7 Delightful Winter Nail Trends You Have to Try Now

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In winter, nail trends can bring some spice to your life — for just a few bucks, too. But keeping up with what’s hot in nails can be chore. For example:

• Are ombre nails still a thing? (The hype’s died down.)
• What red shade really says holiday? (We’d go with poinsettia.)
• Will I poke my eye out with nails? (Probably, tbh.)

Here are our top picks for winter nail trends, so you can plan for pretty digits until the spring sun appears. After all, when you’re bundled up head to toe, you’ve gotta make a statement somehow!

Winter nail trends

1. Red nails

I can’t imagine a time when red wouldn’t be on the list of trending nail colors. It’s always a contender. The only question is whether this year’s red is the cool, blue-red or the warm and fiery red.

This year, the fiery version wins out. If you’re feeling ultra bold, go for a nearly-orange version of red, like essie’s Hip-Anema. Otherwise, you could tone it down quite a bit and still be on point. essie’s Lacquered Up is closer to your classic red, which is always and forever in style.

2. Black nails

Black nails are no longer reserved for the angry teenage crowd. Your elderly aunt might question your color choice, but who cares?

Black is a beautiful nail color because it goes with everything and no one will notice a touch of gardening dirt stuck under your fingernails — not even you. Try a glossy black or branch out into matte black. It’s 2020. Anything goes.

3. Short square tips

I’ve never been one to follow the nail shape trends, because I like my tips squared off. It’s easier to accomplish and lower maintenance than a coffin nail or almond shape.

So I’m thrilled to be the messenger of this news: square tips are back in, particularly for short nails. So, grab a sturdy file and run it a few times over the end of your nail, going only one direction of course, and you’re playing in winter nail trends. Easy, peezy.

4. Nail strips  

Polish is so 2019. It’s also messy and inconvenient. You can skip the polish hassle this year with nail strips. Find yourself a Color Street stylist who can show you the ropes.

This brand makes polish strips in a huge range of colors and designs. They’re not nail stickers, but real polish that adheres to your nail — no drips or dry time. Color Street nail strips also last up to 10 days. What could be better?

5. Matte topcoat

You won’t regret adding a matte topcoat to your nail cabinet. The smooth, flat finish transforms every color you already own and makes an interesting style statement. You can try matte over any color, but I like it over black, red, or any shade of beige.

6. Creative DIY manis

As they say, what goes around, comes around. In earlier days of Budget Fashionista, we did a series of posts with fun DIY manicure tutorials — and now they’re back in style. Here are some manicure posts to get those creative juices flowing:

• Gradient manicure tutorial
• Multi-colored manicures
• Geometric manicure tutorial
• Bow tie manicure tutorial
• Halloween manicure tutorial

 As a bonus, an intricate DIY manicure is also an amazing stress reliever — like a coloring book, but with designs that go with you everywhere.

7. Color combos

No one ever said all of your nails have to be the same color. An even easier strategy to step up your winter nail game is mixing and matching colors. Buy a coordinated set and swipe one color on each nail. That strategy looks especially striking with a combination of neutrals. Or just choose one nail to paint a different color. Make your own rules and have fun with it.