If your pre-holiday to-do list includes “Christmas nails,” you’re in the right place.
The holiday season is basically the Met Gala of manicures. With the most wonderful time of the year upon us, everyone’s treating their nails like a red carpet moment. The good news? You don’t need a salon appointment to get nails that look as good as the inspo pics clogging your Pinterest board.
With long-lasting Gelous Gel Nail Polish and a few nail art tools, you can recreate these 15 Christmas nail art designs at home. From cute reindeer accents to trend-driven polka dots and pared-back minimalist manis, consider this your festive lookbook (and your sign to start painting immediately).
Pink & Red Holiday Mix & Match Gel Nail Art
If you love a girly palette, this set is your match. A little peppermint here, a bow there, a gingerbread man, snowflakes, stars, chrome and a hint of glitter—all coming together in one perfect mix-and-match mani. A whole pink and red mood, ready for the party season.
For this set, you’ll need Gelous shades A Dozen Roses, French Kiss, Dolly, Whiteout, Red Sass, A Little Bit Nude and Bare It All, along with White Glaze Chrome Powder and Shimmer Top Coat.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this manicure, watch our 'Pink and Red Christmas’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on Instagram.
Red & White Polka Dots Gel Nail Art
Polka dot nails are having a full-blown moment this season, turning up everywhere from TikTok to celebrity nail tech feeds. And honestly? They deserve the hype. They’re cute, nostalgic, ridiculously easy, and in festive red and white, they become Christmas-coded perfection.
To recreate this manicure, you’ll need Gelous’ Murder on the Dancefloor, Just White and a trusty Dotting Tool.
“Clean Girl” Christmas Mix & Match Gel Nail Art
The “clean girl” aesthetic stays undefeated in the nail world with its sheer shades, soft whites, and minimal art. This Christmas version adds delicate snowflakes, bows and stars over a subtle shimmer. It’s festive, but still feels soft, fresh, and so wearable.
To nail this look at home, start with Gelous Base Coat, then Milky Pink Builder Gel for strength, Snow Place Like Home for subtle shimmer, Just White for your designs, and top it off with a long-lasting Top Coat.
Christmas Reindeer Gel Nail Art
This Christmas, add a tiny reindeer accent nail—complete with antlers, eyes and a little red nose—and pair it with a holiday colour palette. Pinterest-approved and seriously adorable.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Minimalist Christmas Reindeer’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Festive Swirls Gel Nail Art
Even a Grinch would give these subtle swirls a thumbs-up. Sleek Christmas shades of green, white, and gold give your nails a festive feel without going over the top, perfect for holiday parties and for keeping it cute come December 26. Modern, understated, and totally beginner-friendly thanks to their abstract nature.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Subtle Christmas Nails’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Velvet Christmas Gel Nail Art
Think “soft girl Christmas” meets magnetic velvet nails. Velvet Dream delivers a lilac velvet gel effect that shifts with every angle, while white snowflake, swirls and star nail art add a frosty, festive touch. It’s basically a girly winter wonderland for your nails.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Girly Christmas Mix & Match’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Black Glitter Bow Gel Nail Art
Meet the festive manicure for people who don’t do traditional Christmas colours. Instead of classic red bows, this look uses black reflective glitter, Meet Me At Midnight, paired with Black Out, to create a luxe vibe. Moody, sparkly, and so cool.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Bow’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Matte Manicure with Glossy French Tips Gel Nail Art
Hello, holiday elegance. Matte nails paired with glossy tips create a high-fashion contrast that works beautifully for the festive season, and they’re surprisingly easy to recreate.
Start with Gelous Rendezvous, a deep plum polish, then mattify the entire nail with Matte Top Coat, trace the French tips with gold, and seal with a glossy Top Coat over the tips for a luxe, editorial-ready finish.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Matte Manicure with Glossy French Tips’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Santa Hat Gel Nail Art
The cutest nod to the big guy himself. Santa Hat nails blend bold red French tips, ‘fluffy’ white lining and the tiniest pompom, perfect as a feature nail or across the whole set.
Cute, iconic, and guaranteed to get compliments, this look comes together with a red Gel Polish, Silicone Nail Stamper, and Nail Art Brush for the French tips, while a crisp white and Dotting Tool are used to create the hat lining and pom-pom.
French Tips & White Stars Gel Nail Art
A milky base, soft white French tips and tiny twinkling star accents? This manicure is delicate, dreamy and the perfect “quiet luxury Christmas nails.” Save this nail inspo, stat.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Minimal Stars & French Tips’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Classic Red French Tips Gel Nail Art
A timeless Christmas manicure if there ever was one. Red French tips are elegant, crisp and instantly festive without leaning too novelty. For this manicure, we’ve used Rouge, a berry-toned red polish.
Christmas Green French Tips Gel Nail Art
If red isn’t your thing, green French tips give the same chic vibe with a cosier twist. Gelous’ Darkest Forest over Milky Pink Builder Gel gives a rich, luxe finish that’s perfect for festive gel nails.
Candy Cane French Tips Gel Nail Art
Think of this as the classic French tip’s holiday alter ego. Red tips, candy-stripe detailing and just the right level of festive glitter without going full North Pole. It’s cute, clean, and very screenshot-worthy.
Recreate the look at home using our best-selling Red Sass for the tips, Just White for the stripes, and Fine Glitter Top Coat to finish. You can also start with Pink Rubber Base Coat and add Pink Builder Gel for extra strength and long-lasting wear.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Christmas Candy Cane Tips’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Glazed Donut Gel Nail Art
Glazed donut nails are still everywhere, especially around Christmas, when anything pearlescent, icy, or softly shimmering shades reign supreme.
Our milky mani favourite, Swan Lake, paired with White Glaze Chrome Powder creates that iconic Hailey Bieber-like shine—soft, luxe and perfect for the holidays.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Glazed Donut’ Gel Nail Tutorial on YouTube.
Holly Leaves Gel Nail Art
Nothing says “Christmas” like holly. Here, we’ve made mini holly leaves the stars of the mani, with deep green Darkest Forest leaves and tiny red berries becoming feature nails, while the other nails mix and match rich holiday reds and a touch of glitter. Christmas mani goals.
Looking for a video tutorial?
To recreate this look, watch our ‘Christmas Holly’ Gel Nail Art Tutorial on YouTube.
Christmas is peak nail inspo season, and with long-lasting Gelous Gel Polish, creating festive, salon-quality gel nails at home has never been easier (or more fun). So, with polish in hand, it’s time to turn all that holiday inspo into your own at-home mani
