Christmas Day nails are photographed more than any other set of the year, usually in bad indoor light and usually while holding something. That is the only criterion that matters.
Depth and shine. A deep red gloss or a chrome throws back what light there is. Matte finishes and pale pastels go flat in a lit room and flatter in a camera flash.
Deep red gloss
The single most photographed festive shade.
Oxblood
Richer under warm indoor light.
Cranberry jelly
Translucent depth.
Forest green gloss
With gold jewellery.
Champagne chrome
Catches every light in the room.
Gold chrome
Higher contrast again.
Red velvet
Shimmer that moves with the hand.
Emerald cat eye
A bright band under any light.
Full gold glitter
Densely packed.
Pearl over red
Iridescent on a deep base.
Ivory cream
Opaque off-white. Clean in every photo.
Milky white
Softer.
Micro French in red
A hairline edge.
Classic French
A crisp white tip.
Baby boomer ombre
Nude into white with no line.
Half moon in gold
A metallic curve at the base.
Navy
Almost black indoors.
Plum
Purple-toned berry.
Raspberry
The festive pink.
Charcoal with gold
A thin band at the cuticle.
Espresso
Almost-black warm brown.
One snowflake
On the ring finger only.
Holly on two nails
Leaves and berries.
Gold micro-line
One hairline lengthways.
One pearl at the cuticle
A single flat-backed pearl.
Glitter tip
At the free edge only.
Gold foil flecks
Torn leaf near the base.
Tartan accent
Two nails.
Red with a gold tip
Metallic at the edge.
Short squoval in anything
Short nails survive cooking, wrapping and washing up.
For the whole month, christmas nails. For the party rather than the day, holiday nail ideas.
Questions people actually ask
What nails should I get for Christmas Day?
A deep red gloss or a chrome. Both throw light back in a lit room, which is where every photograph gets taken.
When should I get them done?
Around the 20th. Fresh for the day and still fine at New Year.
Are long nails a bad idea for Christmas Day?
If you are cooking, yes. Short squoval survives the day; a long coffin does not survive a turkey.
