Christmas & New Year Nail Colours: Festive Shades for Your Clients
December is the busiest month of the year for most nail salons. Clients want nails that look good at the office party, in family photos and under New Year's Eve lights. Here is a guide to the shades and finishes that work best for the holidays, all in stock at VNBeauty. Prefer to browse? See the full Christmas & New Year collection.
Christmas red: the shade every client asks for
A clean, saturated red is still the safest festive choice. DARK Gel Polish 04 and DARK Gel Polish 136 are bright, classic reds. They are highly pigmented, self-levelling and cover in one or two coats. For extra impact, try HEYLOVE Reflective Gel Polish Ambitious. It is a bright red with holographic shimmer and silver light-reflecting particles that come alive in camera flash, and it cures in 60 seconds. For a deeper cherry tone, HEYLOVE Gel Polish VELVET is a densely pigmented choice.
Short on appointment time in December? Colour bases save a whole step. HEYLOVE Tint Base True Red covers evenly in a single layer and doesn't change colour after curing. LUNA Diablo Base is a cherry red that levels the nail and gives full colour in one step.
For clients who need strengthening or extensions, TOUCH has two red builder gels with intense pigment and a self-levelling consistency. Choose TOUCH Builder Gel 44 Cherry Coded or TOUCH Builder Gel 43 Bloody Merry, and you build and colour in one material.
More reds: HEYLOVE CELEBRATION Ā· HEYLOVE STOP Ā· HEYLOVE Reflective Infrared Ā· DARK 06 Ā· HEYLOVE Tint Base Wine
Red, two ways: glass and velvet
Two simple tricks give a red manicure a more festive finish. LUNA Color Kiss 261 and LUNA Color Kiss 262 are translucent cherry-red stained-glass gel polishes. One coat gives a sheer, glowing effect and two coats a rich, saturated colour. The opposite effect comes from TOUCH Top No Wipe Matte. It turns any red into a velvety matte finish without changing the shade and leaves no sticky layer.
Burgundy, wine and berry for the evening
Deep burgundy feels more grown-up than bright red and suits short natural nails especially well. DARK Gel Polish 159 is a cherry burgundy, and DARK Gel Polish 162 goes darker into wine. HEYLOVE Reflective Gel Polish Charming adds a reflective sparkle to deep burgundy. For a near-black cherry look in one step, use LUNA Drama Queen Base.
Party glitter works especially well on dark shades. DARK Gel Polish 112 is a burgundy packed with red glitter. DARK Cosmos 124 combines a very dark burgundy with holographic glitter. TOUCH Cover Base Wine comes from a limited collection of richly pigmented camouflage bases. It covers fully in two thin layers and doesn't flood the cuticle.
More burgundy and berry: HEYLOVE GRAPES Ā· HEYLOVE WOODLAND Ā· DARK 13 Ā· LUNA Rich One Color 5 Ā· LUNA Color 72 Ā· DARK Cat Eye 04
Evergreen green: the Christmas-tree alternative
Green is the festive choice for clients who want something less expected than red. DARK Gel Polish 34 is a deep bottle green. HEYLOVE Gel Polish JOLLY GREEN is a brighter emerald that works as an accent nail next to red. HEYLOVE Reflective Gel Polish Playfull brings holographic shimmer to dark green. Clients who prefer muted tones will like the olive greens HEYLOVE HUNTER and DARK Gel Polish 187.
More greens: HEYLOVE Cat's Eye ELIXIR
Gold and silver: instant New Year's Eve glamour
The quickest way to make any manicure festive is to change the top coat. LUNA Top Gold is a clear no-wipe top coat with gold foil particles of different sizes. It pairs with both light and dark shades. DARK Gold Top and DARK Silver Top are tinted no-wipe camouflage tops with a gold or silver sparkle and a UV filter. You can apply them straight over a levelled clear base. For a softer effect, HEYLOVE Gold Shimmer Top Coat and HEYLOVE Silver Shimmer Top Coat add an even shimmer with no sticky layer and no yellowing.
Want a chrome-like look without rubbing in powder? The TOUCH Top Mirror tops create a pearlescent, powder-effect shine in one no-wipe step. For thin gold lines, dots or frames, use HEYLOVE Solid Platinum Gel Light Gold.
Champagne and silver cat eye shades are a festive alternative to glitter. DARK Cat Eye 12 and LUNA Cat Eye 208 give a champagne-gold glow. HEYLOVE Cat's Eye Mirage brings a silver line of light.
More silver and sparkle: LUNA Cat Eye 209 Ā· DARK Night Cat 05 Ā· DARK Flash 15 Ā· HEYLOVE Reflective Starlight
Snow white and champagne nude: the elegant New Year
Not every client wants a bold colour. A soft nude or milky white with a fine shimmer looks festive and still works after the holidays. HEYLOVE has a line of Smart Gels with shimmer named after sparkling wines. Choose beige Brut, pinkish-nude Asti, lilac Prosecco or milky-white Bianco. They are liquid builder gels in a bottle that strengthen natural nails or build quick extensions, stay cool during curing and cure in 60 seconds.
For a snowy pearl effect, TOUCH Cover Base Perla 01 gives an iridescent shine on short nails in a single layer, without powder. For extensions with built-in sparkle, TOUCH Builder Gel Shine Mix 06 is a nude builder gel with a rubbed-in powder effect straight from the gel. TOUCH Builder Gel Muse 03 adds lilac glitter and Yuki flakes that sparkle under flash.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular Christmas nail colours?
Classic red, deep burgundy and dark green are the traditional festive shades. Gold or silver top coats are a quick way to add a New Year's Eve sparkle to any of them.
How can I make a festive manicure faster in a busy December?
Use a pigmented colour base such as HEYLOVE Tint Base True Red or LUNA Diablo Base instead of separate base and gel polish layers. Then finish with a shimmer or glitter top coat for an instant festive effect.
Can I add sparkle without glitter gel polish?
Yes. A no-wipe shimmer or foil top coat over any colour adds sparkle without changing the base shade. So does a powder-effect top like TOUCH Top Mirror.
How do I get a matte velvet look on red nails?
Finish the red gel polish with a matte no-wipe top coat such as TOUCH Top No Wipe Matte. It gives a velvety surface without changing the shade.
What festive manicure suits clients who prefer natural nails?
A nude or milky shimmer, such as a shimmer Smart Gel or a pearl camouflage base, looks festive in December and still fits everyday wear in January.
Share your festive designs with us on Instagram @vnbeauty.store ā we'll feature our favorites!