These 7 Nail Polish Shades Will Dominate Winter 2021

'Tis the season for an overhaul of your nail polish selection, and while the next few months are traditionally reserved for all colors that are merry and bright, the experts had a few surprise predictions. Holiday celebrations might look a little different this year, but thanks to social media and video calls, your nails can remain as relevant and colorful as ever. If you're ready to welcome this season of chill with a new coat of color, take notes on these seven trending nail colors for winter 2020.

Glitter and green are sticking around, but Shelagh Wong, General Manager of Smith & Cult, told NYLON that this winter will come with celebratory colors, too. "After a year of being cautious with regards to parties and big events, we believe that there is a lot of pent-up celebratory energy ready to be unleashed," Wong said. "The market is ready to make its statement to the world and we’re seeing that bold eye looks and statement nails are all the rage."

Colors breaking from the usual winter nail norms was also noted by Samantha Birkett-Leigh, CND Education Ambassador. She noted that holiday polish doesn't have to be a dark shade, and there's been a continued interest in nature-inspired colorings, particularly stone and marble. "I very rarely get asked for your typical winter designs. I have seen a shift across social media during these last few years. Nail professionals and clients alike are much more up for something original, and seem to follow on trend fashion designers they are seeing during fashion week and in glossy magazines," she said.

As for what's trending this winter, scroll through the seven nail polish colors that will soon take over your Instagram Explore page.

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Winter 2020 Nail Color Trend: Gray Blue

Expect to see an increase in shades inspired by a winter color palette, Darlene Sritapan, OPI North America Education & Capability Manager said. "Winter weather cools down and so does nail lacquer shades," she said. She pointed to gray blue as a perfect seasonal shade, noting that you can always have some fun with the color and add sparkles.

Winter 2020 Nail Color Trend: Sparkles

Speaking of sparkles, glitter isn't going anywhere during winter 2020. "Glitter has become a fan favorite to layer on top of bold colors for a fool-proof way to create a design at home," Wong said. Depending on the polish, you can easily go with only glitter, or apply the polish as a top coat to a secondary color.

Winter 2020 Nail Color Trend: Deep Tan

Winter signals a shift away from the fall season, but some colors, particularly shades of tan, are expected to stick around. "Deep, warm tan is exactly what you need to complement the earth tones that are so popular," KJ Miller, Mented Cosmetics Co-Founder and CEO said.

Winter 2020 Nail Color Trend: Stone

Create a marble effect with stone-inspired shades, Birkett-Leigh suggested. White and gray remain popular polish options, and for those that don't feel quite up to the DIY nail art task, you can always use the colors as a standalone coat.

Winter 2020 Nail Color Trend: Metallic

Like the use of glitter polish, metallic is expected to be a festive polish option for winter, Wong told NYLON. "We have seen a huge demand for our bold fall colors and we think that this will definitely carry over to the holidays, when our consumers usually rely on a bold lip, they will now use a bold nail color."

Winter 2020 Nail Color Trend: Red

No nail polish selection is truly complete without a statement-making shade of red, Sritapan noted. "Everyone needs a reliable red during the holidays. Red nails always make me feel ready to conquer my day," she said.

Winter 2020 Nail Colors: Green

A popular color during fall, green is expected to remain relevant throughout the winter. The shade has been spotted in multiple winter polish collections, and celebs continue to sport the color. There are also multiple variations of the color, including peppermint-inspired shading, evergreen, and emerald.