9 Short Nail Designs For Winter 2025 That Will Last Long Past The Holidays

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While there are plenty of eye-catching Christmas nail ideas tor try for 2025, by mid-January, let's be honest, a yuletide nail will be officially outdated. If you'd like your look to be updated for 2026, it's best to go with a manicure that will hold up past the holiday season.

On the bright side, there are plenty of winter nail designs that aren't necessarily tied to the holidays. For instance, you can't go wrong with snow-related images, such as snowflakes or snowmen and white-capped trees. There are also certain shades and finishes that are perfect for the cold months — and they don't always have to be a deep burgundy or black. "A sheer champagne wash is subtle without feeling too festive, or a metallic chrome accent nail against a glossy neutral base is also subtle, sophisticated, and delivers just the right amount of sparkle," manicurist Tinu Bello told Elle UK in November 2025. "If you really do want a glitter finish aim for a micro-glitter, or a polish with a stardust or halo finish."

If you have short nails and are looking for shades and images that will be evergreen through February, there are plenty of options. If you're willing to look past the usual dark shades of the season and level up, you'll have more than a few options. You just can't be afraid to get creative.

As we saw back in 2024, forest green nails are the manicure color of cottagecore dreams, but that doesn't mean you need to commit fully to the aesthetic to make the look work for you. An emerald green hue, combined with a sparkly topcoat and a few snow-covered evergreen tree branches make for the perfect, dreamy winter scene. Reach for Zoya Nail Polish in shade Merida for the ideal shade of emerald, then use a pen to create one accent nail of snow-covered branches. Either way, it's a manicure that will carry you into late February or, depending on where you live (Yukon, anyone?), early March too.

Though not rust and taupe are not typically associated with the holiday season, these shades signify a delectable moodiness that is ideal for the winter time. Even when the shimmer and super-glassy coat is applied, bringing the nails up several levels, that aura isn't lost, just given new life. While not exactly gradient in nature, the shades complement each other so well that this is a manicure that works through holiday festivities, into your New Year's Eve partying, and well into February. To achieve this high-intensity glassy finish, OPI Polish in the shade Mirror Shine is exactly what you need to complete the look.

As we saw earlier this year, bright nail looks welcomed spring 2025 with a bang and we were absolutely here for that. Now, because it's winter and the energy has shifted, you can continue to rock your bright blue nails — Tile Art to You Heart by OPI is great shade — but it's worth giving it a seasonal update. Adding a few snowflakes and stars will take this simple look into a wintery direction. Complete the manicure with just enough sparkles that highlight, as opposed to taking away from that rich shade of blue that's underneath.

While elevated tartan was the big fashion move for winter 2024, the look is still chic as ever in 2025. You can stick to the traditional Scottish tartan colors or go off and explore every color combination of plaid that's possible. This is a manicure that gives you plenty of room to get creative and, most importantly, colorful. If you're wondering how you're going to bring plaid to life, three words: nail art pens. While there are many nail design tools on the market, Artdone Metallic Nail Art Pens come in various sizes and won't break the bank.

Burgundy nails were among the many on-trend manicures for fall 2025, so why not give the look a festive, wintery upgrade? A layer of glitter polish transforms your fingertips into the inside of a colorful snow globe. Not only does it keep you in on the trends — if that's your aim — but it gives the whole look a festive kick that's not only ideal for the winter but, frankly, all year round too. With ILNP Party Popper metallic topper, you can control just how heavy you want your sparkles to be by the amount of coats you do. If ever there were a set a nails that's equal party-ready and office-appropriate, it's this luscious look.

Although chrome nails have been around for the last few years and summer 2025 had several chrome nail ideas that were on trend, thankfully, chrome topcoats and finishes are still very hot — even if the temperature isn't. What's great about this silvery-white chrome manicure is that it's already very wintery, meaning when you add winter-inspired imagery you're going to solidify snowy perfection. Those snowflakes of varying sizes and 3D embellishments, which can be easily created with Makartt 3D Gel Nail Art Sculpting Gel Glue, gives the whole manicure a life of its own and demands to be admired.

While in the past we saw how bow nails brought the coquette trend to manicures, that's not exactly what we're going for here — unless that's your personal goal, of course, then by all means. Between the luscious burgundy hue contrasting against the pale pink, with the gold bows on every other nail, this look is really selling winter. From the December holiday season, into January, then on into Valentine's Day in February, gifts are given and received, making this a very appropriate and festive manicure to rock up until March. If you fear you can't make stripes and delicate bows look this professional, don't sweat it. Kalolary Nail Pens come in 12 colors, making such designs easy to pull off. 

Even if you don't fancy yourself an ornithophile or have any interest in birds whatsoever, it doesn't mean you can't find these nails absolutely charming. While the dark gray shade with the white falling snow is already cool-looking on its own, the accent nail of a cardinal sitting on a branch in the falling snow with a matte finish, like OPI Matte Top Coat, makes this a unique manicure. It's not just an ode to the winter months, but to nature and how romantic even a bit of snow can make anything look and feel. 

Whether your go-to winter drink is coffee, hot chocolate, or a mocha, the season's most popular beverages offer great nail color inspo for this time of year. Both Awe of a Sudden by OPI RapiDry and Sepia Retreat by Essie are gorgeous browns bring to mind visions of these tasty drinks, while remaining neutral enough to go with every sweater in your closet. Elevate the look by dabbling in white stripes and polka dots. While similar designs in other colors might appear a little busy, these mocha shades give a cohesive look that simply works from December through February. Just don't be surprised if every time you look at your nails, you start to crave something creamy and sweet.