40 Winter Nail Designs Ranging From Icy to Cozy

Photo:

@lolo.nailedit / @fleuryrosenails

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."

meet the expert

  • Mabelyn Alva is a manicurist and the creative director at Paintbox.
  • Naomi Yasuda is a celbrity nail artist who works with Addiction Tokyo

To help you get ahead of your next salon appointment, we've rounded up 40 gorgeous winter nail designs that you're going to want to screenshot.

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Blue Winter Swirls

Blue Swirls Winter Nails

Naomi Yasuda

"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.

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Icy Tips

Icy Winter Nails

lolo.nailedit

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.

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Pearly Gold Tips

Pearly Gold Tips Winter Nails

disseynails

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.

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Pearly Whites

South Sea Winter Nails

Paintbox

“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."

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Glitter Swirls

Glitter Swirls Winter Nails

julieknailsnyc

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.

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Sparkle Half Moon

Sparkle Half Moon Winter Nails

gossipandgloss

An icy blue polish is paired with a silver, glitter-brushed half-moon for a gorgeously simple winter nail design.

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Gilded and Golden

Golden Winter Nails

pinkbunnynailz

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.

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Hot Pink Knit

Hot Pink Knit Winter Nails

nailsbymaki.nyc

Winter nails don't have to be done in muted colors. This fuchsia look leans seasonal thanks to the use of cable-knit texture.

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Starry Forest

Starry Forest Winter Nails

onenailtorulethemall

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.

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Star Nails

Star Winter Nails

Naomi Yasuda

"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.

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Rhinestone Winter

Rhinestone Winter Winter Nails

fleuryrosenails

This glam look uses a mix of white snowflakes with pink and silver rhinestones for a festive and sparkly design.

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Ballerina French

Ballerina Frenchies Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

A simple design with clean lines can go a long way. This look takes a traditional French tip to the next level by adding a gold accent along the smile line with another curved line below, making each nail look like a ballet slipper.

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Snow Queen

Snow Queen Winter Nails

fleuryrosenails

Silver and blue glitter polishes come together to create this iridescent snowy nail look. The thick swirls of color create movement as if the wind is blowing snow from nail to nail.

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Burgundy Snowflakes

Burgundy Snowflakes Winter Nails

onenailtorulethemall

White and burgundy are the primary colors in this look. The burgundy nails are adorned with white snowflakes and glitter, while the white nails have a shimmery finish.

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Light-Catching Snowflakes

Flakey Snowflake Winter Nail

@onenailtorulethemall

While fine glitter lends more of a shimmery effect, you can use big flakes of glitter for a more reflective effect. This look features iridescent flakes of glitter topped with snowflakes.

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Penguin Accents

Penguins Winter Nails

onenailtorulethemall

For a super cutesy look, accent one of your nails with a pop art penguin. To keep the look more subtle, the penguin is only an accent on one finger per hand, while the other nails get a glitter gradient.

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Lilac Skies

Lilac Skies Winter Nails

onenailtorulethemall

Blurred lilac tips are used as the base of this chilly look. It features white clouds and stars, creating an ethereal winter sky,

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Golden Tips

Golden Winter Nails

gossipandgloss

A sheer pearlescent polish serves as the base of this French-tip look. The tips were done in a reflective gold chrome, creating a high-shine finish.

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Milky White

Milky White Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

These milky white nails are the perfect polish for winter. The hue is a cool-toned white, making it similar to freshly fallen snow.

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Snowing Glitter

Snowing Glitter Winter Nails

gossipandgloss

Pretty baby blue, white, and silver create a cohesive color palette for this mix-and-match design. Different nails feature blue tips, snowflakes, and a chunky silver glitter gradient.

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Sweater Weather

Sweater Weather Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

A deep green was used to create this intricate cable-knit look. The pattern was painted on a sheer nude base, keeping the design light and airy.

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Minimalist Chome

Minimalist Chrome Winter Nails

@sugamama_nailz

We've been rocking chrome all year thanks to Beyoncé, but the color is particularly stunning in winter. This design uses silver chrome powder over 3D designs for a clean, yet maximalist look.

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Iced Out

Iced Out

Naomi Yasuda

Take a different approach to icy nails by stacking your manicure with big gems. Accented with silver, gold, and onyx decals, this nail is packed with color, texture, and dimension.

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Silver Glitter Arch

Smile-Line Glitter Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

This look keeps it simple with a pretty sheer nude base accented only by a silver arch that follows the nail's smile line. Its a super simple alternative to French tip design.

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Snowy Tips

Snowy Tips Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Varying shades of blue and white were used to create this winter nail design. Each of the square nails features a clean tip and snowflakes in the same shade.

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Black Winter

Black Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Go dark with your winter nail designs by incorporating black. This design features French tips, solid nails, and snow flakes in a black and silver-glitter polish.

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Winter Wonderland

Winter Texture Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Although only white polish is used, each nail has an intricate design thanks to the use of texture. Pearls, 3D polish, and line art embellish this winter wonderland-inspired look.

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Milky Bling

Milky Bling Winter Nails

gossipandgloss

Jazz up milky nails by adding a few rhinestones. They essentially create the nail equivalent of delicate diamanté jewelry.

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Cozy Tweed

Cozy Tweed Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Tweed is a staple in winter fashion, so incorporating it into a nail look creates a super cozy vibe. This design features a blend of brown, white, and gold polishes along with gold metal and crystal decals for a chic effect.

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White Swirls

White Swirls Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

White swirls on a sheer nude base create a simple yet striking winter nail design.

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Simple Silver Sliver

Simple Silver Sliver Winter Nails

gossipandgloss

This look also keeps it simple with its opaque nude base. Only two nails per hand are accessorized with a thin silver glitter line, adding a touch of embellishment.

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Winter Metallic

Winter Wonderland Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Matte whites pair beautifully with silver shimmer in this winter-worth look. While some nails are solid silver glitter, while others use snowflakes, dots, and swirls to create a textured and varied look.

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Festive Neutrals

Festive Neutrals Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

You can never go wrong with neutrals, especially if you want a design-heavy look that's not too loud. This look uses a beige polish as the base for plaid, reindeer, and cable-knit designs. Consider adding a single glitter nail for an unexpected touch.

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Black French

Black French Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Black French tips are topped with silver crystals to create a sleek, yet glamorous look for winter.

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Wintery Pink

Pink Winter Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Keep your winter nail look sweet by incorporating pink. Blush and white polishes are used to create this mix-and-match design featuring plaid, snowflake, and cable-knit designs.

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Matte Sweater

Matte Sweater Winter Nails

klawsbysonia

Add another element to a cable-knit look by topping it with a matte clear coat. This creates a velvety finish that's cozy and winter-ready.

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Blue & Gold

Blue & Gold Winter Nails

jess_nails_it

Blue and gold are the stars of this look, which features a few white snowflakes. It's both festive and statement-making.

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Winter Blue

Iced Out Winter Nails

jess_nails_it

Baby blue, silver, and shimmer create this wintery nail look. The silver and shimmer are only used on two nails per hand, keeping the look a bit more minimal.

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Cozy Sweater

Cozy Sweater Winter Nails

jess_nails_it

Keep your winter look warm by using shades like this rich brick red. A textured cream polish was used to create the cable-knit and snowflake designs, adding even more character to this look.

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Blue Chrome

Blue Chrome

@sugamama_nailz

Deep blue chrome is a great way to emulate the vibe of winter without being so literal. With nary a snowflake in sight, this look is wonderful for this time of year.

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