These Winter Nail Colors Pair Perfectly With Your Hot Coffee Cup
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Sure, your hands spend most of their time inside gloves or coat pockets during the winter months, but that doesn’t negate the joy of having a little color on your fingertips. When the mittens come off, nothing makes holding a cup of hot coffee look quite as cool as a mani with winter nail colors — whether dark and bold, bright and cheerful, or simple and sheer.
Although classic, deep shades, like Essie Bordeaux or OPI Lincoln Park After Dark come to mind when we think of wintertime, there really are no rules with seasonal nail shades anymore. With old ‘90s favorites returning faster than we can keep up and shimmer on the rise, anything goes. When it comes to nails, there’s only one single (very important) rule to abide by: Wear shades that make you happy.
Here, you'll find the best nail polishes to wear all winter, according to some of the best nail pros in the business. There's something for everyone and every skin tone: shades inspired by seasonal phenomena, sweet treats, and the celebrations that warm our hearts when it's cold outside.
- Sadie Jordan is a nail expert and content creator, based in London.
- Syreeta Aaron is a nail artist and LeChat Nails educator, based in Alabama.
- Keely Decost is a luxury manicurist based in Liverpool, England.
- Shani Evans is an editorial manicurist and nail artist at ArtNail NYC based in New York.
- Yan Tee is a nail artist based in Manchester, England.
- Sarah Chue is a nail artist based in Los Angeles.
- Rachel Apfel Glass is the founder of Glosslab, based in New York.
Icy blue
One of the best things about the chilly months is welcoming tones that are just as cool. For Sadie Jordan, a nail artist based in London, that means reaching for light blues to transform her fingertips. If you can’t decide on which shade to go for, try a color-changing formula like LeChat’s Angelic Dreams. “It goes from white when warm to a nice blue tone when cold,” explains Syreeta Aaron, Alabama-based nail artist and LeChat educator. Allure editors love this one because of how dramatic the color change is when we’re in the coldest months of the year.
Muted sage
We’re welcoming sage — a color that is usually associated with autumn — to stay a little longer. “My clients are embracing cooler, softer colors, and sage is perfect for that,” Yan Tee, a nail artist based in Manchester, England, explains. She notes that it’s a great shade if you’re someone who prefers to move away from typical winter colors and stick to earthy tones. For the holiday season, you could add a quick glitter topcoat to transform the look into something a little more festive.
Glitters galore
Sure, winter can be dreary, but that doesn’t mean your nails have to be. Our experts love shimmering shades for the season, as glitter adds a little magic to even the most neutral tones. “After all, what would party season be without some sparkle?” says Keely Decosta, a luxury manicurist based in Liverpool, England.
Both Decosta and Sarah Chue, a Los Angeles-based nail artist, look to the Essie Good As Gold for some shimmer. “This flat, metallic gold is chic and sleek — and brings on some cheer,” Chue says. Decosta adds that she loves how versatile it is. “You can apply one coat over a sheer neutral for a subtle sparkle, go bold by applying two to three coats for full coverage, or add a small detail accent with a cuff or simple dot.”
Want something a little deeper? The Manicurist polish in Poison is a dark forest green swirled with green glitter. If you’re looking for something quintessentially winter, there’s Ten Over Ten’s Beacon — a polish with silver glitter and foil moons that can be worn alone or as a topper.
Chocolate brown
Chocolate brown is the nail shade of the season, adding “some much-needed warmth to those cold winter days,” says Decosta. You can go for a classic rich shade like Essie in Light Down Music Up, or try something a little more copper like Biosculpture in Rosewood Stardust. And if you’re not into rich browns, opt for a brighter hue like Glosslab’s caramel latte-inspired Tenacious Brown. Chocolate brown is stylish on its own as a glossy manicure, but also works beautifully when incorporated into a French tip.
Almost-black
There’s something elusive and villain-esque about a shade that’s so dark that it’s not immediately clear what color it actually is. That’s why almost-black has made it on 2023’s top winter nail polish colors. “I find [almost black] shades more wearable than a black manicure, as it’s more likely to complement all complexions,” says Decosta.
She particularly loves OPI’s seasonal classic Lincoln Park After Dark, as it’s “a true nod to the ‘90s and a shade that never goes out of style.” For fans of true black polish who want to mix it up this season, Tee loves “a cool deep shimmer” like Nailberry 50 Shades.
Duochrome
Shani Evans, editorial manicurist and nail artist at ArtNail NYC based in New York City, calls duochrome her “winner” during winter and we can see why. Duochrome does as the name suggests — shifts between two chrome colors as the light reflects off the nails — making it perfect for commitment phobes.
Evans likes to pick shades based on “the mood of the wearer, the mood of the moment, and the mood of the season.” She particularly loves ILNP’s duochrome shades, noting Highline — a gold-to-green chrome — as one of her favorites. We also like Mooncat Heart of Stone, which appears silver with a pink shift.
Navy blue
“Navy blue is that unexpected but classic shade that goes with all of your winter whites without clashing,” says Rachel Apfel Glass, founder of GLOSSLAB, based in New York. Shades of blue are believed to be calming, so they’re ideal for getting us through a busy end of year. Chanel Le Vernis in Fugueuse is a classic navy blue polish. “It's sophisticated and strong and an alternative to the traditional dark red trend you find in the winter months,” says Chue. We also love Orly’s ultra-glossy Blue Tango polish.
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More nail inspiration:
- The 15 Best Pedicure Colors and Nail-Polish Inspo for Winter 2023
- 22 Unexpected French Nail Tips That Totally Reinvent the Classic Look
- 91 Festive Christmas Nail Designs to Get You Into the Holiday Spirit
- 41 Winter Nail Design Ideas to Try at Home or in the Salon
Now, watch Billie Eilish break down her music video for “What Was I Made For?”
