20 Holiday Nail Ideas That Will Make You the Life of the Party

Holiday Nail Ideas season is right around the corner, and that means there’s so much to look forward too. Cute cocktail gowns, velvet bow accessories, and sequined everything is always a treat, as is decorating our Holiday Nail Ideas with shimmery polishes and ornate gemstones that ring in the festivities.

The Holiday Nail Ideas season invites us to indulge, and the same sentiment is extended to our holiday party manicures. On our Holiday Nail Ideas mood board this season? Decadent shades—think, chocolate brown, cherry wine, sweet plum—velvety textures, and lots of shimmer. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 20 Holiday Nail Ideas that you’ll want to save and re-create for seasons to come.

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Molten Gold Holiday Nail Ideas

Gold and silver accents are the easiest way to bring some polished shine to your holiday party glam. Rather than a traditional gold French with half-moon silhouettes, try on abstract swirls for a cool molten metling effect.

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Cherry Wine

Moody red nails are a holiday season staple. The cherry wine color is so chic and adds a pared-back pop of color to any neutral cocktail attire.

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Shimmery French

Nail artist Queenie Nguyen created this double shimmery French that we’re obsessed with. The negative space and silver polish are equal parts sophisticated and fun.

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Chocolate Glazed

Chocolate glazed nails are the perfect elevated party look that still blends in with everyday outfits. The neutral shade paired with the reflective chrome is so pretty.

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Chocolate Suede

Or, you could go a little softer with a chocolate suede nail look. Ask your nail artist for a brown velvet polish.

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Crystal Shimmer

Make any manicure a little fancier by mixing and matching crystals and gemstones. It’s unexpectedly easy to re-create: Nail creator Melanie Graves used a sheer shimmery champagne polish as the base and simply topped it with sparkly gems.

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Silver Chrome

Silver chrome nails make for an edgy night-out manicure. The nail look stands-out on it’s own, but there’s plenty room for adding personal touches like hand-drawn details and 3D accents.

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Ornate Elegance

Imagine, you’re at a fancy holiday party at a fancy house in a fancy city and the walls are framed in fancy silver trim. Now, make that vision your fancy manicure.

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Midnight Sky

If Taylor Swift’s Midnights is your party-season anthem, this starry night sky manicure will fit right in. The navy base allows for the gold sparkles to pop—paint them on using a thin brush to achieve the precise details.

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Rosy Velvet

Magnetic details add some fun texture to sometimes “boring” polish colors. The velvety shimmer paired with the rose gold polish just screams “party-ready.”

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Pearly Whites

Not so simple but entirely classic, this mani utilizes some of the most fun elements of nail art: chrome finish, tiny pearls, and gemstones.

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Plum Gloss

Meet your new nail color obsession: plum. The deep purple shade looks so fancy and is a grown-up take on festive sugarplum-inspired manicures. Top it with glossy top coat for a refined shine.

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Subtle Glitter

A glitter top coat adds a festive touch to any hue, but it especially stands out on darker tones like jet black and navy. Olive & June’s It’s Never Enough and Essie’s Summit of Style are great affordable options.

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Black French

For an edgy yet simple manicure, swap your white French for a darker shade and top with a sparkly top coat or your favorite 3D accent. The metallic pearls on this set look so cool.

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Festive Coquette

For a cutesy festive manicure, coquette is the way to go. Take inspiration from this set by mixing and matching sequin and white swirls, bow-adorned Frenchies, and ombré sparkles.

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Classic Red

You can’t go wrong with a classic ruby red shade. The no-fuss hue is a staple year ’round, but feels especially festive come time for the holidays.

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Studded French

This sequined French style is Holiday Nail Ideas for nail maximalists. The mismatched sparkles and different colored sequins are so mesmerizing.

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Cute Charms

Ornate, detailed manicures are still possible without hand-painted details or a trip to the salon. Deco Beauty’s nail stickers are a go-to option—these metallic chains and hearts look like a cute charm bracelet.

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Holiday Dots

It’s a big year for polka dots, and the trend can extend to your Holiday Nail Ideas party mani. Any festive shades will do, but this berry and silver combo is especially delightful.

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Martini Madness

A classic party trick: matching your martini to your manicure. Everyone will be so impressed, by you and your Holiday Nail Ideas artist.