Short nails painted in dark colors are in this season.
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Business Insider spoke to salon owners and nail techs about which trends are in and out this winter.
Have fun with glitter and gold chrome for this year's holiday parties.
Stick to a shorter length to maintain your set for longer periods of time.
The days are colder, and the nights are longer, but that doesn't mean your nails have to take a creative reprieve.
The holiday season is the prime time to design a manicure that fits the duality of party-prepping in the afternoon and Champagne-popping when the clock strikes midnight.
Business Insider spoke with salon owners and nail technicians about which trends are in and out this winter.
Here's what they said.
Paint the town red.Red nails are festive and fun.
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Nomundari Uuganbayar, the co-owner of Tokyo Nails in Chicago, said red is the people's choice right now.
Though it's a well-loved color all year, it's extra fun and festive around Christmas.
Uuganbayar recommends shades that have a vintage-red feel, like Big Apple Red from OPI.
Almond-shaped nails are easy to maintain.Opt for a shorter, almond-shaped manicure ahead of the holidays.
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Teresa "Tere" Rodriguez, a Chicago-based artist and licensed nail tech who specializes in gel extensions and structured manicures, said they've noticed clients tend to neglect nail maintenance in the winter.
Whether you're too busy or trying to save money, the nail tech recommends planning ahead of time and getting a shorter, almond-shaped manicure ahead of the season.
Compared to other styles — like coffin or stiletto nails — it tends to break less easily.
Darker colors are the new go-to.Dark green is also festive and trendy.
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Uuganbayar suggested looking into dark colors, specifically wine, burgundy, and (especially) navy blue.
Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI is a prime example, reminiscent of the dark winter sky.
Rodriguez also said they've seen clientele trade in pinks and nudes for darker shades.
Glazed-doughnut nails still take the cake.The glossier, the better for the glazed-nail trend.
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Jenny Duranski, the founder of Chicago-based salon Lena Rose, said people are still holding on to their glazed-doughnut nails — a trend made popular by Hailey Bieber.
"It's so universal and flattering on everybody," she told BI.
To achieve that pearlescent effect without dealing with tricky chrome powders, Duranski recommends the Heavenly Top Gelcoat from Aprés Nail, which offers undertones of gold, blue, pink, green, and purple.
Short nails and nail art are this season's hot combo.You can go simple or detailed with the nail art.
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Rodriguez and Uuganbayar both suggested going short for the winter, especially if you're preparing for holiday parties that require a lot of hands-on activities, like cooking.
Luckily, Duranski told BI that more nail techs are learning to apply fun designs on shorter lengths, offering some inclusivity to nail-art fads.
"There's still a misconception that if you have shorter nails, you can't get nail art, and that's absolutely not true," she said. "With longer nails, you can do a whole storyboard, which is fun. But on short nails, you can have quick hits of nail art."
Don't shy away from sparkles as New Year's Eve approaches.Glitter adds a fun texture to any manicure.
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Winter is a great opportunity to get festive with your sets. Consider ringing in the new year with sparkles.
"Glitter rules the holidays, especially New Year's," Duranski told BI.
Think gemstones, encapsulations, glitter gel, and glitter top coats.
Go for the gold.The Olympics may have been in the summer this year, but there's still room for winter gold.
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If glitter doesn't fit the aesthetic of your cocktail dress, give gold chrome a whirl.
Uuganbayar suggested a gold-chrome French manicure with a few big stones across the set to make a statement at your next holiday party.
Embrace the winter chill with snowy nails.You can achieve the look with shades of blue and glitter.
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Dark-blue hues are in right now, and Uuganbayar said they make a great backdrop for ombré designs that mimic a snowstorm.
If you want to take your set a step further, try adding textured snowflakes for even more of a winter-wonderland feel.
On the other hand, give the neon shades a rest.Save the neon nails for summer.
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There was an exception for "Brat" green this fall, but neons have been out of style for quite some time, and they're not coming back this winter.
However, Uuganbayar said the shade may be appropriate if you're going on a tropical destination trip with more summery vibes.
Sweater-inspired designs have come and gone.The textured nail trend didn't last long.
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Sweater nails don't really fit in with this season's nail-art designs.
The textured trend incorporates 3D knit-like patterns on autumnal polishes.
"It's been done, and people are looking for something a little bit more artistic," Duranski said.
Line work is on its way out.Wavy line designs were big this summer.
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Line-heavy nail art had its fun in the sun, but now it's leaving the scene.
Uuganbayar told BI that she did a lot of line-work designs in her salon — especially with different shades of neon — this summer, but the technique has faded out of fashion for the winter.
