ComScore

The 10 Trendiest Nail Colors to Wear This December

Some party-ready tips for you

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s also one of the busiest. Save yourself a little bit of time (and stress) by knowing exactly which nail polish color to swipe onto your digits. OK, now go pour yourself a glass of Cab already.

The Best Nail Polish Colors for Every Zodiac Sign


gold polish
Lauren B. Beauty

A Glistening Gold

Whereas a rich gold polish typically favors darker skin tones, a slightly muted version like this one can warm up fair skin as well.

Lauren B. Beauty ($18)

rose gold glitter polish
Jin Soon

A Rose-gold Glitter

It does not get much more festive than a coat of champagne-colored glitter all over your nails. Prefer a little more subtlety? Paint it just across the tips for an embellished French mani—and to disguise any chips.

Jin Soon ($20)

cool dove grey polish
Essie

A Cool Dove Gray

This is no ordinary gray. With fine flecks of shimmer in the otherwise opaque formula, it’s a tad more refined than any other we’ve tried. Dare we say we’ve found our new winter neutral?

Essie ($9)

chrome silver polish
NARS

A Chrome-like Silver

As far as accessories go, this reflective metallic holds its own. (Though we certainly wouldn’t discourage adding any baubles to the mix.)

Nars ($20)

deep red polish
Sally Hansen

A Deep Red

Help ring in Christmastime by pairing a wine-colored manicure with your finest winter knits—or any of your (many) LBDs, for that matter. 

Sally Hansen ($7)


forest green polish
Smith & Cult

A Forest Green

Try an, ahem, evergreen hue to match the tree in your living room. It’s also slightly more fun than those moody plums and inky blues you’ve been rocking all autumn. 

Smith & Cult ($18)

glittery black polish
Nordstrom

A Glittery Black

Along those same lines, black tends to feel a little drab this time of year. Black infused with glints of shimmer, however, is downright sophisticated.

Tom Ford ($35)

taupe metallic polish
Tenoverten

A Taupe Metallic

If you think about it, a grounding earth tone with just a hint of iridescence is perfect right now. Something to keep you calm during all the holiday madness—while still celebrating the merriment that comes with it.

Tenoverten ($18)

candy apple red polish
Nails Inc.

A Candy-apple Red

A cheery pop of red will brighten up the sea of black and gray layers that is your winter wardrobe. Wear it with rounded or almond-shaped tips (as opposed to squared-off ones) to get a more elegant effect.

Nails Inc. ($14)

pearly sheer polish
Deborah Lippmann

A Pearly Sheer

This is a seasonless shade for sure, but it looks especially crisp this time of year. Not to mention, it makes shorter (er, stubbier) nails appear longer. 

Deborah Lippmann ($18)



Jenny Jin Headshot Vertical 2023

Beauty Director

Jenny Jin is PureWow’s Beauty Director and is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of...