If your wardrobe is a sea of black clothing, rejoice: The term “goth Christmas” is officially trending according to Google Trends’ December reporting, and I’m personally jumping on the bandwagon this holiday season. It may feel mandatory to thread bits of red, green, and blue into your wardrobe at this time of year, but let’s be honest—the “festive” color schemes aren’t the easiest to make chic. Most people opt to incorporate this palette into their manicures instead, asking for cherry-red nails or silver and gold nail art, but chic dressers everywhere are now implementing this aesthetic with deeper, vampier sets ahead of the holidays.
Nearly black manicures have been a staple for most fall and winter nail roundups for the past, well, how long have we been publishing these stories? However, we somehow forget that these edgy hues are options for the lighthearted celebrations that pepper December. Who has time to run to the salon to swap their holiday nails for sleek black New Year’s Eve tips, anyway?
I rounded up the save-worthiest sets to send to your manicurist ahead of the holiday rush. From blackened greens to shadowy plums (and of course, a healthy dose of black polishes), these are the coolest “goth” nail ideas to re-create this season.
6 Goth Christmas Nail Ideas
Midnight Moon
Celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec previously told Who What Wear that she's "loving moon manis" for winter 2025. The nail artist recently painted this half-moon design on actress Lucy Boynton's nails, and I'm itching to re-create this look for the holidays.
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This inky Chanel shade is easily the coolest black polish in town.
The same look, but for less (with less dry time).
Naughty Mistletoe
This is hands down my favorite festive manicure ever. The almost-black emerald hue, the barely there sparkle, the crisp glass finish. Why aren't dark green manicures as popular as red?
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The exact shade that manicurist Mateja Novakovic used above.
For a similar look, sans shimmer.
Merry Mulberry
Deep plum shades are a fall and winter staple, and they look even more elegant over the holidays. Try a few swipes of this vampy hue for endless compliments at holiday parties.
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Novakovic's exact polish shade.
Rouge Noir is arguably Chanel's most popular nail polish ever (and feels perfect for the holidays).
Velvet Firelight
Regular nail polishes are effortlessly chic, but what if we took things up a notch? This moody velvet manicure shifts between blood red and black, depending on the angle you look at it. It's finished with an ultra-glossy topcoat that makes this set look like glass—and utterly eye-catching to the "goth Christmas"–minded.
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How gorgeous are these vampy red velvet press-on nails?
I always keep a pack of these Olive and June press-ons in my collection when the holidays roll around.
Inkblot
We're far past the point of labeling black nail polish as "goth," but it would be wrong to leave this timeless shade out of the conversation. It's sleek, edgy, and straight to the point. If you're not feeling the reds, greens, blues, and sparkly stuff this year, you're not a Grinch for going all-black.
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How can I talk about black nail polish without mentioning OPI's Black Onyx?
Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear is my favorite pick for non-pricey performance.
Starry Night
What screams "goth Christmas" more than a shimmery charcoal manicure? Celebrity nail artist Iram Shelton painted this gorgeous set with Chanel's "Sequins," and I can't think of a better name for this starry shade. Be sure to seal everything in with a glossy topcoat for extra shine.
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The Chanel polish Shelton used is only available in store, but this OPI lookalike offers a similar result for a fraction of the price.
This shimmering gunmetal shade from Dazzle Dry is a fast-drying, long-wearing hue you'll want to sport all season long.
