Don’t want any elaborate nail designs with 8 different colors and 4 hours to create the set? I hear you! Sometimes you just want a simple nail design (that’s still a little bit seasonal, but in a subtle way). I’m here to cater exactly to that taste!
I’ve been doing my nails at home for three years now, and I’m trend-obsessed, so here’s my rundown on the latest simple winter nails trends and design ideas that are easy enough, but still super cute to look at.
Frenchies With Snowflakes And Rhinestones
French tips but fancy. There’s large snowflakes in the middle with shiny stones and it looks sooo pretty. You can wear these to literally anywhere – they will be great for parties or just normal days because the nail art is subtle enough and just with a little bit bling.
Matte Midnight Blue Winter Nails
This blue is really dark and pretty. Matte finish makes it look expensive, the midnight blue color reminds me of night time in winter. Works good on short nails and long nails.
Milky White Almond Nails With Black Snowflakes
I love a bit of contrast to make something simple outstanding – the white and black together looks so cool. The white part is soft but then you put black snowflakes on top. I like doing this on classy almond shaped milky white nails because it makes your design both elegant and just different enough.
Muted Neutrals With Marble Pattern
Marble is easier then you think! You use tan and gray colors for the base to make it look like stone, and then just before you cure the gel, you carefully add some white lines with a fine liner brush onto the wet polish. Try to scatter them around to make them look kind of spider web-y and marbly. It’s really pretty and goes with all your clothes due to the neutral palette and nail art.
Pastel Blue French Tips With Snowflakes
French tips are even better with blue instead of white, I think. Something super wintry about that. This light blue is so soft and cute. Big snowflakes on some nails makes it more special and subtly seasonal.
Pastel Snowflake Nails
Lots of light colors with large snowflakes on top – simple perfection. Aqua shade and pink and maybe purple, it looks sweet but not too sweet. The snowflakes make it more winter.
Simple Milky White Snowflake Nails
Just milky white nails with white snowflakes on top – what else does a girl need? Super simple and fairly fast to do, especially if you practiced painting snowflakes already (or use stickers, I won’t tell). Still looks really good even though it’s simple.
Lavender With White French Tips
Sometimes taking something classic and twisting it up a bit is what makes a design striking. Purple is really pretty for winter! Light purple with white tips on the ends. Its different than classic French mani and I really like it.
Light Gray With Silver Stars
Gray nails are cool now, plus they’ll match all your fits easily. This light gray has little silver stars on it and it reminds me of the sky at night in winter. Stars are easy to make with a toothpick or some star stickers. Very celestial and cute.
Neutral Base With Tiny White Dots
Basic neutral color but then white dots at the top make it look like snowy tips – adorable. Its calm enough for work but still cute, you can barely see the dots but they’re there.
Simple Holly French Tips
A little bit Christmas but not too much. French tips with tiny holly leaves and berries on each nail. If you’re not good at nail art, holly is pretty easy even for beginner nail artists.
Sky Blue With Large Snowflakes
This bright blue makes me happy. The snowflakes are big and detailed, they look impressive but not too hard to do. This color is just nice to look at, and the design looks super cute on short length.
White Nails With Gold Snowflakes
White and gold is perfect together. White is clean then gold makes it fancy, the gold shines when light hits it. Looks expensive but it’s actually a simple design.
Midnight Blue With Milky White
We love a bit of dark blue and white together. You can do tips or different nails in each color, the dark and light looks really good next to each other. Very winter.
Elegant Tiny Snowflake Nails
Want something subtle and low key? Do small snowflakes that scatter over your whole nail. Paint them in white color and it barely stands out against a sheer milky base. It looks grown up, really pretty and simple.
Pale Blue With Minimalist Swirls
Light blue with white swirls on top. The swirls look like frost on a window, and you don’t have to make them perfect. I do swirls when I’m tired but still want cute nails.
Short Nails With Blue Shard Tips
This one requires some different materials – white nails with blue pieces at the tips that look like ice. The blue parts are sharp and pointy looking, literally like glass (but is not, obviously) – it looks modern, and yet from far away they still look simple.
Simple Elegant Snowflake Nail Art
Just nice snowflakes that arent trying to be anything crazy. Do white or silver on a neutral base color, people always say they like these – simplicity wins. Pretty easy to do.
Navy Base With Winter Landscape
Dark blue with a little winter picture on one nail. Trees and snow and stuff, it’s like a tiny painting. Takes more time but looks super cool, whilst the color palette keeps it grounded.
Short Frenchies With Tiny Snowflake Accents
French tips work on short nails too! Little snowflakes by the white part or on the tips. Looks very professional but still somewhat festive.
Snowflake Nails With Soft Blush Base
For the base here, use soft blush pink that looks very neutral. Light pink base with white snowflakes is soft and romantic looking, this will look good on everyone’s hands.
Geometric Plaid Inspired Art
Want some geometric patterns? Plaid inspired design on these nails looks both cozy and modern. Light blue with lines making a geometric pattern is different yet still simple to create. Reminds me of blankets and skiing.
Milky White Base With Frosty Path Accents
Looks like ice on windows, or a frosty footpath trailing across your nails. Milky white polish base with frosty designs that spread across the nail, you can use a brush or a dotting tool to make it. Really pretty effect.
Winter Forest Accent
Neutral colorpalette on most nails, then one or two nails have tiny snowy trees. Just tree shapes in dark color with some white, it’s subtle but cute. Perfect if you have short nails to make them more interesting.
Skinny French Tips With Intricate Snowflakes
For long nails this is so pretty. Skinny French tips are really thin and look different than your standard French mani. Then the snowflakes are detailed and fancy with some gemstones, everyone will notice these.
Navy Blue With Minimalist Snowflakes
Navy is good for winter because it allows you to create bolder and moodier designs, if that’s what you want. Snowflakes are just very minimalist lines, nothing complicated. Looks nice and winter-y.
Gold Glitter And Gold Line Art
Great for New Years or any other winter parties. Sparkly gold with gold designs. Glitter is the base or on some nails, and then gold lines make intersecting patterns, it’s shiny and fun.
Steel Grey Marble
Gray marble looks expensive and modern. The gray keeps it normal so you can wear it anywhere, but the marble makes it interesting. Looks like stone.
Skittle Winter Nails In Pastel Shades
Each nail is a different pastel color! Light blue, purple and pink and white, it’s fun but the light colors make it calm. I like doing this when I can’t pick one color.
Short Pale Blue Nails With Frosty Tips
Light blue with frosted tips that look icy. The frost part is white or shiny polish on the ends, looks like morning frost on your nails. So pretty for short nails.