Winter can be a bummer of a season. Once the holidays come and go, it can seem a bit, well, boring. The season might not be freezing cold (depending on where you live) and not as exciting as its carefree sister summer, but it does still have its pros. One, it’s the coziest season of all! Two, the fashion is just amazing—boots, coats, hats, etc. And while we might not be donning all of those things since we’re spending more time at home, sweatsuits have gotten really chic these days. Lastly, I find it’s the perfect season for experimenting.
Experimenting, you say? Yes! Since the winter coincides with the New Year, we’re all for trying new things, right? This year, one thing I’m looking forward to doing is mixing up my beauty routine, and I’ve decided to start with something that’s not as drastic as a new haircut or dye job but that’s still different: my nails. I rarely paint them and am pretty indifferent about it all, but with some extra time on my hands (pun sincerely not intended), I’m going to pamper my nails a little more in 2021.
To help, I asked a couple of fashion girls and nail artists to get me up to speed on all the winter nail trends. Here’s the scoop.
“I love a classic French tip on long square nails. It’s also a trend I can do myself from home, as I’ve been having fun doing my own nails lately.” — Brittany Xavier, style influencer
“I think a full icy white manicure is also perfect for winter!” — Lauren Crowe, content creator
“Milky nudes with minimalist nail-art designs is another one trending for winter. I always love minimal nails with a lot of negative space, whether with a milky nude as a base or completely bare nails as a base. It’s so classic and chic. I think the new twist is to add gold accents to play up the nail art. The Minimalist and The Muse press-on extensions from Nails of LA feature this look. I designed them because that’s what a lot of people were asking for, and every time I did minimal nail art with a little gold fixture, it would end up being super popular on social media. Plus, it looks gorgeous on all skin tones, from the lightest to the darkest. It’s just stunning.” — Brittany Boyce, founder of Nails of LA and consulting nail artist for Orly
“I think you’ll certainly see way more shiny or textural elements added to manicures. People are looking for things to bring them instant joy, and a shiny manicure is definitely one of those things. When people ask for a snowflake, they’ll probably get one with glitter versus a flat white snowflake.” — Mimi D, manicurist and nail artist
“I think mix-matched art is still big for winter. Just putting a bunch of different designs mixed together with similar colorways seems to be trending, especially in the TikTok nail designs I’ve been seeing.” — Hang Nguyen, nail stylist
“Currently, I have a dark chocolate gel polish on my nails and love how it’s very dark and rich but softer than black nails.” — Xavier
“I love a tonal manicure, too, sticking to the same warm, wintery tones!” — Crowe
“I think frosty shimmers are always so pretty for the holidays. It reminds people of snowy days and shimmery nights.” — Boyce
“I think high gloss is also essential this season rather than more of a matte look.” — Crowe
“Cozy, muted, and creamy shades are also trending, as they just evoke the idea of snuggling under a comfortable throw blanket with a hot toddy.” — Boyce
“Winter nails typically feature the same holiday staples like red, green, blue, and white, but [for this year] not your typical shades—think more shimmers, glitters, and chromes. The shinier, the better. I’m predicting a lot of teal this winter, too.” — Mimi D
“Soft glitter ombré is a popular winter nail-art trend, as it looks like snow on top of roofs and trees. Orly’s Gossip Girl is a warm gold glitter with fuchsia flecks that’s really pretty in an ombré effect.” — Boyce
