Behold, the Only Nail Polish Colors You Need in Your Collection This Holiday Season
With a flurry of options, nail artists share their picks for what’s worth the spend.
The holidays are famously packed with stuff: We gift and get stuff, plan to do stuff with our loved ones, go on trips and vacation. Yes, I am showing you even more stuff here (sorry, it’s my job), but I’m also making my best effort not to overwhelm you. That’s why this article highlights only six polish color trends, recommended by some of the top nail artists in the industry.
While the warmer months were all about going light on the layers—jelly and milky textures reigned supreme—this season is all about opaque, full-bodied polishes.
Read on to discover the top nail colors experts predict will be everywhere. As the wise Sabrina Carpenter might say, we’re ending this year with a bang.
Rich Violet
Deep, rich violets exude confidence, says Sarah Chue, a Los Angeles-based nail artist who’s recently painted the shade on clients and noticed it popping up more on her Pinterest feed: “The coolness of the purple matches the season’s dark vibe.”
If you prefer traditional polish, try OPI Nail Lacquer in Havin’ a Candy Ol’ Time.
Cool Red
Red is a holiday staple, but one with blue undertones has just a little more oomph. These shades are already trending as the weather cools down, Chue says, likely because “they’re elegant” and tend to pop against your skin tone more than orange-based reds.
She recommends Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Color Nail Polish in She’s A Rebel.
Mushroom Taupe
According to Chue, this opaque look tends to make an appearance more in the -ber months. “Finished with a glossy topcoat, its fresh, clean finish is what keeps people hooked,” she says, adding that it has the same feel as “knits, cozy blankets, home linens and décor, and all things fashion.”
A simple image search of this color might scare you, especially if you have a warm, slightly olive skin tone like mine. (Some of those hues can make me look ashy and gray.) To avoid a polish that washes out your complexion, opt for a shade that’s lighter than your skin, with a coolish neutral or green undertone if you’re shopping online. Try OPI Nail Lacquer in Crimp and Proper.
Decadent Chocolate
Chronically online girls like me might tell you this warm brown color is huge now because of the spring-summer ’26 runway shows, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber’s recent-ish manicures, or even Bieber’s Schiaparelli look at this year’s Academy Museum Gala. While that may all be true, it’s also worth mentioning that this color comes back every year; it’s a mainstay of the season because of how cozy and versatile it is.
“I love a chocolate brown with a magnetic cat-eye finish or iridescent chrome,” says Miss Pop, who sent chrome powder-dusted brown nails down Theophilio’s New York Fashion Week runway last fall. Try Orly’s Penny Leather shade.
Forest Green
Another color that flies across feeds at this time of the year is forest green. “It’s hard to ignore the greenery that comes with the holidays,” says Bana Jarjour, a Los Angeles-based nail artist. “We see deep greens in trees, wreaths, and garlands everywhere we look, and nails will be no exception.”
Try Orly Nail Lacquer in Regal Pine.
Adds Jarjour, this color is flattering on a wide range of skin tones and finishes: “It looks great glossy, but can also be finished with a matte topcoat for a soft velvety look.”
Warm Nudes
This manicure trend goes by many names—clean girl, soap, naked—and nude nails are more popular than ever now. But what does “nude” actually mean for you? “It should reflect your skin color when you’re nude,” says Eunice Park, brand development and education director at Aprés Nail, which means there is no single nude nail color for me to recommend here. “Nudes can range from soft pinks to darker browns. Wearing nudes should give you that my-nails-but-better vibe.”
Park says she’s seen a rise in sales for Aprés Nail’s Light & Shadow Gel Couleur, a line of sheer neutral shades. “It’s our best-selling collection,” she says. As a product developer for the brand, she recommends it for getting this look, obviously, but I second that. I’ve tried the collection and love its shine and longevity, but I did have to break out my LED curing lamp for it.
Try Sally Hansen Insta-Dri 3.0 in Sand Storm.
Originally published in Allure US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nail artists are pointing to six shades for the holiday season: rich violet, cool red with blue undertones, mushroom taupe, decadent chocolate brown, forest green, and warm nudes. The overall shift is toward opaque, full-bodied polishes after warmer months dominated by jelly and milky finishes.
Cool reds have blue undertones rather than orange ones, which tend to read as more elegant and create stronger contrast against a range of skin tones. Nail artist Sarah Chue notes they have been gaining traction as temperatures drop and are considered a more refined alternative to the traditional warm holiday red.
For warm or slightly olive complexions, mushroom taupe can pull ashy or gray. The general guidance is to choose a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone with a cool-neutral or green undertone. A glossy topcoat helps keep the finish looking fresh rather than flat.
According to Eunice Park of Aprés Nail, a nude polish should reflect your actual skin color — there is no universal nude. The range spans soft pinks for lighter complexions to deeper browns for darker ones. The goal is a result that reads as a polished, elevated version of bare nails rather than a single prescribed color.
Both. While chocolate brown sees renewed attention each season through runway appearances and celebrity manicures, nail artists note it returns reliably every year because of its versatility and warmth. It works across finishes — including magnetic cat-eye and iridescent chrome — making it one of the more adaptable shades in the seasonal rotation.
