10 Christmas-inspired nail art that you can jingle all the way to New Year’s Eve

By Malavika Pradeep

Updated Nov 25, 2022 at 11:24 AM

Reading time: 3 minutes

38790

It’s almost Christmas, baby! Ugly sweater parties, cookie swaps, and dreaded Secret Santa exchanges are pretty much in full swing. Your cats have already knocked down the makeshift tree in your living room twice and you’ve finally settled into the couch with your breakfast for a mini marathon of Hallmark Christmas movies. The holiday season has honestly never felt better.

But as you grab the TV remote with one hand, a steaming mug of coffee held in the other, you notice something’s off about the vibe. Yikes! With a jam-packed schedule, you’ve totally forgotten to get a festive manicure before Christmas.

Gone is the chance to post a cringey photo of your nails slithering around a Starbucks holiday cup and caption it along the lines of: “Here to sleigh!” Heck, your nail tech is probably on a well-deserved leave themselves and your seasonal brain cells haven’t reported for duty yet.

Well, don’t worry. Santa has his cookies and you shall have your nail art. Keeping us last-minute enthusiasts in mind, I’ve curated a list of inspirations that can get the creative gears in our heads churning in no time. The best part? Santa hats, gingerbread men, candy cans, snowflakes, holly accents, nutcrackers, mistletoe, and ‘Ho Ho Ho’ motifs are sitting this list out. Instead, the ideas jotted below can jingle all the way till New Year’s Eve and still stay relevant.

So, be it the cost of living crisis or situational laziness triggered as a byproduct of your priorities this holiday season, I recommend you to nestle into a cosy chair, scroll through this list, screenshot your favourite design, and deploy your DIY skills—fingers crossed. You should be good as long as you put a restraining order on that bottle of grinch green polish gnawing its way out of the drawer as we speak.

1. Diamond dust cuffs

Have you ever laid your eyes on something so subtle yet majestic?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Betina R. Goldstein (@betina_goldstein)

2. Festive dots

There’s nothing colourful 3D crystals can’t fix. Just throw on a base coat and assemble your embellishments to floor guests both during Christmas and New Year’s house parties. Brownie points if you match the set with your vajazzle (wink wink).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michelle Humphrey 💅🏽 (@nailsbymh)

3. Arch french

It’s safe to say that there are no rules this festive season.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miss Pop (@misspopnails)

4. Blizzard nails

That’s one way to ensure a white Christmas:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OPI (@opi)

5. Skittles nails

Championed by Harry Styles, the Skittles manicure involves different shades of varnish being applied to each nail. Given the fact that this trend is pretty much evergreen, it can be tweaked to fit both Christmas and New Year’s if you opt for pastel or jewel-toned shades. The possibilities are endless, if you ask me.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nails.INC (@nailsinc)

6. Twinkling tips

If you’re only halfway feeling the holidays this year or want a very subtle look that mesmerises people under the disco light, give your nails some much-needed tip action. After applying a base coat, dip a disposable makeup sponge in some chunky glitter and gently press it on only your nail tips.

You can then either finish it off with a topcoat or use the tiniest crystals you can get your hands on for more razzle-dazzle.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴀɴᴅʀᴇᴀ (@nenapleasenails)

7. Glitter stripes

If you’re not a fan of blizzarding your nails with glitter, a single vertical stripe could get the job done in under five minutes. You can either use glitter powder and a detail brush or opt for strips of metallic tape to make your life easier.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alicia Torello (@aliciatnails)

8. Pearlcore

According to Pinterest, pearlcore is one of the biggest age-inclusive trends of 2022. In an interview with SCREENSHOT about the iridescent aesthetic, nail artist Tuguldur “TJ” Erdenejargal said: “It’s always fun to try new things. So I recommend experimenting with pearlcore nail art, but of course, my advice is to be careful with your nails.”

As per TJ, one can choose to be very creative with pearlcore—in fact, that’s where the fun begins—without feeling the need to follow the trend blindly. So go ahead, fuse your pearlcore look with some festive dots or give it the Skittles treatment this Christmas to honour one of the most timeless aesthetics in existence.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TJ (Your Next Nail Guy) (@nailboii)

Here’s another inspo in case you lack a stable hand but still want to nail the pearly aesthetic:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ❤ Hang Nguyen ❤ (@thehangedit)

9. Cosmic Christmas

There’s snow way I’m doing any work with these gorgeous nails:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Imarni (@imarninails)

10. Half-moon manicures

We’ve previously recorded some cuticle and tip action. Now, it’s time for half-moon manicures to make their negative space debut. Leaving most of the nail naked, the manicure in question adds just the right amount of sparkle to make a statement. Ah, Christmas is in the air… and so is the smell of last-minute nail varnish.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aprés Nail Official (@apresnailofficial)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Betina R. Goldstein (@betina_goldstein)

Keep On Reading

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Are Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins feuding? Fans freak out after The White Lotus co-stars unfollow each other

By Charlie Sawyer

Not only are BMI scores sexist, racist and anxiety-inducing, they’re also massively inaccurate

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

What is Libs of TikTok, and who is Chaya Raichik, the woman behind the far-right account?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Unmasking exploitation in Africa: My undercover journey into Kenya’s Chinese seafood factories

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Beyoncé and Jay-Z consider legal action after Kanye West publicly attacks the couple’s children

By Charlie Sawyer

Donald Trump shares ignorant AI-generated video of what Gaza would look like under his rule

By Louis Shankar

BlueSky sees 300% surge in users after 2024 US presidential election

By Charlie Sawyer

OnlyFans creator Lily Phillips’ plan to sleep with 1,000 men doesn’t justify degrading sex workers

By Abby Amoakuh

Would you drink mayonnaise? New viral Japanese drink by Lawson divides the internet

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

I had to sign away my freedom to tell their story: A photojournalist on documenting Afghan women under the Taliban

By Abby Amoakuh

What to expect from Molly-Mae Hague’s new Amazon Prime docuseries, Molly-Mae: Behind it All

By Annabel Smith

Is TikTok’s protect your peace trend empowering Gen Z women or causing social isolation?

By Abby Amoakuh

Man behind Glasgow Willy Wonka experience put on sex offenders list for abusive behaviour

By J'Nae Phillips

How shitposting and lo-fi aesthetics are winning Gen Z over

By Charlie Sawyer

Is the sex work industry unfeminist? TikTok thinks so, and so do I

By Abby Amoakuh

New video game that allows men to r*pe female family members triggers backlash amid incel concerns

By Abby Amoakuh

Is Millie Bobby Brown pregnant? Fans speculate after star spotted buying diapers and baby supplies

By Abby Amoakuh

#swiftieracism begins trending on X after Taylor Swift fans hurl racist abuse at Beyoncé

By Charlie Sawyer

23 women speak out after UK police urge victims of serial rapist, student Zhenhao Zou, to come forward

By Abby Amoakuh

Abortion pill bans are back on the table as Donald Trump exposes allegiance to Project 2025