25 Best Winter Nail Colors You Need To Try Now

Need some inspiration this winter to up your nail polish game for the holidays? Look no further than these 35 beautiful and on-trend winter nail colors!

winter nail colors

WINTER IS COMING!

I couldn’t help myself with that Game of Thrones reference haha sorry.

With winter and the holidays fast approaching, if you’re anything like me then your brain is in a million places at once trying to plan ahead.

Even if you love nail polish, it’s probably one of the last things on your mind after finding the perfect gifts, decorating your home, and party planning.

So I’m glad you stumbled upon this blog post to help take even just one of those things off your mind (although I also have an awesome selection of gift guides you might want to check out to help with that too!)

Criteria for winter nail colors

Each of these winter nail colors has the exact brand and shade recommendation listed to make it super easy to find the colour that’s being shown.

These winter nail colors were chosen based on their popularity, trendiness & suitability for the winter season, and TONS of amazing reviews!

You’ll probably notice there are mostly OPI, Essie and the CND brand (which is really popular for its quality on Amazon) options below.

That’s because those brands, by far, have the best pigmentation, formula, longevity, quality, and brand loyalty/popularity.

And for good reason – they all rock!

So whether you just started to feel a chill in the air, or are looking out your window at the snow-covered ground these winter nail colors have you covered for the season!


This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.


35 Cute & trendy winter nail colors:

1. Emerald Green

winter nail colors 2019

Emerald green

OPI’s “Stay Off The Lawn” nail polish is the perfect emerald green. Who doesn’t think of winter emerald trees and Christmas time with this shade?

2. Medium Grey

winter nail colors 2020

Medium Grey

Essie’s cool, medium grey “Cocktail Bling” nail polish pairs great with cooler weather and winter wardrobe neutrals.

3. Deep Amethyst

winter 2019 nail colors

Deep Amethyst

OPI’s “Good Girls Gone Plaid” nail polish is the most beautiful vampy purple colour.

If you’re looking for a shade that screams winter but isn’t the traditional red or gold, then this is the polish for you!

4. Glossy White

winter 2020 nail colors

Glossy White

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I love snow and where I am in Canada, we get a lot of it during the winter.

But regardless of if your holidays have snow, let Essie’s “Blanc” nail polish bring the colour of flurries right to your fingertips.

5. Winter Blue Grey

winter gel nail colors

Winter Blue Grey

OPI’s “Kanpai Opi!” nail polish has a lot in common with winter – it’s cool, it’s icy, and it frosts your fingertips.

6. Metallic Yellow Gold

winter nail color ideas

Metallic Yellow Gold

Go for gold and glamour this holiday season with Essie’s “You’re Golden” polish.

The pigmentation and finish is stunning!!

7. Rich Espresso

winter nail polish colors

Rich Espresso

I don’t know if any of you follow Lululemon drops closely, but this colour reminds me so much of the new french press colourway they just released!

Dark brown and rich espresso colours are becoming so popular right now and Essie’s “Take The Espresso” polish is right on trend.

8. Holly Red

dark winter nail colors

finding favourites

This holly red colour just screams Christmas!

OPI’s “An Affair in Red Square” polish also has a stunning shimmer finish and is the perfect winter red for all skin tones.

9. Creamy Taupe

best winter nail colors

Creamy Taupe

Nude, earthy, and taupe tones are also extremely trendy for the winter season.

Essie’s “Jazz” polish is a beautiful, creamy taupe that is a great neutral for any winter fashion choices.

10. Metallic Silver

best winter nail colors for fair skin

Metallic Silver

OPI’s “Silver On Ice” nail polish is extremely well-loved by those who prefer silver to gold on themselves.

This colour makes me think of tinsel, silver Christmas ornaments and the magic sparkles that trail behind Santa’s sleigh in every animated holiday movie (very specific I know lol).

11. Soft Mauve

trending nail colors 2020

Soft Mauve

Essie’s “Lady Like” nail polish is another staple winter neutral – a soft mauve – that looks gorgeous on every skin tone and matches every winter outfit.

12. Wine Blue-Red

winter nail colors for dark skin

Wine Blue-Red

Does anyone else love sipping mulled wine in the winter?

Match your nails to your wine with OPI’s “Got the Blues for Red” polish.

This dark blue-red is a winter favourite among many, that stays trendy season after season.

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13. Metallic Copper

winter nail colors for brown skin

Metallic Copper

We already have silver and gold on this list, so we can’t forget about copper.

Essie’s “Penny Talk” polish may look like a beautiful shiny penny, but your nails will look more like a million bucks!

14. Black Cherry

winter nails 2020

Black Cherry

OPI’s “Black Cherry Chutney” is a very popular deep purple (almost black) shade.

It’s perfect for pairing with an equally dark lip and goes great with winter outfits and makeup looks.

15. Creamy Beige-Pink

fall nail colors

Creamy Beige-Pink

Essie’s “Topless & Barefoot” polish is a beautiful beigey-pink colour for those of you who may not like dark nail polishes, but still want a cool toned, winter neutral.

16. Cool Mint

winter nail colors 2021

Cool Mint

OPI’s “This Cost Me A Mint” polish is a gorgeous, frosty, green-blue mint colour that’s truly unique and underrated.

It’s cool tone makes it perfect for winter wear!

17. Light Grey

winter 2021 nail colors

Light Grey

Although the days get shorter and the nights get longer during the winter, grey doesn’t always have to mean gloomy.

CND’s “Cityscape” nail polish is the ultimate light grey shade that has been showing up everywhere this winter!

18. Pastel Blush

winter nail colours

Pastel Blush

Pastel pinks are becoming more and more popular in the winter, especially when it comes to cool toned pink Christmas trees.

OPI’s “My Very First Knockwurst” nail polish is the best pale and muted winter pink that everyone is raving about!

19. Smoky Cobalt

winter nail colours 2019

Pastel Blush

This is one of my favourite winter nail colors!

Essie’s “Toned Down” nail polish is a beautiful smoky cobalt blue that is a great neutral for winter.

20. Olive Green

winter nail colours 2020

Olive Green

Olive green is everywhere this season, which makes it one of the most popular winter nail colors!

OPI’s “Suzi – The First Lady of Nails” polish is a deep and pigmented olive green that will have you excited for the holidays.

21. Pale Yellow

winter nail colours 2021

Pale Yellow

Zoya’s “Bee” polish is one the more uncommon winter nail colors on this list.

However, its cool and pale tone make this yellow a surprisingly good choice for winter weather.

22. Deep Navy

winter 2019 nail colours

Deep Navy

If you’re looking for a daring and dark polish that’s not black, look no further than OPI’s “Russian Navy”.

This is one of my favourite winter nail colors, because it goes with absolutely everything and has a stunning, deep navy tone.

23. Creamy Pistachio

winter 2020 nail colours

Creamy Pistachio

Pistachio took this season by storm, with almost every fashion retailer launching something in this deliciously creamy green colour.

Essie’s “Precious Cargo-Go!” polish is a unique green to try out this holiday season if you’re looking to try something different than the traditional “Christmas green”.

24. Pale Gold

winter 2021 nail colours

Pale Gold

Gold is arguably one of the most popular winter nail colors, because of how closely it’s tied to the holidays.

OPI’s “Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey!” polish is a great pale (almost rose) gold alternative if you don’t like traditional yellow-golds.

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25. Denim Blue

best winter nail colors

Denim Blue

Blue jeans and colder weather go hand in hand!

CND’s “Denim Patch” polish is the perfect denim blue if a deeper navy or frostier light blue isn’t your jam.

26. Soft Taupe

best winter nail colours

Soft Taupe

This soft taupe is definitely one of the most wearable winter nail colors.

OPI’s “Berlin There Done That” polish looks great on every skin tone, matches every outfit, and is the ideal soft, but cool, winter taupe .

27. Warm Brown

best winter nail colors 2020

Warm Brown

If the earlier Espresso nail colour was too dark, give CND’s “Cuppa Joe” nail polish a try!

This warm, chocolate brown is one of the best winter nail colors to wear with winter wardrobe colors like burgundy, camel, pink, light blue, black, army green, and cream.

28. Muted Purple Grey

best winter nail colors 2019

Muted Purple Grey

Faded and muted purple grey tones also took over the fashion world this season.

Zoya’s “Petra” polish is perfect for those of you that want a winter-appropriate purple that leans more grey, rather than more popular holiday burgundy/purple-red shades.

29. Clay Pink

best winter nail colours 2020

Clay Pink

Clay has gained popularity not only in home decor palettes, but also in fall and winter fashion.

CND’s “Clay Canyon” polish is the perfect mix of clay and pink that makes it one of the most unique winter nail colors on this list.

30. Dark Mustard

best winter nail colours 2019

Dark Mustard

Out of all the winter nail colors you could think of, I bet you didn’t see this one coming!

OPI’s “Sun, Sea and Sand In My Pants” polish has a deceptively summer themed name.

However, on the nails, it comes out as more of a dark mustard tone that we all know is super popular for the winter and fall.

31. Plum Purple

Plum Purple

CND’s “Dreamcatcher” polish is a great plum purple option for those of you that want a wearable warm winter purple that isn’t too cool/grey or too warm/red.

32. Basic Nude

Basic Nude

You can never go wrong with a light “nude” color.

Essie’s “Wild Nude” polish is a great neutral for every skin tone (and really every season, including winter!)

33. Dark Indigo

Dark Indigo

CND’s “Indigo Frock” polish is one of the closest winter nail colors between the denim blue and deep navy shades above.

If you want an indigo color that is darker (but not almost black) and that pulls ever so slightly green/teal, then this is your shade!

34. Sheer Coat

Sheer Coat

There’s really not too much to explain for this one, since it’s one of the most common and versatile winter nail colors out there.

Essie’s “Sheer Fantasy” will make your nails look clean and polished for the perfect minimalist winter nail look!

35. Creamy Off-White

Creamy Off-White

Again, nothing screams winter wonderland like slightly off-white city snow haha.

CND’s “Cream Puff” polish is a great alternative to stark white nails if that’s not your thing!

I hope you loved these winter nail colors!

If you did, please let me know what colors you tried out, what your go-to winter nail colors are, and if I missed any you think should be on this list!

Please don’t forget to pin this post to reference it later for inspiration throughout the winter.

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