18 Green Christmas Nail Designs For Festive Season
It’s (almost) that time of year again, and how better to celebrate the festive season than with a fun Christmas nail art design? Unsurprisingly, traditional Christmas colors will be huge this year, and while it may be tempting to slap on a coat of red nail polish and call it a day, it’s a great opportunity to be daring and opt for a less worn shade of green.
Green polish gives instantly festive vibes, but you need to have a plan to keep it glam rather than grungy. I’ve done a LOT of research, and the green Christmas nail designs that stand out are all clean and minimal, with sharp lines for a modern look rather than old-school Christmas.
So, without further ado, here are 18 beautiful festive green nail designs to inspire your holiday manicure. Get ready to screen grab or pin your favorite holiday nails to show your manicurist.
1. Cosy & Contemporary
Image Instagram @ashlee.bee.nails
This modern green nail design artfully combines a rich matte finish ivy green with shimmering champagne gold and white. This mani is about the details, with wooly sweater-style 3D patterns and contemporary Christmas trees finishing the festive look.
2. Art Deco
Image Instagram @_beautybasement
Dark green looks great with a pinky nude base, as showcased by this striking look. Silver glitter detailing adds a touch of sparkle, while the ring finger features intricate metallic detailing and a gemstone for extra glamor.
3. Pastel Perfection
Image Instagram @buffnpolish
This pretty pastel holiday nail look proves you don’t need to stick to traditional shades of green to get into the festive spirit. Milky peppermint green looks great against olive here, and I love the chunky glitter feature nail, which almost has a snowglobe effect! Delicate snowflakes complete the modern design.
4. Twisted Glitter
Image Instagram: @dolled_up_nailsandbeauty
I love this modern update of a traditional French mani. Green glitter twists around the tip and cuticle like a minty candy cane. This look would be perfect on short nails – ask your manicurist to keep the lines crisp and finish with an extra glossy top coat of gel polish to get the same effect.
5. Abstract Christmas
Image Instagram: @nails_by_frenchie
Seriously festive without being “novelty,” this stylish set incorporates red and white as well as Christmas green. The freehand swirls and fun patterns look fresh and add an element of modernity – perfect for anyone who prefers their nail art to be subtle.
6. Be a Grinch
Image Instagram: @nailed.by.harrison
Not strictly green nails, but this festive set pays homage to one of everyone’s favorite Christmas movies with a smiley green Grinch on the ring finger. Shiny red bows finish the look. This one is ideal for acrylic girls with long, elegant nails.
7. Light Up
Image Instagram: @nailed.by.harrison
The next manicure gives a touch of holiday magic with reverse ombre green glitter tips, beautifully finished with colorful strings of Christmas lights- a different way to incorporate green into your festive nail art.
8. Classic spirit
Image Instagram: @nailed.by.harrison
So simple but a work of art, this elegant design features dark green tips, shimmering gold glitter, and cute bow detailing to create a stunning manicure. Perfect for the whole of December and the Christmas season.
9. Full-on Festive
Image Instagram: @bliss_nails_by_irene_wright
These nails will make a statement at your holiday party! Here, the green color is interwoven with red and white in different ways with a whole lot of glitter. The little finger mimics candy canes with bold stripes, while elsewhere, snowflakes and holly leaves adorn a white twinkling base. A festive design that’s ideal for making the most of fake nails.
10. Festive French
Image Instagram: kelseytrueman_nailtechnician
This festive Christmas nail look features green French tips on long, elegant almond nails. Swirls of rich green and glitter create candy cane stripes for a modern finish that’s perfect for the holiday season.
11. Glossy Glitter
Image Instagram: @nails_by_meg__
This is one of my favorite examples of keeping things simple for a striking look! This design features a sparkly all-over glitter nail polish with a gleaming finish. It will look great on acrylics or on your own nails, just make sure to ask for gel for maximum gloss.
12. Peppermint Flakes
Image Instagram: @nailsbymar__
Christmas nail colors don’t have to be dark and rich. Take inspiration from this beautiful design and lighten things up with a pretty peppermint glitter across your nails. I love the white stripes running through to create a humbug effect, and the addition of delicate snowflakes makes it extra magical.
13. Oh Christmas tree
Image Instagram: @beautybynicolehenderson
You don’t need long nails for an amazing festive nail design. This cute look combines green glitter tips with a Christmas tree on the ring finger for an extra festive touch. It’s the perfect way to pep up your natural nails with something fun for the holiday season.
14. Chrome Christmas
Image Instagram: @beautybynicolehenderson
The manicurist has achieved a glorious shade of high-shine green using chrome powder in this standout look. Combine full nails with green French tips and soft white snowflakes to create a wonderful wintery design.
15. Matte Magic
Image Instagram: @flourish_beautystudio
A different design featuring green nail polish, this manicure combines rich tones with a glossy pink nude base. Ring finger statement nails are soft matte green and finished with pretty white detailing featuring ribbons, bows, and simple snowflakes.
16. Green & Sparkle
Image Instagram: @rachelgomersall_beautyartistry
Get into the holiday spirit with this gloss and glitter green nail look. Perfect for shorter nails, this design relies on fabulous gel shades to create a Christmassy feel. Dark glittered green is combined with a lighter moss green, while statement nails feature starbursts and joyful dots in burgundy, gold, and green.
17. White Christmas
Image Instagram: @sol41nailstudio
This look blends traditional and modern motifs to create a contemporary finish. A soft, translucent white nail base is adorned with pretty holly leaves, snowflakes, and 3D sweater detailing to create a cute nail art design. Perfect if you prefer a classic style.
18. Let it shine
Image Instagram: @nails_by_zivile_si
Christmas is the perfect excuse for a little sparkle! Holographic nails are a great way to embrace party season and add a little fun to your nail look. Here, the feature nail is in the center, surrounded by crisp white snowflakes on ivy green.
So there we have 18 beautiful looks, which is your favorite?
DIY your green nails
While these looks were created by pro-manicurists, there are also some beautiful green shades available in regular paint if you fancy giving it a go yourself at home. When it comes to regular nail polish, the only brands I use and can honestly recommend are Essie, Sally Hansen, and OPI. Please let me know if there are any others worth trying out. My criteria is:
– A wide brush that almost gives whole nail coverage in one stroke
- Smooth application (no lines or bubbles)
– Long-lasting! I can’t deal with chips. Of course, the strength of your nails will have an impact on this, but still, there’s a big difference when using good-quality paint.
– Quick dry. I usually speed this up with a quality top coat (see my preference below), but I do find a thicker, gloopier polish takes longer to dry, meaning it rarely escapes a smudge or line.
Check the colors below and choose your favorite green from the color palette.
The formula: If you’re someone who has a limited window to paint your nails, then I recommend choosing Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. It paints on fairly thinly, meaning it dries quickly, and you can get on with your day (or head to bed!) without worrying about spoiling your manicure. For an extra glossy, 3D-gel look, I would use a top coat with this brand, but this can be added later on if you’re in a hurry and need your nails done fast.
The shade: C-hill Out is a wonderful, rich, dark green color that almost looks black in some lights. It will take you right through the festive season into January.
The formula: I have so many bottles of Essie polish; it’s great value for the quality and lasts a year or two without separating, so it’ll still be good next Christmas! The brush is slightly narrower on the ‘Glossy Shine” collection, but it’s still shaped nicely, allowing you to get a clean curve around the cuticle without too much precision
The shade: Off Tropic is a pure dark green that definitely looks green on the nails. This color looks great against all skin tones and is ideal for the whole fall/winter season.
The formula: OPI is easy to apply and achieves a beautiful, rich color in just two coats. It has a great glossy finish that makes it look professional and lasts well. I have found different OPI formulas vary in staying power when it comes to chips, and the shade you choose affects how long it lasts. The gloss finishes tend to stay perfect longer than the pastel chalky shades (in my personal experience), so you will be safe with this green.
The shade: Things I’ve Seen in Aber-green is a really unique shade of green. It’s dark but creamy and has almost a khaki undertone – perfect for making a statement with a deeper nail shade.
The formula: Confession, I haven’t tried this brand personally, but I came across it when doing green polish research, and the colors are insane- think holographic, high-shine chrome in so many rainbow shades! It’s fairly reasonable, and the reviews are really good on Amazon, so it could be a great find for the festive season.
The shade: This green/ blue will look great on the ring finger or, if you’re feeling bold, as a full manicure! It looks like it will change and shimmer through different shades as you move your hands. A must for party season.
The formula: This is a must for anyone who paints their nails at home; not only does it set your nails hard within a couple of minutes, it has a lovely glossy shine that gives your manicure a pro look. I will keep repurchasing this until the end of time!
Not many of us will have steady enough hands to create beautiful nail art like the talented manicurists featured above, but these nail stickers are a great cheat if you want to add a little bit of festive cheer to your green nail look. These crisp white snowflakes will look great against your green nails and have a clean, contemporary look.
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