Holiday Manicure Inspiration

Mistletoe, peppermint lattes, and holiday parties are on the agenda this holiday season - and your manicure should reflect the magic (and mania) of the season! Instead of opting for complicated nail designs and predictable color schemes, why not take a more exciting route? We’ll share our holiday nail art inspiration, tips for innovative holiday manicures, and reasons why you should always shop for 10-free polish. Time to set your sights on serving a flawless holiday manicure, because we’re here to help!

Pink Peppermint Pinwheel

Base color: Crush

Stripe color: Cherry Pop

OK, this one might look a little intimidating. But guess what? We had an amateur try the design and she nailed it on her first attempt! The trick is to paint a very small dot at the center of each nail, then carefully draw a curved line from the center to the edge of the nail, repeating in a clockwise direction. The best part of the design? The curved lines make it harder for the eye to spot a mistake, so perfection isn’t necessary for a seemingly flawless finish. To make this happy holiday manicure pop, we used a bubble gum pink polish for the base. We used a fine-tip paint brush and a classic cherry red polish to create the signature peppermint candy swirl.

Cinnamon Candy Cane

Base color: Crush

Stripe color: Cherry Pop

Using the same color palette as our Pink Peppermint Pinwheel, try for a more geometric design by emulating the lines of a candy cane. By randomly alternating thin and bold lines at a slanted angle, you can recreate that traditional candy cane motif on your nails! If prefer a pop of color over the boring old basics, stick with the vibrant combo of pink and red for this manicure design. The pink and red shades are inspired by cinnamon candy canes, for a sugar and spice manicure that’s everything nice. You can use a tape method to create perfect lines, or freehand with a paintbrush if you’re up for it!

Chestnut and Cranberry

Base colors: Jam, Souffle

Nail designs aren’t your thing? This simple and elegant manicure sings with deep holiday tones and a subtle touch of metallic shimmer. The application is simple: apply one color to the majority of your nails, with only a few remaining blank. Use your second polish shade as an accent on the remaining nails, for a modern twist on the basic manicure (or if you can’t choose between two colors). Finish by adding second coats all around, and add a final top coat after all have thoroughly dried; after about 5 minutes. The metallic chestnut brown paired with a deep cranberry red will inspire warm and fuzzy holiday feels, without hitting you over the head with the typical red, white, and green holiday color scheme.

For a festive array of both traditional and unique holiday shades, we naturally went the 10-free route. 10-free means these manicure shades are free of the 10 most dangerous toxins found in nail polish, like formaldehyde, toluene, and camphor. Nail polish ingredients like these can be harmful when absorbed through the nail bed, just like anything you would apply to your skin. Side effects (especially when worn often) can include dizziness, headaches, nausea, reproductive harm, yellowing and brittleness of the nails, respiratory complications, and even cancer. Sound worth it for a little ole manicure? We think not. If you plan on dazzling with your manicures throughout the holiday season, 10-free is the way to be!

Get glittery

Nothing says ‘holiday’ like a healthy dose of glitter! But not even the Ghost of Christmas Past could resurrect a DOA glitter polish, whose glitter seems to be MIA when you swipe it onto your nails. If you’re fed up with glitter polishes that don’t spread, grab one of your used makeup blenders. Snip a piece off with a pair of scissors, then brush your glitter polish onto the wedge. By dabbing glitter polish on with a densely porous makeup blender, you’ll ditch the unnecessary clear polish but grab all of that fabulous glitter. The blender will absorb much of the clear polish, leaving the glitter behind to be gently patted onto a clean nail or dry base coat.

Pair unconventional colors

Some colors have long been thought to play poorly together, but we prefer innovation over playing it safe. A perfect example: pink and red. Don’t believe us? Check out recent runway collections from top fashion designers, or simply mix Crush and Cherry Pop next time you get your manicure on. The vibrancy and depth of red paired with soft, feminine shades of pink make a powerful pair, celebrating the romantic hues of rose and blush. Go ahead and try it yourself, and thank us later!

Try a tricky design

Want to try a fancy design for your manicure, but afraid you won’t nail it? We’re here to tell you: perfection is overrated! Having fun is the order of the day when creating a holiday manicure, so don’t beat yourself up if your design doesn’t come out perfect. Chances are that your hands will be far too busy wrapping gifts to be inspected closely. Plus, it’s likely you’ll be stopped by lots of friends, family, coworkers, and even the cashier at the coffee shop who admire your handiwork and unique work of nail art!

Opt for a top coat

Feel like your manicure is missing a bit of finesse? Perhaps it could use a glossy, glamorous sheen; you can find both in a clear top coat. A quality top coat is designed to protect your manicure, strengthen your nail from too much bending (and subsequent shipping), and add a glass-like shine to your nails. It will help your hard-earned manicure last twice as long, and will amplify any color underneath it. Basically, a manicure pick-me-up in a bottle.

PRO TIP: Before you dive into your manicure, start with a strengthening base coat to ensure nails don’t become brittle. Especially if you plan on wearing nail polish 24/7!