Get ready to sleigh this Christmas with a revel retro twist on your holiday nail art! ✨ This year, we’re ditching the predictable reindeer and snowflakes (okay, maybe just a few snowflakes 😉) and taking inspiration from the groovy vibes of Christmases past. Think vintage colors, bold patterns, and a sprinkle of kitsch for good measure. Ready to deck your nails in revel retro charm? Let’s get festive!
Revel Retro Christmas Nail Art Ideas
Here are seven revel retro nail designs that will have you rockin’ around the Christmas tree in style:
1. Mod Christmas Trees 🎄
Channel the swinging sixties with minimalist Christmas tree silhouettes. Use negative space to create chic, stylized trees in shades of emerald green, ruby red, and gold. Add a touch of sparkle with a strategically placed rhinestone “star” on top!
How to Achieve the Look:
- Start with a base coat of your favorite nude polish.
- Use striping tape to create triangular tree shapes.
- Paint the trees with your chosen festive colors.
- Carefully remove the tape while the polish is still wet.
- Add a rhinestone or metallic dot to the top of each tree.
- Finish with a glossy top coat.
2. Groovy Swirls & Stripes 🍭
Embrace the psychedelic patterns of the 70s with swirling lines and bold stripes in festive colors. Think candy cane red and white, or mix it up with turquoise and gold for a truly far-out feel.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a white base coat.
- Use a thin nail art brush to create swirling lines in red, green, and gold.
- Add contrasting stripes using striping tape.
- Seal the design with a top coat.
3. Checkerboard Christmas Cheer 🏁
This classic pattern gets a holiday makeover with festive color combos. Alternate squares of red and green, or go for a more unexpected pairing like pink and gold. Add tiny gold dots or holly accents for extra detail.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in your chosen background color (e.g., white or cream).
- Use striping tape to create a grid pattern on your nails.
- Paint every other square with your festive colors.
- Carefully remove the tape while the polish is still wet.
- Add optional embellishments like dots or holly.
- Finish with a top coat.
4. Vintage Ornaments ✨
Bring the nostalgia with miniature ornament designs. Use a dotting tool to create perfect circles in classic Christmas colors. Add a touch of glam with gold accents or glitter ✨.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a rich, festive color like burgundy or forest green.
- Use a dotting tool to create different sized circles in gold, red, and white.
- Add details like ornament caps and hooks with a thin nail art brush.
- Seal your design with a top coat.
5. Holly Jolly Jewels 💎
Add some sparkle to your revel retro mani with rhinestone holly berries and leaves. Use different sized gems to create dimension and capture the light.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a festive color like red or green.
- Use tweezers to place red rhinestones for the berries and green rhinestones for the leaves.
- Secure the gems with a strong top coat or nail glue.
6. Atomic Starburst 💥
Capture the mid-century modern aesthetic with a starburst design. Use contrasting colors to create a dynamic effect, and add a touch of shimmer with a metallic polish.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a bold color like turquoise or red.
- Use striping tape to create lines radiating from a central point on your nail.
- Fill in the sections with contrasting colors.
- Remove the tape and add a metallic stripe down the center of each section.
- Finish with a top coat.
7. Retro Wrapping Paper Nails 🎁
Mimic the look of vintage Christmas wrapping paper with playful patterns and colors. Think candy canes, Santa Claus faces, and bold geometric prints. Press-on nails or nail wraps are your secret weapon for achieving this intricate look with ease!
How to Achieve the Look:
- Press-ons/Wraps: Choose a set with a retro Christmas theme. Apply according to the product instructions.
- DIY: Use a thin nail art brush and different colored polishes to recreate simple wrapping paper patterns.
8. Snowflake Sparkle ✨❄️
Give the classic snowflake a retro makeover with bold colors and glitter accents. Use a white or silver base and paint snowflakes in vibrant hues like turquoise, pink, or gold. Add a touch of sparkle with iridescent glitter or holographic flakes.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in white or silver.
- Use a thin nail art brush to paint snowflakes in your chosen colors.
- Add glitter accents to the center or tips of the snowflakes.
- Seal the design with a top coat.
9. Candy Cane Lane 🍭
Embrace the sweetness of the season with candy cane stripes. Go for the classic red and white, or experiment with different color combinations like pink and white or green and white. Add a touch of whimsy with tiny candy cane charms or glitter accents.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in white.
- Use striping tape to create diagonal lines across your nails.
- Paint the sections between the tape with your chosen candy cane color.
- Carefully remove the tape while the polish is still wet.
- Add optional candy cane charms or glitter.
- Finish with a top coat.
10. Gingerbread Village 🏠
Recreate the charm of a gingerbread village on your nails. Use brown polish for the houses and add white icing details with a thin nail art brush. Don’t forget the colorful candy accents and glitter “snow”!
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a light brown shade.
- Use a thin nail art brush to paint gingerbread house shapes.
- Add white icing details and colorful candy accents.
- Sprinkle on some glitter for a snowy effect.
- Seal the design with a top coat.
11. Christmas Lights ✨
Bring the magic of twinkling Christmas lights to your fingertips. Use a dark base coat like navy or black and paint strings of lights in various colors. Add a touch of realism with tiny dots of white polish to represent the bulbs.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a dark color.
- Use a thin nail art brush to paint thin, wavy lines representing strings of lights.
- Add dots of different colored polishes along the lines to create the bulbs.
- Finish with a top coat.
12. Retro Santa 🎅
Give Santa a retro makeover with a pop art-inspired design. Use bold outlines and bright colors to create a stylized Santa face. Add a touch of whimsy with a polka dot background or a geometric pattern.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in white or a pastel color.
- Use a thin nail art brush to outline a Santa face with black polish.
- Fill in the face with red, white, and pink polishes.
- Add details like a hat and beard.
- Finish with a top coat.
13. Naughty or Nice List 📜
Channel your inner child with a playful naughty or nice list design. Use a red and green color scheme and write “Naughty” or “Nice” on your nails with a thin nail art brush. Add festive embellishments like stars or snowflakes.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in red or green.
- Use a thin nail art brush and white polish to write “Naughty” or “Nice” on your nails.
- Add festive embellishments like stars or snowflakes.
- Finish with a top coat.
14. Mistletoe Kisses 💋
Spread some holiday cheer with a mistletoe-inspired design. Use green polish for the leaves and red rhinestones for the berries. Add a touch of romance with a delicate gold outline or a glitter accent.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a neutral color.
- Use a thin nail art brush to paint mistletoe leaves in green polish.
- Add red rhinestones for the berries.
- Optional: Add a gold outline or glitter accent.
- Finish with a top coat.
15. Holly Jolly Penguins 🐧
Add a touch of whimsy to your nails with adorable penguin designs. Use black and white polish for the penguins and add red or green accents for their scarves and hats.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a light blue or white shade.
- Use a dotting tool to create the penguin’s body.
- Add details like eyes, beaks, and scarves with a thin nail art brush.
- Finish with a top coat.
16. Christmas Pudding Nails 🍮
Embrace the festive flavors with a Christmas pudding-inspired design. Use brown polish for the pudding and add white “icing” details with a thin nail art brush. Don’t forget the red “holly” embellishment!
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a rich brown shade.
- Use a thin nail art brush to create the shape of a Christmas pudding.
- Add white icing details and a red “holly” embellishment.
- Finish with a top coat.
17. Reindeer Games 🦌
Give Rudolph a retro makeover with a geometric design. Use brown and red polish to create stylized reindeer silhouettes. Add a touch of sparkle with a gold glitter nose.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a neutral color.
- Use striping tape to create geometric shapes that resemble a reindeer.
- Paint the sections with brown and red polish.
- Add a gold glitter dot for the nose.
- Finish with a top coat.
18. Nutcracker Suite 🩰
Capture the magic of the Nutcracker ballet with a whimsical design. Use pastel colors and glitter to create a dreamy backdrop. Add silhouettes of the Nutcracker, Clara, or the Sugar Plum Fairy with a thin nail art brush.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a pastel color like light blue or pink.
- Add glitter accents.
- Use a thin nail art brush to create silhouettes of Nutcracker characters.
- Finish with a top coat.
19. Winter Wonderland Scene ❄️
Create a miniature winter wonderland on your nails. Use a white base coat and add details like snow-covered trees, houses, and snowflakes with a thin nail art brush. Add a touch of sparkle with iridescent glitter or holographic flakes.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in white.
- Use a thin nail art brush to paint a winter wonderland scene.
- Add glitter accents for a touch of sparkle.
- Finish with a top coat.
20. Retro Christmas Plaid
Embrace the cozy vibes of a vintage Christmas with a plaid design. Use red, green, and gold polish to create a classic plaid pattern. Add a matte top coat for a truly retro feel.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in a neutral color.
- Use striping tape to create a criss-cross pattern on your nails.
- Paint the sections with red, green, and gold polish.
- Finish with a matte top coat.
21. Yuletide Jewels 💎
Add some serious bling to your revel retro mani with an assortment of colorful rhinestones. Create festive shapes like stars, holly, or ornaments.
How to Achieve the Look:
- Apply a base coat in your chosen festive color.
- Use tweezers to place rhinestones in your desired design.
- Secure the gems with a strong top coat or nail glue.
Key Takeaways
- Revel retro Christmas nail art is all about embracing vintage colors, bold patterns, and a touch of kitsch.
- Think outside the box with designs inspired by the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
- Don’t be afraid to mix and match different techniques and embellishments.
- Press-on nails and wraps are a great option for achieving intricate designs quickly and easily.
This Christmas, ditch the basic and embrace the bold with revel retro nail art. If you’re a seasoned nail artist or a DIY newbie, there’s a design out there for you. So grab your polishes, unleash your creativity, and get ready to nail your holiday vibe! 🎅
