us, making it perfect for winter manicures. We love the way Borsch_Nails used the mint as a backdrop and sponged some white spattered with silver glitter across a few nails. Try using stencils or stamps in Christmas shapes, like snowflakes and reindeer, to decorate a few accent nails!
9. Metallic ombre
Metallic polishes always make us think of winter because of the way the light bounces off their surface once your nails have dried. A bright gold metallic sets a tone of glamour and adding some chrome red to the tips creates a holiday feel. See the idea in more detail on Julep.
10. Cable knit nails
If you’re a little more experience in nail design and used to using different types of gels, then this gorgeous cable knit design is the one for you! Glamour shows you how to use thicker gel to create a raised swirling shape on your clean nail that, when you paint over it, looks like the raised bumps you see knitted into classic cable sweaters.
11. Festive pastel and holographic
Not every holiday look has to be bright and jewel toned! We love the cool appearance of mint and pink pastels together, especially when they’re paired with geometric holographic pieces like ES Nail has here. The combination makes the shine of the holographic stickers resemble ice for a truly winter look.
12. Stamped water nails
Chalkboard Nails guides you through the process of making and using stamped shapes for your nails in different ways. We love their rounded water droplet shape as featured in the picture, especially since the way they’ve done it in blue makes it look like a wintery night sky in a snow storm. The secret is in the contrast between the glossy and matte finishes in different sections.
13. Silver metallic presents
Are you looking for a look that’s perfect for Christmas morning? Then try painting your nails to look like presents! Nails By Nadia painted their nails a pretty blue as a base and then used metallic silver nail tape to get a clear straight line that looks like gift ribbon wrapped around the presents. To finish the look off, they used metallic silver nail polish to carefully paint a thin bow shape where the “ribbons” intersect.
14. Diagonal metallic Christmas colours
If you’re really hoping for something Christmassy, rather than just winter themed, then there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the traditional Christmas colours you see all around you! We do, however, love the idea of adding a sparkly gold to the mix so that you have more colours than just red and green. Check out how Yahoo UK painted this cute diagonal stripes!
15. Plaid and gold
Is plaid one of those textures that always reminds you of winter because you’re used to wrapping yourself in plaid layers and scarves that you keep you nice and warm? Then consider giving yourself a manicure to match! Try using carefully placed tape to help yourself create clean, straight lines the way Helen Nguyen did here.
Have you painted yourself other great winter and holiday themed nail designs that you’re very proud of? Tell us how you did it or link us to pictures in the comments section!