Looking for a little winter nail inspiration? These trending shades and designs are redefining cold-weather glamour.
Winter 2025 is nearly upon us — and your manicure is about to become your most stylish accessory.
This season, the vibe is bold yet refined: deep, dimensional colour, luxe textures and subtle details that whisper quiet luxury.
Whether you’re curling up with a hot chocolate or exploring a festive light trail, these on-trend looks will have your hands looking effortlessly polished all season long.
Ready to refresh your mani mood board? Here’s what’s trending.
Read more: 9 autumn 2025 nail designs and colour trends
Cat eye
Colour specialist Maria Bello calls it the season’s “modern mystique”. The cat-eye manicure is back with a luminous twist: magnetic pigments that shift with the light, creating a velvet-metallic finish that feels both cosmic and couture.
Expect deep emerald, plum and smoky bronze — rich tones that command attention without trying too hard.
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Vanilla glass off-white
Sheer, creamy and impossibly elegant — vanilla glass nails will be worn by the chicest ‘clean girls’ this year.
“It reads expensive without shouting,” says Maria. This soft, milky neutral evokes calm sophistication; the kind of polish that looks equally chic with cashmere or denim.
Read more: 7 best perfume and fragrance advent calendars for 2025
Deep navy
Meet black’s cooler, moodier sister. “Navy has that same depth and authority,” Maria explains, “but with an openness that feels fresh.”
It’s the new neutral for the fashion forward — mysterious, sleek and quietly powerful.
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Caramel and latte neutrals
Set to be the trend this season after Hailee Steinfeld’s set took Instagram by storm, latte nails are cosiness in colour form. Think warm toffee, almond and creamy coffee tones.
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“Caramel nails radiate abundance and gentle confidence,” Maria says. Nail expert Lynn Mason of Mavala agrees: “A rich brown like Mavala’s Marron Glacé is the ultimate cosy-chic hue — perfect with everything from a sequin slip to your softest knit.”
Read more: Best jewellery advent calendars for 2025, from Astrid & Miyu to Missoma
Short nails
Practical meets polished. “Short almond and tapered square shapes are having a major moment,” says Billie Grace, nail artist at All Glowed Up Salon. “They elongate the hand beautifully and they’re ideal for winter — glove-friendly but still super elegant.”
Minimalist nail art
The minimalist mani isn’t going anywhere, it’s just getting a seasonal upgrade.
“Expect fine chrome lines, delicate snowflakes and frosted ‘glazed’ finishes with subtle sparkle,” says Lynn. Billie calls it “cosy chic meets quiet luxury” — glossy, refined and effortlessly photogenic.
Nail pro Julita Fagan of 14 Day Manicure adds that this winter is all about considered placement: “We’re seeing scattered stripes, asymmetric details and the return of coloured French tips for a little edge.”
Feature image: Freepik
