Chic Tree Nail Designs Christmas 2025: Elegant Holiday Manicure Ideas to Spark Your Festive Look

The smell of pine, warm sweaters, and warm jazz with shinning lights and candles, it is time of the year when even our nails have to shine. Yet imagine I could explain to you that the manicure trend this year will go beyond glitter and red polish? It is all about grace in green, contemporary, minimal, and very festive. Wanna be part of the next wave of Chic Tree Nail Designs December 2025? Let’s unwrap them together.

Whispering Pines on Winter White

Slim green fir nails that are soft white, it such a look needs to be admired as one steps into a snow-glazed morning and all is quiet, still and, somehow, magical. The lines are just precise enough, and at the same time playful: every tree is painted like a brush, on its crown is a golden star which gives a hint of celebration. It is simple, but brutally expressive – ideal to those who do not like flash and burl.

To replicate this, I normally resort to OPI “Alpine Snow” as the foundation, the creamy clean white(that would not streak) then use Essie Off Tropic to give those pine strokes. The golden star? One brush of the Sally Hansen gold rule glitter polish will work. Up to now a fine nail assistant (such as the Beatles Liner Brush) can be used to keep all the tree outlines smooth and crisp.

In Harper Bazaar, manicurist of celebrities, Betina Goldstein once commented that the new luxury is negative space and clean lines. And that is just the dynamism of this place less is more and plainness turns out to be the word. I also personally wear this when I need my nails to be winter-y, and latte and a cashmere coat.

Golden Forest Dreams

Flakes of gold like decorations in branches of evergreen trees – this arrangement transforms each movement into a miniature feast. The sheer nudeness of the bottom makes it a soft elegant background and the green trees and metallic stars of gold seem to have come out of a holiday fairytale. It has coziness in every detail, such as candles on cold nights.

To achieve this luxe appearance, I would use Zoya Jack, which is a nude base, as it suits most of the skin tones. The trees may be made with Gelish, Amazon Flirt, and as an added touch of luxury I dabbed Orly 24K Gold Flakie Top Coat. It reflects light in a good fashion and does not encroach on the design.

The home version would be to have two nude coats of paint, which is allowed to dry and then the trees can be drawn on with the fine detail brush. Reflect some gold foil or flakes on it and seal everything with a shiny top covering. One such tip is by nail artist Tom Bachik (who does the nails on Jennifer Lopez): You should always cover metallics with two layers of clear polish, so they do not tarnish or peel off. I have tried it once, and it really makes the shine last twice as long.

Emerald Calm with a Touch of Frost

The new red is green and this manicure is a demonstration of it. Lush, shiny Glossy Green nails with pin needles decoration on accent fingers. It is eternal and daring yet remains new, as though when you have come out in the rain and have smelled actual fir trees in the first snow.

In this case, OPI, Stay off the Lawn! is an ideal dark green. I combine it with Essie “Ballet Slippers” as the base to the accent and I use China Glaze Spruced Up to draw branches. A delicacy of silver gives it that frosty touch – consider it not a necklace, but jewelry to the tips of your fingers.

It is easy to do at home by painting your nails in a dark green and leaving one or two fingers neutral and with a fine brush you stroke on pine branches. Apply a matte boring layer at the end in case you desire a velvety finish – it is out-of-this-world beautiful with a candle lying on it. It is a design that I am wearing when I have to wear something that is not predictable but decent.

Gilded Evergreens

Bold. Confident. Glamorous. These evergreens are gold decked on a glossy green with screams of party season. Emerald paired with metallic gold is as though the donning of a couture dress – on your hands. Each nail itself is a mini-statement and glitters like a holiday light as such.

I would apply Deborah Lippmann “Jewel Heist” as the base, and go on using CND “Brass Button” to outline the trees. The gold circles will be utilized with the assistance of a dotting tool and the garland detail is to be added using a striping brush. Good tedious job but worth the task.

I struggled to get used to this style the first few times, and even when I ate with my friends, my best friend could not help but look at my hands. It is that you have got a designer nail,’ she said 2 This manicure is fancy not necessarily or costly. Nail polish artist Jeremy Bentham Girl in the magazine Allure has said in the past that a metallic accent will make any timeless shade look like a magazine headline immediately. And here, it truly does.

Minimalist Star Tree Accent

It just takes one small detail sometimes, a swirl of green with a single star to express the word holiday chic. It is the nail art that is all subtle: light nude background, a little curve of green, and a golden star on the tip. This is nearly poetic in its restrictiveness.

You will have only three colors, one of them being neutral, such as OPI bare my soul, Essie ruffles and feathers, green, and Butter London gold rush, star. Precision is achieved using a dotting tool or tooth pick. This appearance is achieved in minutes and gives maximally charismatic results.

I wear it on top of everything, when I want to cover the whole top with it it is that silent kind of beauty that does not say anything to get attention, but somehow gains it. And like manicurist Jin Soon Choi said in the Vogue, minimal designs with emotional interpretation is what we will be longing to have next. She was correct – this one is like the murmur of Christmas happiness.

Classic Christmas Charm

There is nothing about December we will not adore in this manicure: the deep forest greens, the snowy white, the few sprinkles of gold that shines like fairy lights. Every nail has a story attached to it: here one wrapped in emerald green with gold ribbons, there painted white with tiny trees and purchase ornaments. It is a party, but not excessive, the type of Christmas Nail Designs Chic Tree 2025 that balances on the edge between family and fancy.

To replicate this appearance I begin with Essie marshmallow on the white foundation and Zoya hunter on that green shininess. Such metallic striping polish as OPI “Glitzerland” is the easiest to use with the golden spiral accents. In the case of red and green baubles, I apply little dotting instruments – or, when I am particularly frivolous, nail gems topped with toptac.

In doing this design, I typically light a cinnamon candle and play an old playlist of the holidays. It is not only about the manicure, it is also about that slow-down process. Celebrity nail artist Julie Kandalec even stated in InStyle that your nails can be your moment of escape -a five minutes indulgence that reminds you that you need to take time and appreciate beauty in everyday life. I couldn’t agree more. This pause is precisely like this type of pause.

Holiday Glam Sparkle

This is what would happen to the nails of Santa should he go haute couture. Dark, dark metal green with reflections of red and silver rhinestones, sprinkled with ideal snowy whites it is daring, party, and not shy to be over the top. It is dramatic in terms of its elongated almond form, and at the same time elegant because of the balance the shape has and the sparkle. The nails are almost dancing over Christmas lights.

In materials I use CND E-lights, in it that shimmer base, it is pigmented and long lasting and used together with Swarovski crystals or any good rhinestone. It is possible to add the white dots using only a simple nail pen; a sharp tip of a bobby pin can do it as well. It is so in the placing: you must have them random enough to look like snow and balanced enough to be flattering to the nail shape.

In an interview with Vogue last winter manicurist Betina Goldstein said that the future of festive nails is all about texture. This is precisely the look that this looks contains, metallics, rhinestones and compressed richness. The next time I went out wearing it to a New Year brunch, the people who had no idea who I was, inquired about it at the coffee counter. It is the type of manicure that provokes the discussion – sure, shiny, somewhat adventurous.

Frosted Fairytale Layers

Mysteriously light and airy, these nails are reminiscent of that first snow mood in its sugary pink undertones and piled up pine trees and jeweled decorations. Even each small tree looks like it has been hand-painted and adorned with small dots of magenta and gold, which glitter, yet do not scream. The design is just like in a heartwarming holiday rom-com.

To do so, use OPI as your soft nude foundation (Bubble Bath). Then apply with liner brush three green colors, which are Essie, Off Tropic, Olive & June, Into the trees and a little bit of China glaze, Emerald bay. Apply tiny dots of magenta foil or little studs as decorations and cover all the parts with a high-gloss top coat.

I once performed this manicure at the time I had a dinner with friends in December and one of my friends mentioned that I have made my hands look almost like a Christmas postcard. That’s exactly the effect. It is sweet, nostalgic, and quietly happy – the ideal way to put on magic of holidays and not utter a single word.

Red Velvet & Reindeer

It is the wrapping paper and cocoa night kind of design. Minimalist accent nail nails: on one hand a Christmas tree that has been painted by a hand and on the other hand is a small silhouette of a reindeer that is painted in gold. It is also old, yet with smooth lines and glossy surface, it easily transports the feeling of something up to date.

In this case, I would choose Essie Forever Yummy red – it is very rich and photogenic. I would paint all the nails red and the accent ones with OPI Funny Bunny as a base. The details of the reindeer and the star are polished with a fine brush, and Sally Hansen Gold Chrome.

This is what I turn to when I am in need of something classic and unique at the same time. Tom Bachik celebrity manicurist frequently notes that nail art ought to convey your story, even in the instance of single accented nail. I love that idea. In this case, a nail may speak of the holiday cheer and the other nail can murmur about classy restraint. It’s balance in color form.

Evergreen Minimalism

And lastly — hidden eloquence of simplicity. Hard white nails and small, centered pine trees -that is all. But somehow, it’s enough. The symmetry and space, there is something so relieving about it; it is as though giving a breath of relief to the winter in the form of manicure. These nails play with everything – cosy knits, sequined dresses, they will never think that they do not belong anywhere.

To achieve this look I wear Essie Blanc because of the ideal opaque white and Zoya Wyatt because of the trees. It is all about balance: draw a dotting tool or toothpick in order to plan the tree and fill it in. A single swipe too hefty and it is no longer that sharp.

In cases where life has become too hectic, I always go back to this manicure. It is telling me that beauty does not always need to be complex to be correct. According to Jin Soon Choi on one occasion, when he was interviewed by Allure, he wrote, Minimalist nail art is the same as an emotional design, but it is a silent one. It is precisely the beauty of it: silent, considered, indefinitely classy.

Festive Pine Elegance

A Christmas tree on a naked pedestal is something eternal to me, the combination of homey feeling and beauty. This design is comfortable and high at the same time, as drinking mulled wine in a warm knot sweater. The deep greens stand out on the soft pink ground, whereas the gloss finish tends to make it look like it was freshly done in salon that we all want. What the tip of the gold star seems is a personal wish to the season, so subtle, yet full of meaning. It is all that I like about Chic Tree Nail Designs Christmas 2025 – something that is celebratory, yet still classy, happy, but not noisy.

To do so, I base my look with Essie topless and barefoot so this really produces a creamy blushy look that compliments any skin tone. The tree itself is animated by Zoya “Hunter” and OPI “Stay Off the Lawn!!” and applied in subtle brush strokes. In the case of its ornaments, small red gems or Sally Hansen Red Eye dots will work, and I always seal it with the Seche Vite Top Coat so as to give it a glass look.

This design has been restrained by beauty. I am crazy about its ability to glorify the Christmas spirit without glittering. Even the manicurist of a star, Tom Bachik, has told Vogue: Nail art is the kind of thing you do not scream about, but whisper a bit about luxury. This is what this manicure does. It is ideal to have breakfast on a holiday, to have dinner in the evening, or to open presents in front of candles.

Snowfall Serenity

This one is a winter poem, powdery blush, snow White and silver-dipped branches. In each nail, I seize the time of the snowfall resting upon the needles of the pine-trees, so delicate, so brief, so wonderfully beautiful. It is the sort of manicure that makes one stop and simply inhale the season.

As the nude base, I love CND Bare Chemise, it is comfortable and forgiving. The frozen branches would be best done with a thin line brush with OPI Suzi Snowflakes and Essie Off Tropic to create depth. Add a sprinkles of fine silver glitter such as the Tiara by Orly at the ends in order to achieve that icy feel.

Betina Goldstein, in her interview with Harper’s Bazaar, taught me that minimalist art is created by adding a sense of dimension through the use of semi-translucent layers, and this manicure is a demonstration of it. The snow-flakes do not require the perfection; they are attractive in their irregular way. It is an eye wear I put on when I need to relax generally, as it is a vision that even though things may be messy when you take the time to observe; then it will be beautiful.

Alpine Chic Minimalism

Sometimes the only thing you need to make your statement is simplicity. Beautifully trimmed beige nails painted with a tiny sprinkling of green evergreen -a silent greeting to the earth. This design is very grounded and earthy, and those who do not like a lot of glitz and tassel would love this design. It is subtle yet so beautiful – so much like a gentle murmur of the holidays instead of an ensemble.

The secret of this type of minimal appearance lies in accuracy. My base is OPI “Put It In Neutral, and the pine shapes are done with a micro brush with Essie Stylenomics. A touch of gold foil on the top, only a smiting, makes it editorial. It is simple yet nice enough to be quoted.

It is my top favorite to dress in office during December months when I am in need of something that is matching my gray knits and oversized blazers. According to celebrity nail artist Jin Soon Choi the best designs are the most simple as they allow color and shape to do the talking. I couldn’t agree more.

Frosted Fir Whispers

A decoration that promises to have been kissed off by winter Creamy ivory nails with deep green pine branches dusted in snow. Short and roundness makes it trendy to wear, and contrasting between the green and white makes the top have that fresh and expensive look. This is the one that comes like a designer sweater to your hands – customized, comfortable and a low key high end.

To complete this manicure, I mix the piano branches within Zoya snow White and CND fern flannel to give an effect of depth. A dusting of China Glaze Fairy Dust at least provides the touch of the snowy sparkle and Seche Vite Gel Effect Top Coat seals the gloss altogether.

The last time I did this look was last winter with an off-white turtleneck and emerald earrings, and, frankly speaking, it made me think that I have my life together (although it was not the case). It is sophisticated and it is familiar- relaxed -just right between ho ho and ho.

Candy Ribbon Trees

Here, the cute spin we have on the holiday nail art is the winding curls of red glittery ribbon-like nails that are shaped into the Christmas trees. It is old school glamour, with new age confidence. Every nail is a small decoration in itself and gleams each time. Chic Tree Nail Designs Christmas 2025 will be at its best and feelgood.

I would start with OPI Bubble Bath in their clean pink base, and then apply the spirals with Essie A List, with a fine glitter polish, China Glaze ruby Pumps. Decal to each tree with red stars or glittery stickers to complete.

I love this appearance in holiday events because the appearance resembles the manicure version of red lipstick: it is classic, bold, and instantly cheerful. According to a celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein in Glamour, holiday nails should not be painted without leaving people in a smiling mood whenever they see them. This one? Instant smile every time.

Winter Berries French Twist

I have always favoured a traditional French manicure, yet this is a holiday variant that has totally reinvented it. Toile, sharp white ends but with holly leaves and berries around them – dainty, but full of seasonal interest. The contrast between the nude and white is clean and contemporary, but the small red berries provide the optimal touch of colors. It is as graceful and flirty as it is attractive with a warm-up ensemble as it does a cocktail dress. I would call this understated holiday glamour a variation of the classic French tip that will fit the Chic Tree Nail Designs Christmas 2025 trend without difficulty.

In this design, I will apply OPI bare my soul as the sheer base and Essie blanc in the white tips. The holly leaves are personified with China Glaze e Emerald Fitzgerald, and the berries can be dotted with Zoya Sooki. Apply Seche Vive Instant Gel Effect Top Coat to get a mirror shine. Precision is the trick here, however, maintain the holly accents airy and light, this will retain the appearance sophisticated.

I recall having this type at an office holiday lunch last year and one of the colleagues had muttered to me, It is party-time but still… professional. And that’s exactly it. This manicure commemorates the holidays in a very subdued way – you will find the sparkle once you examine it closely enough.

Frosted Berry Luxe

It is flawless winter magic, evergreen, melted into snowy ends, little clustering red berries sticking out. It has the painterly air of frost and foliage in a motion. It would suit anyone who wants a dramatic nail polish but does not want it to be flashy. The gradient effect creates the effect of the fading branches becoming snowy white, one of those minute details that leaves people wondering where they had it done.

I would suggest CND Wrapped in Linen on the base, and mixing OPI Stay Off the lawn! on the tips with a sponge effect. Into the trees may be drawn with Olive and June and the berries with Sally Hansen. A sprinkling of silver glitter along the edges, as Essie would have been, Set in Stones, brings wonders to bear.

According to a betina Goldstein, a celebrity nail artist, the secret behind festive nails is contrast, i.e., soft bottoms with textured decorations. This architecture represents this in an ideal way. It is celebratory, true, but very artistic. I feel that every time wearing it I am carrying a small picture painting of winter in my fingers.

Golden Star Evergreen

It is just too charming to have just one elaborate nail to form the focal point of the entire outfit. This manicure consists of a soft nude polish and a detailed Christmas tree with a gold star in the center of it, a little masterpiece which seems both traditional and valuable. I adore the contrast between the warm nude base of the image and the jewel-green of the tree and the shimmering of the jewelry – the gold. It is luxurious and personal, but not noisy — smart luxury and vacation cheers.

I base it with OPI, “Samoan Sand” which I combine with Essie, “Ruffles and Feathers” as the tree and CND, “Brass Button as the star. A dotting tool assists in making the baubles and to achieve a shiny, high end finish, I will always apply Gelish top it off.

It is my manicure choice in case I am willing to make my nails state that I am holiday-ready but not that much on-the-nose. It is a detail, which makes even a simple outfit look assembled. With a single nail designed, as nail stylist Julie Kandalec told Glamour, it can look more contemporary than an entire design. She is completely right, sometimes, one tree is enough.

Gift-Wrapped Joy

This one brings me every time I see it, a smile. It is cheerful, luxurious, and deep in description candy cane twists, red satin bows, snow-capped trees and gold. It is the very best of Christmas morning and that too in your hands. Its nude base maintains the balance of the same, whereas the design as anticipated is what brings out that inner child in the most stylish manner. Whether you are a fan of the statement nails, this holiday mood board is your dream.

In terms of materials, I base my creation on CND Romantique and apply its ribbons Essie A List, candy cane Essie Alpine Snow and trees Zoya Hunter. With a thin detail brush, you should be able to control and you should be patient, it is all in the clean lines. Gold chrome powder sprinkling gives that generous gift-wrap appearance.

I had initially worn this manicure on a holiday with my friends, and it became an instant hit. It is maximalist, but curated e.g. combining satin bows with smooth tailoring. And as Elle Gerstein, the celebrity artist, quoted in Allure, says; Playfulness is the new sophistication – (but intentional). This is precisely the atmosphere of the place: a party, perfect and, indeed, entertaining.

Snowy Pine French Charm

And then there is this, with its naive but still dreamy style, a perfect mix of the sophistication of a French tip and the nostalgia of pine branches. It is a manicure that is daintily beautiful at a distance but you go in with the detail calmly there. The light glimmer, the weak strokes of the brush, the almost unnoticeable shimmer of glitter and all of it combined bringing forth the optimal compromise between modern minimalism and the holiday atmosphere.

In order to do this, I apply OPI, a base of spinning, on top of it, French tips using Essie, that is, Blanc. Next, one of the fine liner pens, I draw pine branches with Zoya Wyatt. The slightest touch of Orly Tiara glitter in the tips creates the impression of morning frost.

Whenever I put this style on, I get the idea that I have trapped that silent end-of-December sound, the silence just before the hustling of the parties. It is smooth and adaptable, the type of design that works well with all, including an oversized sweater, as well as a silk blouse. And, frankly speaking, it is a reminder of the fact that simplicity can be every bit as enthralling as sparkle.

Enchanted Gnome Forest

Cute, unconventional, and completely adorable – this design is a playful twist on the holidays. Nails, deep metallic green, glitter like emerald decorations, and two small Christmas gnomons bring in a sense of storybook that leaves you smiling instantly. It is somehow nostalgic, almost, like reading an old children book beside the fireplace. It has this effect of feeling layered and dimensional, which is so happening with Chic Tree Nail Designs Christmas 2025 due to the mix of textures greens (glossy), matte beige, and soft white details.

To do this, I adore the metallic base with CND Dark Diamonds, as it is bold without being too forceful. In the case of the gnome hats and trees, Essie “Off Tropic” and OPI “Put It In Neutral” color are appropriate to contrast. The brush here is a micro-detail that is essential to define beards and hats – steady hands and a small portion of patience is magic.

I have observed that this year, holiday nail art is skewing towards narrative, it is no longer just color. Nail artist Julie Kandalec told Vogue, that people desire their nails to be mood boards of their feelings. That resonates with me. The design reminds on happiness, joy, a bit naughty.

Evergreen Sparkle Tips

There is something that is eternal about green and white, when it happens to be worn in light shades that remind of falling snow. Such manicure follows that hushpuppy moment when winter sunlight falls on new pine branches. There is the slight twinkle of the shimmer that gives it a luxury tone, and the smooth almond shape makes the design graceful and easy to wear. It is ideal to people who desire to achieve holiday spirit in a sophisticated, undress manner.

To achieve this appearance, I begin with OPI “Bubble Bath” as the base- it is that barely pink which makes all the others look good. Then I apply Zoya Wyatt to the trees painting them with a thin ended liner brush. A sprinkle of Essie Blanc and a sprinkle of orly Tiara are a perfection as far as the snow effect is concerned.

This is the set that one wishes to enter the snow globe — cozy, peaceful, enchanted. It is true to say that celebrity manicurist Betina Goldstein frequently discusses the concept of soft storytelling in nail art, and this one is a gorgeous example of it. It does not call after it cries out beautifully.

Golden Midnight Pines

Visualize a night sky during winter full of glitter above a gold dusty pine forest – that is the state of this manicure. The dark-to-light gradient combined with metallic gold trees is abundant, bordering on couture. It is the kind of glances that immediately change your attitude – daring, graceful and inevitable. The design is on the border between old and new, therefore it stands out in the Chic Tree Nail Designs Christmas 2025 collection.

The base of that deep green ombré is made using CND Black Pool mixed with Zoya Hunter. In the case of the gold trees, Essie Good as Gold would do best, as she is very pigmented and smooth. Some snowflake decals or hand dots in white polish give it that wintery touch. Seche Vite Top Coat to finish the product and get a glass finish.

The first time I put on this was with a champagne velvet dress, and gold hoops, and indeed, it worked. It is not only nail art, but also a sort of accessory. According to nail stylist, Gina Edwards, according to InStyle, the right nails can change your entire energy. This one? Pure confidence.

Festive Forest Dreams

Mellow, sweet, and full of charisma – this set is made of the dreamers. Smooth warm blush colors clash with hand painted pine trees with delicate ornaments. The small red and gold dots move about the nails as lights of a fairy and the entire design has a glamorous and cheerful effect. It is feminine and at the same time, it is not delicate, a true sublimation of softness and spirit.

To this end Essie “Mademoiselle” supplies that pure pink foundation. Zoya Hunter is used in layers between OPI Stay Off the Lawn!! and dots Butter London Her Majestys Red and CND Brass Button. The images are exact with a fine brush and an added glitter polish on top of the decorative pieces gives the ornament the sparkling touch.

I have always thought that a nice manicure can really speak volumes, and in this case it is the one where your Christmas tree lights have just been turned on and anything is possible once again. It is hope and nostalgia, in a bottle of polish.

Golden Twilight Glow

One more look at this design and it is easy to predict why it is all elegance. Emerald and smoky gray layers form the base, and scintillating across the nails are smattering Golden trees and snowflakes, implying winter aurora. It is the high classified variant of festive, not so candy cane, more champagne flute. Antidepressant chic, great in the evenings, at the holidays, or on just a reminder that how good a simple luxury can be.

In terms of materials, I would take OPI “Suzi & the Arctic Fox” and mix it with Zoya “Everly” to get that green-graysome base. The gold accents may be made up with CND Gilded Halo or flakes of gold under clear gel capsules. I prefer to coat the top paint with a high-gloss which makes the metallics come to life.

If the words of one of the celeb manicurists as Elle Gerstein of Allure, gold reflects light as no other colour can and is eternal confidence. I couldn’t agree more. This appearance is soft and luminous as the movement of candlelight – royal, meditative and eternally beautiful.

Cozy Cocoa Reindeer

Something about this one is nauseatingly nostalgic I think, all the cocoa warmth, all the snow-dot twingements, all the cutest reindeer face that seems to be a snug winter morning in nail polish. The dull tone of brown material makes it sophisticated, and the hand-drawn reindeer gives it home-coziness and loveliness. This nail design is an evidence that celebratory nails do not necessarily scream red and green to make it look like Christmas and in some cases, it is in the little details.

In order to have this appearance, I use Essie “Clothing Optional” as my milky taupe base. The reindeer is being pulled with OPI You Don’t Know Jacques! and CND Cream Puff used as an antler and as eyes respectively. The iconic red nose that is used is bolded with Zoya “Sooki” -ې тельша Raymond, rekindled.

This is because according to celebrity manicurist Betina Goldstein, the best holiday nails are those that tell your story before you even open your lips. This design actually does just that, it is whispering a nostalgia, and such warm, light delights that characterize the season. It is fanciful but adult enough, and goes well with a thick sweater and a latte with cinnamon sprinkled on.

Soft Blush Pines

And when you are in need of something soft and feminine to wear during the holidays, here is your time. White blush nails are the ideal background on which one may draw small green pine trees with snowflakes. The temperature is like Scandinavian Christmas morning, so the air was cold and clean and so cosy that it was unending. Here there is harmony: frivolity collides with minimalism. It is the equivalent of the hygge manicure.

In this design, I base on CND Romantique and Essie Off Tropic as trees. The dots of the snow are added with a tip of a tooth pick that is dipped in OPI “Alpine Snow.” The top (try CND Brass Button) is finished with a slightly gold star which adds the slightest touch of magic.

I recall how I wore this to a brunch last December and the barista gave me a smile and told me, “I like how you wear your nails, like little postcards, you know it makes you smile at a certain time of day, that is you make me smile even more, my nails have got nothing much at the time. And here lies the entire thing, right? Minuscule bits of pleasure, preserved in ice.

Winter Forest Escape

And, in case your dream Christmas is not as much city lights as it is mountain lodge, this design will be able to address the soul in you. The greens of the deep forests flow over the nails in thick strokes of the brush-pencil, forming a picture of pine-trees and snowy peace. It is descriptive, but dreamy — the type of art that causes people to second-glance.

Begin with a neutral base, Zoya “Leah +” and mix with CND “Dark Diamonds + Essie Stylenomics to get a gradient tree. The trick is in overlapping: one tree is a little darker than the previous one, as the mist disappears in a pine valley. It has a frosty hush which is added by a touch of Orly Tiara glitter.

Tom Bachik, a nail artist, described such appearance as a micro-landscape art – and, indeed, it is wearable poetry. It is also quiet, so reassuring, and possesses a deep cinematic quality, as if one has gone down a forest, with the smell of snow and pine needles.

Nordic Noir Chic

This is where tradition is combined with edge. There are up and down matte white and green with wine-red accents, all enhanced with fern leaves, holly sprigs and discrete rhinestones. It is distinctive and elegant – the one that appears directly in the Vogue Scandinavia print. The matte-gloss blend of textures gives it an edge towards being fashionable.

I apply OPI I am not really a waitress to achieve the wine-red accent, Essie Blanc to achieve the base of the snow and Zoya Wyatt to achieve the green. They are hand-painted in black fern designs, with a liner brush dipped into CND “Black Pool.” Apply a top coat on only some nails to create the effect of dimension.

It is strong, classy and a little enigmatic – like a friend who always somehow knows how to look casually good-dress even when it is freezing on the outside. This group is full of confidence, not boisterous, simply just attractive.

Glacial Glow Pines

Concluding with pure dazzling adorning, this design is all a winter wonderland would be, shining silver and deep emerald trees, debris of snow that is alive under the light. The combination of cold metals and warm green gives a mesmerizing contrast that is at once contemporary and old.

Use Essie “Apres-Chic as silver foundation and apply the trees with OPI “Stay Off the Lawn!!!/ CND Frew Flannel. A drop of China Glaze Fairy Dust is as sparkling as a lake of frost.

Whenever I look at this design, I imagine Christmas lights on snowy holidays, short, tender and mesmerizing. Once, celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein spoke of the holiday nails saying that they should be a piece of jewelry on your hands. It does this one, they sparkle, they shine, and narrate the story of the quiet beauty of the season.