65 Elegant Christmas Nail Designs, From Burgundy Bows To Merry Mistletoes

Kara Jillian Brown is the beauty editor of InStyle . She began her career at Well⁘Good , where she spent five years evolving from editorial intern to news writer to beauty writer. She earned a bachelor's degree in English rhetoric from Binghamton University and a master's degree in health and science journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She is also a certified fitness instructor and teaches barre in Brooklyn.

With Christmas nails , you can go one of two ways—incredibly simple or over-the-top. And if you're craving an interesting design with nary a reindeer or snowman in sight, you've come to the right place. We're here to guide you through Christmas nail designs that are elegant and restrained. "Elegant nails have an essence to them [wherein] they do not have too much going on, yet capture your attention," says nail artist Sharon Ladokun.

When it comes to Christmas nails, it's all about taking the core elements of the season—jewel tones and metallics —and having fun. "You can incorporate festive colors such as red, green, and gold into minimalist looks such as a French manicure," says nail artist San Sung Kim. "Use festive colors and shimmer or glitter for an elevated look."

A mix of colored diamanté accents, pearls, and metallic studs look like christmas ornaments dotted across a milky beige base.

"This French manicure featuring a golden velvet tip with the addition of tiny holly berries and twinkling stars is the perfect Christmas look," says Kim. "If you don't have a gold velvet polish available, you can substitute it with a gold glitter polish for a special touch of shimmer."

This stunning manicure features winter's hottest color—burgundy—and pairs it with a sheer nude and silver accents to create pretty bows and stars.

"These ruby-encrusted French tips are perfect for an elegant holiday party," says Kim. ⁘It is a twist on a red French manicure but glammed up with extra rhinestones.⁘