The festive period really attacks us on all fronts, doesn’t it? There are Christmas films. Christmas books. Christmas salads. Christmas everything, really. And while the Christmas spirit does everyone a world of good, some of us just don’t like it — aesthetically, that is.
This presents a unique challenge when it comes to nail art. Although Christmas films can be abruptly turned off and Christmas books needn’t be read at all, a Christmas manicure is a relative commitment. You wonder how you can imbue your nails with the Christmas spirit without actually having to look at it. But for every person who finds that aesthetic tacky, there’s another who adores it. What’s a nail art fanatic to do! Our sliding scale of Christmas manicures should bring pleasure to those of all persuasions.
1 ON THE SCALE
You have never heard of Christmas, but you have heard of — subtle — decadence in the form of nude nails and Swarovski crystals.
2 ON THE SCALE
The fact that these freshwater pearls are white may suggest a wintery theme (and anything by Sylvie Macmillan is worth celebrating), but you could have this manicure throughout the year and no would have the foggiest idea that you had intended it to be festive.
3 ON THE SCALE
Some may see shards of ice that wouldn’t look out of place in Disney’s Frozen; others, bodies of water to be enjoyed on a hot day — use this to your advantage.
4 ON THE SCALE
Red is an admittedly festive colour, but it also serves as an iconic failsafe during all the other months. Who’s to say you didn’t get this to celebrate the end of 2020?
5 ON THE SCALE
The gloss! The point! The colour! It’s all very glamorous — and rather festive. To the untrained eye, however, these are just red nails.
6 ON THE SCALE
While you won’t arouse too much suspicion with red nails during Christmas, red glittery nails are truly the tipping point. If Imarni Ashman has done them, we shall be tipped wholeheartedly though.
7 ON THE SCALE
Yes, these look extremely festive. But maybe you just love red, white and twinkly things as independent entities outside of a Christmas context.
8 ON THE SCALE
No matter how nude and natural the rest of your manicure is, a single symbolic representation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will put it firmly in the Christmas category.
9 ON THE SCALE
Here, Rudolph is no longer merely symbolic, but rendered in gold glitter and flanked by snowflakes. Make of that what you will.
10 ON THE SCALE
Christmas nail art? Completed it.
First published on buro247.com.
