If your clients haven’t yet transitioned from their colorful fall nail designs to festive winter ones, get ready because now that we've finished our Thanksgiving leftovers, the wave is coming. With every season comes the opportunity to create some fun and beautiful nail art, but between the holiday parties and the themes of ice and snow, your clients can really glam it up in the winter. Check out these 10 winter nail trends to get your creative juices flowing, and pick up some of the latest holiday polish collections of 2022 to get started.

10 Classic Winter Nail Trends

  1. Delicate Snowflakes

Everyone knows that no two snowflakes are alike, so this is your chance to give your client a completely custom design if you opt for hand painting with a liner brush. If not, you can encapsulate snowflake decals between layers of clear gel or use a winter-themed stamping plate to get a perfectly delicate snowflake design.

  1. Cozy Sweater

One of the most popular nail trends over the past few years, the sweater nail is perfect for the holiday season. Creating a sweater nail involves painting a simple cable knit pattern in gel, sprinkling some clear acrylic powder over top, and then curing the design. You’ll get a satisfying matte finish that looks like a warm, soft sweater.

  1. Candy Cane

These nails will make you crave the classic holiday treat. Try not to eat them! Hot tip: rub some red chrome powder into the red stripes of your design for some extra shine. Also, try them in green!

  1. Seasonal Characters
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jenny (@nailart.by.jenny)

If you’re a tech who loves creating hand painted nail art, try some cute, classic, cold weather character designs. Penguins, snowmen and polar bears are always winners—especially if you give them an adorable hat or scarf.

  1. Intricate Ornaments

This design idea comes with a host of possibilities. Try hand painting ornaments onto the nails with any shape and design, and they’ll come out looking perfectly festive. Be sure to use some glitter or add some texture to make them really pop.

  1. Glittering Jewel Tones

There’s no color that screams holidays louder than a red glitter. But when it comes to glitter, you’re not limited to just red. Any other jewel tone can be just as effective, such as a deep royal blue or an emerald green. For clients who want to move away from holiday themes, a frosty light blue glitter can mimic sparkling snow.

  1. Pop of Gold

Gold is another classic color of the holidays, and whether worn alone or with jewel tones in a design, you can’t really go wrong. In this French design, the streaks of gold glitter polish bring icicles to mind.

  1. Gift Wrapped

All you need is a liner brush to complete this cute, simple bow design, and your client’s nails will look like tiny presents. Spice it up by trying it in a variety of colors.

  1. Little Rudolph

With just a few details like a shiny red nose and antlers, this adorable design is easily recognizable as the lovable Rudolph with minimal effort. It couldn’t be easier for your clients to display their holiday cheer.

  1. Sparkling Silver

Last but not least, adding a touch of silver to your winter nail design is one of the most classic ways to glam it up for the holiday season. Silver instantly brings to mind glittering snow, so you can really use it in whatever way you see fit for a winter nail.

Holiday 2022 Nail Polish Collections

In order to create the best winter nail looks, you need the most current colors of the season. Thankfully, you don’t have to look too far thanks to these new seasonal launches from top nail brands.

  1. Gelish & Morgan Taylor I Wanna Dance Collection

Gelish & Morgan Taylor's I Wanna Dance shade "Belt It Out"

Gelish & Morgan Taylor's I Wanna Dance shade "Belt It Out"

Courtesy of Nail Alliance

Gelish & Morgan Taylor's Holiday 2022 Collection, I Wanna Dance

Gelish & Morgan Taylor's Holiday 2022 Collection, I Wanna Dance

Courtesy of Nail Alliance

Inspired by the late, great Whitney Houston, this collection is Nail Alliance’s tribute to the legend herself in collaboration with the upcoming biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

  1. OPI Jewel Be Bold Collection

OPI's Holiday 2022 Collection, Jewel Be Bold

OPI's Holiday 2022 Collection, Jewel Be Bold

Courtesy of OPI

OPI’s Holiday 2022 Collection is especially for those who want to look and feel glamorous. The jewel tones in this collection feature shimmer and glitter finishes, and with 15 colors, there’s something for everyone.

  1. ORLY Futurism Collection

ORLY's Holiday 2022 Collection, Futurism

ORLY's Holiday 2022 Collection, Futurism

Courtesy of ORLY

This collection of polishes has a steel-finish for ultimate shine on the nail. The cold metal look evokes both winter and the future, so if your client wants to be ice-cold, this is a great set of revenge colors!

These brands and more have holiday deals going on right now. Find these polish collections at gelish.com, morgantaylorlacquer.com, opi.com and orlybeauty.com.

Nicole Johnson

Digital Content Strategist

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