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.”
Blue Winter Swirls
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“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.
Icy Tips
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This abstract icy look was created using shades from the Static Nail Official Muted Pastels Palette ($60), including Pistachio, Milkshake, Earl Gray, Crushed Diamonds, and Doe My Dear.
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.
Pearly Whites
“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.”
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
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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
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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
“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.