19 Winter Nail Designs That Are Heating Up This Season

Half-moon nails were popular in the Golden Age of Hollywood, but they've recently made a comeback and are perfect for winter. "The half-moon nail-art trend represents yet another interesting variation of the french manicure — it's an exaggerated tip and is akin to negative-space nail art through the absence of polish at the bottom of the nail," Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jinsoon Nails, previously told POPSUGAR.

Embrace your moodier side this year and opt for black glam nails for your winter manicure design. "Black glam nails are essentially just different variations of black nails and nail art," celebrity manicurist Mar y Sol Inzerillo previously told POPSUGAR. "High shine or matte, nail art or single color, it doesn't matter as long as they complement your look."

The wallpaper nails trend features patterns you'd traditionally find in homes back in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. The trend is growing in popularity thanks to New York Fashion Week runway looks.

Show your love for someone special with the initial nails trend. Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Lindsay Lohan are already big fans of the manicure. Winter is cuffing season, after all.

Forget about a negroni sbagliato with Prosecco — dirty martinis are the perfect winter cocktail, and they also make for great nail-art inspiration. You can take the dirty-martini nails trend as literally as you'd like.

For another abstract winter nail-art option, try brushstroke nails. "Brushstroke nail art is spontaneous and fun to mix with different colors," celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen previously told POPSUGAR. Keep it simple with a black-and-white design, like shown here, or get bold with paint strokes of multiple shades.

If you're tired of traditional french manicures, try the V-cut or chevron french manicure. "Instead of creating a smile line, you create a deep V, also described as a chevron," Tammy Taylor, celebrity manicurist and founder of Tammy Taylor Nails, previously told POPSUGAR.

Nothing says winter quite like alluring, magical cat-eye nails. Otherwise known as velvet nails because of the velvety effect it creates, this winter nail-art look is perfect for the cold months.

Fans of minimal manicure designs will love Korean blush nails. "Blush nails are a beautiful Korean style combining nail art and makeup," says Choi. Think of it as the subtler, winter version of summer's aura nails.

Spice up your winter nails with the illusion ombré trend. The possibilities are endless with this manicure. "Colors that you normally would use for an ombré nail would go well together," Brittney Boyce, celebrity nail artist and founder of Nails of LA, previously told POPSUGAR.

In search of minimal winter nail designs to save to your mood board? Look no further than ballerina slipper nails. "This trend mixes the 'clean-girl' and 'ballet-girl' aesthetics," manicurist and Orly educator An Cao previously told POPSUGAR.

If you thought you saw the last of the glazed-doughnut nails trend, think again. Hailey Bieber's signature manicure is going to continue to trend for winter 2023.

The chrome french manicure is a popular winter nail design, especially among celebrities. "Chrome is having a moment in fashion right now, with glam goth and futuristic, sci-fi-influenced fashion all featuring a ton of reflective silver," says Boyce. "That, of course, translates to nails. Chrome french tips, in particular, add this edginess to a very feminine, soft, and classic nail look."

Much like shiny, metallic finishes, glitter is a winter staple. There are countless ways to add glitter to your manicure, but you're going to notice a spike in glitter-gradient nail art in particular this season. "As a gradient over color or just on the tips, this design is festive and easy to do," says Mabelyn Martin, the creative director of Paintbox in New York City. "Using the brush from the bottle, you can paint a little heavier on the tips of your nails and lightly brush down towards the cuticle using the tips of the brush."

There's nothing dreamier than a celestial manicure, and the whimsical design is perfect for winter. Use nail-polish colors of grays and blues for the base and silver and gold for detailing. "This look definitely needs a chrome detail," says celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein. She also recommended using glitter to replicate stars. "I think gold against matte, as well as gold against light and baby blue, translates the best in order to give you that starry-night effect," she says.

While you break out your animal-print boots and scarves, add a touch of the pattern to your manicure to complete the look. "The trend of brown [nail polish] and all of the spicy colors are giving off the animal-print vibe," Gerstein says. This trend includes cow print, tortoiseshell, leopard, zebra, and giraffe.

"We always see demand for metallics around the holiday season," says Nadine Abramcyk, cofounder and head of brand at Tenoverten in New York City. You can use a metallic polish on your own fingernail for a solid manicure or use the polish to create different nail-art designs. "[I] love pairing it with a classic nude for a festive accent."

Gold hardware and studs are an easy way to dress up any plain manicure. "You can purchase nail-art studs online or at an art store," says Martin.

Abstract designs aren't new, but for winter, we'll see a fresh take on them. "Bold abstracts and geometric shapes will continue to trend as people explore playing with color combinations and shapes," says Boyce. "Nail artists will explore different techniques, textures, and finishes."