5 Hot Nail Trends To Try This Christmas
According to Google, searches for “Christmas nails” are up over 250 per cent, with festive mani’s high on everyone’s holiday pampering list. Seasonal-appropriate digits elevate your party look in no time and give you that holiday cheer without a Santa nail transfer in sight. Think grown-up glitter, lively reds and super shiny finishes that will glimmer with every canape you pick up. For talons that get you noticed, we round up the five hot festive nail trends and easy-to-follow steps to polish like a pro.
The Trend: The Perfect Pearl
Sheer, glistening, and neutral nails with a luminous, moonlit finish have been a fan favorite every year and every season it seems. These dewy, glowy, glimmering nails aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They are timeless and elegant and the perfect way to stay chic and festive this holiday season. Level up from a simple pearl with deeper, darker shades – but still with that gorgeous, iridescent, glimmering glazed finish.
Try: Wondercolor Etheral £7, Essie Pearly White Shimmer £8.99, Manucurist Green Flash Bronze, £15.
The Trend: Bold Metallics
For a statement festive nail, metallic gold and sparkling silver polishes are the way to go. For an elevated, ‘grown up’ glittering look, apply a layer of your favourite shade for a stunning, multidimensional finish. Just don’t forget to apply a topcoat for an ultra-glossy, shiny, chip-free mani with added sheen.
Try: Essie Winter Collection Apres Chic £6.74, Nailberry To The Moon And Back £16, OPI Hot Toddy Naughty £8.95
The Trend: Rich Reds
Bright red nail shades are a festive staple, a Christmas crowd favourite, but this year it’s all about dynamic, dark, luxe, vampy reds, and deep, rich plum shades to add a moodier hue to the classic festive shade.
Try: Leighton Denny Vamp, £12, Max Factor Nailfinity X-Press Gel Nail Polish, £7.99, OPI Infinite Shine Nail Polish in Bagota Blackberry, £16.
The Trend: Naked Nails
Naked, barely-there nudes have been championing all year and will still be hugely popular this winter. The fresh, minimalist, perfectly groomed, dewy nails, that look effortlessly chic and pulled together is all about finding the neutral nude shade that replicates the beautiful colour of your natural nail to give that ‘your nails just better’ effect.
Try: For those with fair skin, milky neutral shades with blue undertones or nudes with a sheer pink hue will work best, like Space NK’s Nailberry Almond Oxygenated Nail Lacquer for £16.
Try: Medium/olive skin tones should veer towards creamy almond or warm, dusty pink shades. Avoid anything too pale, which can clash with the yellow undertones of your skin colour. We love Bio Sculpture’s Lyrics Of A Lily, £12.
Try: While dark skin tones pretty much suit all shades but for a ‘your- nails- but- better’ nude polish, look for deep, rich, and creamy beige and caramel shades, or a warm chocolate with red/orange undertones like Leighton Denny’s Nail Polish in Forest, £12.50.
The Trend: Fierce French Tips
This French trend is a modern take on the classic French mani – a beautiful, glossy neutral base shade with a super bold pop of colour across the top. Play around with different shades from deep, dark blues to rich reds and emerald greens.
Try: Hermès Les Mains Hermes Nail Enamel in Bleu Encre, £42 and Wondercolour Black Cherry Bomb, £7.
Five Top Tips to Polish Like a Pro
1. The key to a perfect mani is fine layers – a base coat, two thin coats of colour and a topcoat – ensuring you allow enough time for each coat to dry. For example, your base coat should appear matte before you begin to apply your colour and you should leave around 2-3 minutes of drying time in between each coat of polish and before applying your topcoat.
2. Don’t underestimate the powers of base and topcoat. All nail colours should be protected with a topcoat to prevent chipping and fading, extend the life of your manicure and keep your nail colour fresh and vibrant day after day.
3. Don’t forget your tips to prevent chips. Slightly ‘swipe’ and seal the tips of the nails with your nail polish and topcoat – this will seal the colour and protect it from chipping.
4. Apply a fresh layer of your topcoat every three to four days to keep the colour fresh and prevent chips.
5. If your polish chips or smudges, remove the polish on the damaged nail and start again for a perfect finish. Layering more polish over the top will just make it more prone to chipping and smudging later. The key is to allow each layer to dry (base coat, polish, and topcoat) before applying the next.
Your Nail Kit Essentials:
For more nail inspo and hues that wow, check out 24 Of Our Favourite Winter Nail Shades
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