Holiday Nail Designs That Are Anything But Cheesy

As the winter rolls in every year, it becomes more difficult to resist the temptation of getting a full-blown holiday-themed manicure. Even those who don't consider themselves to be overly festive can't deny the rush that comes with an influx of new wintry designs each December. The only problem with typical holiday nails is that they can blur the line between creative and cheesy. Because of the bold colors and glitter that we often see during the silly season, festive nails can come across as cheap and tacky. But holiday manicures can still look luxe; the two aren't mutually exclusive.

To celebrate the season and still look stylish, the best strategy is to incorporate trends that have been on fire throughout the year with your more standard festive elements. Opt for shades and moods that we don't normally see in Christmas manicures, play with experimental designs, and remember the law of "less is more." Subtlety will always seem more expensive. Swap been-there-done-that looks with cutting-edge aesthetics, and remember to have fun. As long as you keep it cool, nothing is off limits — not even glitter!

One of the best ways to avoid a cheesy holiday manicure is to play around with unexpected shades. Blue isn't one of the top festive colors anyway, but when it does appear during the season, it tends to be in the form of royal blue or metallic blue. A matte powder blue, on the other hand, brings a fresh energy to your standard holiday nail set. But you can still make this festive themed by incorporating some traditional elements, like snowflake nail art and thin lines of glitter. 

You don't have to part ways with glitter altogether if you want to go festive but steer clear of being cheesy; just find different ways of styling it. You can modernize the glitter aspect by applying it on the tip of the nail only in a French style, and making the background color itself a cool-gold rather than a yellowish warm gold. Keep the sparkles sheer, staying true to the less-is-more guide to cool, and let them drip down the nail to resemble falling stardust. Chef's kiss! 

Chrome manicures have been trending all year, so add that metallic finish to your manicure and you can get away with the cheesiest of holiday nails — even those with Santa hats! If you're drawn to the idea of classic imagery, such as Santa hats, opt for an abstract design rather than a traditional image. These nails do resemble Santa hats, but they could also appear throughout the year as just an edgy French set. 

Glitter is not the enemy, but too much of it takes your manicure from it-girl to childhood dance concert. Along with keeping the sparkles to a minimum, you can apply glitter polishes in unique ways. Try a baby French manicure (which is a great option if you've got short nails), a reverse French manicure, or simply playing around with nail art. If you're doing this yourself rather than relying on a professional, remember to use a thin nail brush to keep those lines super fine and understated.

Again, chrome is the one trend you definitely want to bring to your winter manis because you can get away with some pretty stock-standard festive styles if you're going with this route. While basically any shade looks good with chrome, reaching for a non-traditional metallic color — like rose gold — will ensure that your holiday manicure seems cutting-edge. Use a chrome base and finish with some wintry nail art, and you'll be the talk of your holiday party.

Green works in every season, but you can adapt your green manicure for the holidays by opting for a deep mossy shade. Channel the pine forests of the north with your base color, and then add one or two small yet powerful details to really give it a festive feel. A thin line of silver glitter that isn't centered is absolutely cool enough to fit the bill. 

If you like green for the holidays but don't want to commit to an entire green base color, opt for a touch of greenery through leafy nail art. The neutral base combined with the intricate design makes this manicure seem subtle and luxe, yet intentional. You can also add tiny dots of white and thin streaks of silver to give this look a snowier vibe. 

The holidays don't have to be about all things bright and jolly. If you're the kind of person who feels the most comfortable in black, then you do you! You can adapt moodier palettes to festive manicures by combining them with more traditional elements, like beautifully drawn snowflakes. Blending together completely black nails with French ombré tips is another way to add interest here, and of course, you can give your hands even more edgy vibes with carefully selected jewelry. 

Just because the year is nearly over doesn't mean we can forget that the nostalgic Barbiecore fashion trend ever happened. Honor the craze that stopped the world with an ode to all things pink in your festive nails. The key is to use the same designs and styles that you normally would in the silly season, but with pink shades instead. Go for candy cane stripes, snowflake nail art and (a little!) glitter to keep it ultra-girly these holidays.