The trouble with booking a manicure in December is that you’re asking one set of nails to do a lot. It has to make sense with a blazer at the office party, look good in the picture where someone hands you a glass, and still be something you want to look at on a Wednesday when the only event on the calendar is laundry.
That’s where the good December nail ideas live. A narrow pewter tip can carry you through a week of dinners. Red velvet cat eye is for the person who’s been waiting all year to wear a holiday manicure. And if the appointment is right before New Year’s, go ahead and get the foil. Here are 20 sets to take to the salon, depending on where you’re going next.
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1. Sheer cranberry jelly
Photo Credit:@mydumbnails
Two thin coats give cranberry that see-through depth. Keep the tips glossy and let the color do the talking.
2. Black cherry with a narrow gold tip
Photo Credit:@thesobonailsalon_banjarahills
Use black cherry across the nail and ask for a gold line thin enough to catch the light only when you move.
3. Espresso velvet
Photo Credit:@nailsbymaki.nyc
A brown magnetic polish looks almost plain from across the room. Up close, the shimmer moves like the nap on a velvet dress.
4. Pewter micro French
Photo Credit:@nailzby_moe.214
A cool silver edge on a sheer pink base looks sharp with a charcoal suit or a black sweater.
5. Mulled wine half-moons
Photo Credit:@thegelparlour_nails
Leave a little crescent bare at the cuticle and paint the rest a deep red. The negative space makes a dark manicure feel lighter.
6. Chocolate and cream checkerboard
Photo Credit:@beautybysarai
Put the checkerboard on two nails and leave the rest a glossy chocolate. The smaller the squares, the more the pattern reads like a detail.
7. Tortoiseshell tips
Photo Credit:@nail_garden_by_nene
Keep the base translucent and concentrate the amber and brown mottling at the tips. It has the warmth of a tortoiseshell hair clip.
8. Garnet with tiny pearl dots
Photo Credit:@jaimedoesnailss
A dot of pearl white near each cuticle dresses up the garnet without the bulk of actual pearls.
9. Fir green with one ribbon nail
Photo Credit:@rosemarienailartist and@mood.oswestry
Ask for a tiny red bow on a sheer accent nail and use deep green on the rest. There’s enough color here to read festive even without the bow.
10. Red velvet cat eye
Photo Credit:@__nailsbyle
Pull the magnetic shimmer into a soft stripe down the center. In warm light it looks like ribbon wrapped around the nail.
11. Snowy milk nails
Photo Credit:@___shape.of.you___
A translucent milky white with fine pearl shimmer looks particularly pretty on short nails. Stop before the white goes opaque.
12. A mismatched red French
Photo Credit:@studiomeduarda_
Alternate cherry and burgundy tips on a clear pink base. The shades are close enough that the switch feels subtle.
13. Champagne glitter fade
Photo Credit:@evee_nails1
Start the glitter at the tips and thin it out toward the middle. The bare space gives the sparkle somewhere to go.
14. Plum chrome
Photo Credit:@fivenailscasablanca and@fivenailscasablanca.anfa
Put a smoky chrome over dark plum so the polish flashes purple at an angle. It’s good with an outfit that’s all black.
15. Midnight blue with a silver star
Photo Credit:@sansungnails
One tiny star on a deep blue nail looks like jewelry. Keep the rest solid if you’re wearing a statement ring.
16. Black with an off-center gold stripe
Photo Credit:@__mknails
A narrow stripe slightly to one side has more personality than a line down the middle. Try it over glossy black on a short square nail.
17. Silver foil over clear pink
Photo Credit:@bossyclaws_ and @sharon.bossyclaws
Irregular foil flecks look a little like confetti. Leave space between the pieces so you can see the pink underneath.
18. Black velvet with a glassy topcoat
Photo Credit:@kuypernailart
Choose a black magnetic polish and pull the light across the nail diagonally. A glassy finish makes the shift show up in low light.
19. Gold glitter on short nails
Photo Credit:@angelinas.nails
Go all in with a dense, fine gold glitter. A short rounded shape keeps the manicure easy to wear after the party.
20. Icy blue chrome
Photo Credit:@lesonglesdesabrina
A pale blue base under pearl chrome gives you a cool flash of color when the light hits. Wear it with silver or let it stand on its own.
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