Nailing It: Five Holiday Trends for Your Digits

 

When it comes to the holidays, even we like to add a little bling to our nail routine. We asked celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein to forecast her holiday nail trends. With clients like Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Angelina Jolie, we can trust her predictions—and you should too.

“This season, it’s all about custom creating your own holiday look,” says Gerstein. Think of it as an art project. And if you’re not the artsy type, at least you’ll be well versed in your holiday nail options. Here are five trends to watch for:

• When you layer polishes, you are able to create so many different looks quickly. Going from the office to a party, you can start with a simple color and dress it up with a coat of glitter. Essie Luxeffects—six glitters—are amazing. Combine with the Essie Winter Collection to create different holiday looks.

• Always create a mirror image of your cuticle shape for a natural nail. Don’t follow trends, follow your personal style. If you wear artificial or gel nails, you can go for alternate trendy shapes like the stiletto.

• Thanks to gel manicures, now you can go from Christmas to New Year’s with the same manicure! The bonus is no chipping. Try it at home with the Red Carpet Manicure, the only home system with fashion-forward shades.

• We will see a lot of holiday colors like red, gold, green, silver, and blue. This is pretty much a seasonal staple.

• If you like French manicures, sub the glitter for the tip (where the white polish would go). Or do a glitter nail and a solid tip.

And most importantly, have fun! After all, you’ll need a flashy nail to beckon your man under the mistletoe.

SARAH HOWARD IS THE EDITOR OF BEAUTY BANTER.