The simplest Christmas nails are the ones that skip the motif entirely. A deep red on short nails says December perfectly well, and it still looks right on the 30th.
One colour
Deep red
Blue-toned cherry red at full opacity.
Oxblood
Deep brownish red.
Forest green
Deep green.
Milky white
Semi-sheer off-white.
Ivory cream
Opaque off-white.
Champagne
Pale warm metallic.
Cranberry jelly
Translucent deep red.
Charcoal
Deep grey.
Navy
Almost black indoors.
Plum
Purple-toned berry.
Matte red
Matte topcoat over any red you own.
Sheer red wash
One coat only. A tint rather than a colour.
Two colours
Red and cream alternating
No design at all and unmistakably festive.
Green and gold alternating
Deeper and less obvious than red.
One gold accent
Nine red, one gold.
One glitter accent
Nine plain, one sparkle.
Red with cream tips
A French with the colours swapped.
Colour block halves
Red and cream split with tape.
Diagonal two-tone
Corner to corner.
Half moon in gold
A metallic curve at the cuticle.
One small detail
Gold micro-line
One hairline lengthways on two nails.
Scattered gold dots
Three or four near the tip.
Holly berries
Two green leaves and three red dots.
One snowflake
On the ring finger only.
A single star
Tiny gold, on one nail.
Micro dots in white
Snow, essentially.
Gold foil flecks
Torn leaf near the cuticle.
Glitter tip
Fine glitter at the free edge only.
One tiny bow
Red, near the cuticle.
Candy cane on one nail
Thin diagonal stripes, one nail.
Finishes
Champagne chrome
Pale warm metallic mirror.
Red velvet
Magnetic shimmer worked flat.
Emerald cat eye
A magnetic band in jewel green.
Pearl over red
Iridescent powder over a deep base.
Matte forest green
Matte topcoat over deep green.
For the full season, christmas nails. For the shades alone, christmas nail colors.
Questions people actually ask
What is the simplest Christmas manicure?
A deep red on short nails. No design, no salon, and it still looks right after the holiday.
Can I do Christmas nails at home?
Everything in the one-colour and small-detail groups here. Holly berries and dots need a dotting tool and nothing else.
What Christmas nails last past December?
Colour rather than motif. Deep red, forest green and champagne all carry into January.
