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Certain traditions get us in the holiday spirit: putting on some jolly tunes, decorating the tree in cozy pajamas and fuzzy socks, and giving ourselves a Christmas manicure. 'Tis the season for all the shimmer, shine, and holiday hues—red, hunter green, winter white, gold, icy blue—and there are plenty of holiday nail polish colors on the market and no shortage of festive symbols and motifs to inspire.
To help guide you, we put together a list of ideas for Christmas nail art designs, including an elevated French tip, Santa-inspired art, snowflake accents, and more. The best part is, thanks to nail stickers, press-on, and stencils, even those of us with the unsteadiest hands can create these styles easily. Keep scrolling for major inspo.
1
Metallic Tips
If sparkles aren't your thing, silver metallic adds an edgy twist to your holiday manicure. The Nails.INC Gold Mani Marker Nail Pen makes creating the golden French tips easy.
2
Asymmetrical French
This colorful asymmetrical French mani reminds us of those rainbow candy canes that add a beautiful touch of color to your Christmas tree. If you aren't willing to DIY, the Lottie London Stay Press'd Nails in neon vibes is the perfect dupe.
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3
Sparkly French Tip
Manicurist Kassandra Jones adds a Christmas twist to a French manicure with rose gold tips and chic leafy accents. The Olive & June Party Pants shimmer is worth a try when recreating the festive tips.
4
Candy Cane
Draw inspiration from a Christmas favorite—candy canes! This red-and-white abstract manicure is a subtle nod to the holidays. The hue Not Red-y for Bed from Essie is a classic cherry hue to recreate this look.
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5
Fairy Dust
This iridescent sparkling manicure is as magical as this time of year. You can recreate this manicure at home using Aprés Nail at-home gel X kits and the Heavenly Top Gel Coats, which come in five iridescent shades.
6
Golden Accents
Make your minimalist manicure more festive with a subtle golden accent.
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7
Outlined
Tom Bachik makes achieving a festive manicure chic. We love this thin double French tip in red, which adds a trendy twist to a classic style.
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9
Half-Moon Sparkles
One of the biggest nail trends are half-moon manicures. To make it more seasonally festive, add sparkles on the lower part of your nail. The Orly Festive Glitz and Glam Gift Set has a silver shade that can easily recreate this look and it's a great present for the one you love.
10
Glazed Donut Nails
You've probably seen glazed donut nails all over your social feeds and for good reason. It's perfect for Christmas time because of the soft wintery-white iridescence. Try the Facile press-on nails in Vanilla Glazed for this look.
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11
Grinch Manicure
If the Grinch is your favorite Christmas character, you might consider this neon-meets-sparkly French tip manicure.
12
Tree Lights
Here's proof that multicolored Christmas lights can brighten up a creamy neutral polish.
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13
Red Glitter
Nail artist Jessica Reohr jazzes up an all-red manicure with pops of glitter for the holidays.
14
Molten Lava
If you don't love an overt Christmas manicure, then these dripping emerald tips with a golden accent are subtle, elegant, and unexpected.
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15
Ho Ho Ho
If you're looking to take a red manicure to the next level this Christmas, try out this fun "ho, ho, ho" design by Utah-based nail technician Liz Henson.
16
Muted Red
For those who prefer to save the bright reds for summer, try a muted version, like Essie Expressie Wine Red.
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17
Jelly Green
Jelly nails are popular for their see-through finish and glossy shine. For a holiday take, opt for a green shade that pays tribute to the winter foliage.
18
Soft Ombré
Minimalist doesn't have to equal boring. The ombré on this manicure is so soft and subtle, but still festive and bright.
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19
Golden Stars
Pop on a couple of holiday-themed stickers to elevate any manicure. We love this Christmas set from Olive & June.
20
White and Black
A classic and clean black-and-white nail art design, like this tree motif by Henson, is a pretty manicure for the holidays.
Genesis Rivas
Genesis Rivas is the Beauty Editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers hair, makeup, skin, nails, and more. Before joining the Oprah Daily team, she wrote for several publications, including InStyle, Real Simple, and Shape. When she’s not testing, researching, and writing fun and educational beauty content, you can find her dancing and eating her way through New York City. Follow her on Instagram or TikTok