DIY Holiday-Themed Gel Nails at Home
The festive season calls for a unique look. DIY holiday-themed gel nails are ideal for brightening up everything! Picture your nails dressed in the holiday season's finest colors, like passionate red, twinkling gold, or lively green. Or, if you seek something new, try a trendy shade like blue.
We've collected joyful designs that will get you in the holiday mood. Enjoy a merry manicure, or choose a fresh look to ring in the New Year. Browse the holiday-themed nail designs below and find your perfect match for the season!
Holiday-Themed Nail Designs
Peppermint Candy and Snow
Here are sweet seasonal celebrations for your fingertips. Both of these manicures start with a sheer pink base that’s crisscrossed with bold red stripes, just like peppermint candies. The first has a single nail adorned with an intricate white snowflake, while the second enhances the tips with rhinestones.
How can you get these looks at home? You can cheat! There’s no need to be ashamed if you struggle to paint straight lines. Practice makes perfect, but in the meantime, try using a stencil or nail tape to guide your brush. Also, shop for nail stickers and decals to replicate the designs you admire. When you use high-quality gel polish, you may still need two coats for fully opaque coverage. However, it should cure bubble-free without shrinking and last two to three weeks without chipping. If you have your hands in water a lot, try wearing gloves. And touch up your mani with top coat after a week.
As for the rhinestones, it’s possible to stick them on with polish alone, but they won’t last more than a day or so. Instead, use a gem sealer that cures in the nail lamp just like polish. When you apply the top coat, don’t brush it over the top of the stones so that they stay extra-glittery.
LAVIS C02 - Scarlet Bloom Collection C02-04
LDS Blossom Pink Collection PB08
Cat Eye Celebration
New Year’s Eve, here we come! These nails are mesmerizing with all the sparkle and the illusion of depth. The magnetic polish allows you to customize each nail individually and concentrate the glitter where you want it most. Then, the fine gold lines make it appear that fireworks are bursting from your fingertips.
This is a super easy look to copy. You’ll need cat eye polish, a magnet, and gold paint or emboss gel. Work on each nail individually and cure each layer before moving on to the next. Pay attention to the instructions with the polish – some cat eye polishes provide different results depending on the color underneath them, whether light or dark. Also, use a steady hand with the magnet. One side of the magnet will push, and the other will pull. Either way, it might take a few seconds of holding it steady to achieve the effect.
LAVIS C02 - Scarlet Bloom Collection C02-23
LAVIS Emboss Gel - Gold
The Gift of Bright Red Tips
You can easily replicate this look if you can do a French manicure. The only extra step is the gold ribbon to make your ring finger look like it's gift-wrapped. Use embossing gel for a textured look, or find a nail sticker for a similar appearance.
A note to the wise: square tips are trendy but more prone to snagging. Ensure you brush the edges with polish and top coat to protect them.
Wine and Rhinestones
Crimson and purple sound like an unlikely pair until you see them side by side on these nails. But the cat eye polish makes them blend seamlessly for a mysterious aura. The subtle gemstone accents and extended stiletto shape make them even more elegant and eye-catching.
LAVIS Cat Eye CE4 - Fairy Tale Collection CE4-04
Silver and Gold
Here's an ultra-luxe chrome look that's like each nail was dipped in liquid metal. That fine line of gold is the detail we never knew we needed. This is truly a statement piece for your hands and straightforward to do at home. You'll need a gel base and a no-wipe top coat, plus chrome powder. Apply the base and top coats. Once each is cured, apply the silver chrome powder and burnish the shine until it's perfect. Apply another layer of top. Then, you have options. Either use gold polish for the strip at the tip or use chrome powder. Mask off the silver with nail tape and rub on the gold chrome powder, then and seal the entire nail with the glossy top coat.
Aurora Galaxy Chrome - 12
Playful Holidays
The dazzling red nails are the life of the party. Their festive sparkle highlights the cute decorations on the other fingertips. Notice the matte finish on the snowflakes and reindeer nails. It makes a pleasing contrast.
LAVIS C02 - Scarlet Bloom Collection C02-15
How to Do Gel Nails at Home for the Holidays
Doing your own gel nails at home is the holiday hack you never knew you needed. It’s like giving your wallet a gift because you pay for the products and equipment upfront and don’t need to worry about service charges. Plus, there’s no wasted time in traffic. Instead, you can do your nails at home and have more time for baking cookies and watching favorite shows.
Supplies Needed:
- LED nail lamp or UV Lamp
- Nail files (fine grit)
- Nail buffer block
- Cuticle oil
- Orange wood sticks or cuticle pusher
- Rubbing alcohol
- Acetone polish remover
- Base coat
- Top coat
- Gel polish colors
- Any other nail art supplies like brushes, gem gel, chrome powder, stickers, rhinestones, etc.
As mundane as it may feel, please don’t skip the nail prep part if you want a professional-looking finish that lasts through the holidays. Trim, shape, and buff your nails to perfection. Cuticle oil can help you push back the cuticles and restore hydration after soaking in acetone. Just be sure to cleanse the nails them with alcohol to remove all the oil and debris before applying the base coat.
Gel polish is durable and easy to apply. It’s better to use two thin layers rather than one thick coat if it seems transparent. Remember to brush the edge of the nail. Additionally, follow the instructions for how long to cure the polish. Once the top coat is dry, rub in cuticle oil for extra shine and to nourish your nails and skin.
See how easy that was? Now go join the festivities and show off that new manicure!
Conclusion
And just like that, you’re all set to bring the salon experience home for the holidays! We hope you enjoy doing your own gel nails at home. While you’re here, spread the love with our holiday gift bundles. Plus, with free shipping on orders over $50, it's the perfect time to stock up on mani essentials.
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