The useful way to sort festive nails is not by colour or motif but by shelf life. Some of these work from late November to mid January. Some belong to one evening.
All season
Oxblood
Deep brownish red.
Forest green
With gold jewellery.
Cranberry jelly
Translucent depth.
Espresso
Almost-black warm brown.
Charcoal
Deep grey.
Navy
Almost black indoors.
Plum
Purple-toned berry.
Milky white
Semi-sheer off-white.
Warm greige
Grey with brown in it.
Champagne chrome
Pale warm mirror.
Burgundy velvet
Magnetic shimmer worked flat.
Emerald cat eye
A magnetic band.
Micro French in red
A hairline edge.
Gold micro-line
One hairline lengthways.
Half moon in gold
A curve at the cuticle.
December only
Cherry red
The traditional shade.
Red and green alternating
No design needed.
Gold glitter
Densely packed.
Silver glitter
Cooler.
Red with gold tips
Metallic at the edge.
Green with gold tips
Deeper.
Gold foil over red
Torn leaf.
Pearl over cranberry
Iridescent on deep red.
Tartan accent
Two nails.
Fair isle
The knitted band.
Scattered snow
White dots.
Gold stars
Five short strokes.
Cranberry sprig
A green stem with red dots.
Frosted aura
A pale halo.
Ice marble
Blue veining on milky white.
One evening
Snowflakes
Small flakes at different angles.
Christmas tree
A green triangle with a star.
Candy cane stripes
Thin diagonals.
Fairy lights
A wire with coloured dots.
Reindeer
A brown silhouette.
Gingerbread
Tan with icing lines.
Snowman
Three white dots.
Santa hat
Red with a white trim.
Full multicolour
A different bright on every nail.
Wrapping paper print
A repeating motif with a ribbon.
For the main guide, christmas nails.
Questions people actually ask
What festive nails last longest?
Colour rather than motif. Oxblood, forest green and champagne all carry from late November into January.
What is the most traditional Christmas manicure?
A true cherry red at full opacity. No design, and it has never gone out of style.
How do I choose between all of these?
Decide how long the set has to last first. That rules out most of the list immediately.
