2 Quick and Easy Holiday Manicures You Can Give Yourself Right Now

These easy-to-create holiday manicures are not only guaranteed to lift your spirits— they come with hand-beautifying benefits to boot! Bonus? Looking at nails painted in red is study-proven to boost energy levels, helping to fight any festive-season fatigue. Try these quick and easy techniques to get fun Christmas nails before the big day!

Slim hands with a candy-swirl accent.

• 

A peppermint candy pinwheel draws the eye in, narrowing wider hands.

Step 1: Apply two coats of a glittery red polish (like China Glaze in On the Nice List, buy on Amazon, $5.69) to all nails; let dry. On the ring fingernail, use a white striper polish (like Color Club Nail Art Striper in White, buy on ColorClub.com, $4) to draw curved lines from the nail’s center to its edges; fill in every other space with white polish.

Step 2: Once polish is dry, dip a toothpick into a small amount of clear top coat (like Sinful Colors in Clear Coat, buy on walmart.com, $1.93), dot it onto the back of a large rhinestone, then place the stone at the center of the peppermint swirl; let dry. Seal all nails with a clear top coat.

Elongate nails with Santa ‘suits’.

• 

“Fluffy” French tip trim and linear belts pull focus vertically so nails (and fingers!) appear longer.

Step 1: Apply two coats of red polish (like essie in Forever Yummy, buy on Amazon, $7.87) to all nails; let dry. Then, using a white striper polish (see above, step 1), create a scalloped “half moon” shape along each nail’s tip, followed by a line down each nail’s center.

Step 2: Using a black fine-tip nail art pen (like Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Pen Fine in Black, buy on Amazon, $6.79), create the Santa suit’s belt buckle by drawing a small, negative space rectangle at the center of the nail’s vertical stripe. Repeat on the rest of nails, then let dry completely. Finish by sealing all nails with a clear top coat (see above, step 2).

These easy Christmas nails will add more sparkle to your holiday season!