A new year is approaching, and we’re using our manicures to manifest only good things in 2025. From success and money to love and good vibes, use your nails to set the tone for the year ahead. Even a simple white mani can have meaning (hello, color magic)—maybe it’s a silent ask for peace, or it could represent a blank slate going into the new year. Bold or understated, bright or neutral, you can find a way to work your 2025 goals into your nails, whatever your personal style may be.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up 19 of our favorite nail ideas to try in January that’ll start the year off right.
1.Winter milky white
Some may see a white shimmer-y manicure, but we see a manifestation for a bright new year (and a really chic set—we love a winter white).
Get the look: To recreate, try Holo Taco’s Milky White Shimmer ($14), which has a subtle fine shimmer throughout the sheer formula.
2. Velvet gold
For a prosperous 2025, try a bold gold shimmering manicure. Everything you touch will shine—literally.
Get the look: Get that same fuzzy velvet effect with a gold magnetic polish. We like ILPN’s Holographic Nail Polish in Cashmere ($13). It’s a bit more beige than the above gold, but it gives a super similar effect.
3. All smiles ahead
If “good vibes only,” were a manicure, we’re pretty sure it’d be this one. We love how fun the multi-colored faces are.
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Get the look: The Ciaté London x Smiley World Stick-On Nail Stickers ($18) offer a fool-proof way to recreate this fun mani—no polish required.
4. Good luck red
You can’t go wrong with a perfectly bold red. Plus, it’s a lucky color in Chinese culture, setting the perfect tone for the year ahead.
Get the look: Everyone should have a classic cherry red in their collection—we’re big fans of the OPI Nail Polish in Big Apple Red ($12).
5. Bejeweled
Take a page from Taylor Swift’s book and make the whole place shimmer with a perfectly bejeweled manicure. These gem stones are seriously so fun—we love the unexpected mix-and-match style.
Get the look: Start with a barely there pink like Essie’s Nail Polish in Minimalistic ($10) before creating clusters of jewels on each nail using this pack of multi-colored flatback gems from Amazon ($10). Don’t be too precious with making each nail look the same—the variation is what makes it fun.
6. Pink aura
We’re pretty sure pink aura nails manifest a whole lot of love, right? Even if not, they’re ridiculously cute.
Get the look: You’ll need two shades of pink to recreate these aura nails. Start with a baby pink—we like Essie’s Nail Polish in Pillow Talk the Talk ($10)—for the outer edges before blotting a pinky violet, like the Essie Nail Polish in Suits You Swell ($10), in the center of the nail.
7. Chrome on chrome
Go bold with not one but two chrome manicure styles—one for each hand. We’re all about abundance in the new year.
Get the look: This Beetles Chrome Nail Powder Set ($10) has both chrome shades you need for this chic mani—plus six others to play around with.
8. Icy finish
We love this magical wintertime manicure. It reminds us of a perfect snow day, when the roads are clear and everything’s covered in a delicate blanket of white.
Get the look: After applying a nude polish base, use a makeup sponge to blot on some white nail polish onto the upper third of each nail. Then, careful dot on a silver metallic glitter polish, like the Essie Metallics Nail Polish in Set in Stones ($10).
9. Clean and fresh swirls
Bring on the whimsy and fun in 2025 with an elevated swirl manicure like this one. Swap out the white for your favorite colors if you’re looking for something a bit bolder.
Get the look: To recreate these delicate swirls and curls, you’ll need a great set of nail art brushes. We suggest the Maniology Nail Tool Set ($16), which comes with eight double-sided brushes and dotters.
10. A rosy new year
Will you accept this rose? And this one? And this one? You get the idea. We love the two gilded ones on the ring finger here—there’s something about them that just makes the entire mani feel extra special.
Get the look: We’ll leave the detailed nail art to the professionals, but you can recreate that chic barely there base color with a super-sheer pastel pink like the Essie Nail Polish in Limo-Scene ($10).
11. Modern French
Refresh a classic French with a decidedly modern take on the trend. Start with bold black tips, before adding an ultra-thin sparkling silver outline below. It’s the perfect way of adding just a tiny bit of sparkle and shine to your mani.
Get the look: Create your perfect French with these French Tip Sticker Guides from Amazon ($7). That way, all your lines will be perfectly symmetrical.
12. Slate gray
Dark grays is one of our favorite winter nail colors and we love how dimensional this slate gray color is. The shifting tones add a visual interest that some darker colors can lack.
Get the look: Recreate this shifty slate gray with Chanel’s Longwear Nail Colour in 189, Phénomène ($32).
13.Sparkles on top
There’s something so dainty and chic about this manicure—especially the way those sparkles organically appear around the tips. Be sure to pair with a milky soft pink base color for that soft effect.
Get the look: Holo Taco’s Nail Topper in Everything Taco ($13) will create that perfect duo-chrome sparkle effect.
14. Starry winter nights
A barely there base perfectly complements these stars and gems—keeping them from feeling too overwhelming or out there. The result is some seriously chic nail art.
Get the look: Keep things simple with our favorite nail art hack: Some well-placed nail stickers. A set of star stickers from Amazon ($5) make recreating this mani a breeze.
15. Gilded tips
Swap out your usual white French tips with a metallic gold for the new year. It’s equal parts bold and understated, classic and cool.
Get the look: While the metallics are slightly different, the OPI xPRESS/ON Metallic Mega Mix Press On Nails in Read My Tips ($14) is an easy way to fake a French manicure without any drying time required.
16. Sparkling negative space
Negative space manicures are always a good idea. We especially love the use of the sparkly, milky white shade here instead of the traditional nude.
Get the look: OPI’s Nature Strong Nail Polish in Glowing Places ($13) is the perfect base color to recreate this mani. Then, use a classic black polish to create free-forming shapes on each nail.
17. Simple lines
Even the simplest of designs can look elevated and chic when done right. These lines prove just that—paired with a milky white base, they’re the perfect understated nail art to start the new year in style.
Get the look: We love the way these Olive and June Milky Syrup Gradient Press-Ons ($10) perfectly mimic the base of this manicure. Even the length and the shape are spot on.
18. Sparking love
If you’re looking for love in 2025, these nails should do the trick. Keep things simple with a nude base before applying your gold detailing and tiny heart gems.
Get the look: These star nail stickers from Amazon ($7) make the perfect base to add your heart gems onto.
19. Winter skies
This manicure is the chicest take on a dark winter night. We love the use of the glitter instead of clouds—it really brings that winter magic to life.
Get the look: The Olive and June Long-Lasting Polish in Midnight Disco ($9) is the perfect color for those silver splotches on each nail.
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