26 New Year's Eve Nail Designs to Copy in 2020 and Beyond

written by

Maya Allen & Rebecca Norris

updated Dec 31, 2020

New Year's equals every single excuse to go all out. Extreme amounts of sparkle need to be the mood for your outfit, hair, and especially your nails. Nail art is like the icing on the cake. It ties your look together and creates cohesiveness for the ultimate party mood. If you're all about a good theme, go with glitter, shimmer, holographic, and sparkly vibes. When it comes to color, don't shy away from a little brighter or bolder than normal. Festive nails are fun, and the holiday season means you should indulge in treating yourself for all your hard work this year.

This is how we see it: Anyone with a good manicure can do anything. Start off the year strong with a stylish manicure that warrants a night full of compliments. Ahead are the 26 New Year's designs we're saving to bring to the salon. Let your mani serve as a sign that this will be your best year yet.

01 of 26

Silver and Pink Glitter Tips

Ring in the New Year with negative-space nails accentuated with glitter for a dash of shimmer. Try a gold champagne shade like this for extra elegance.

02 of 26

Hot Pink Statement

You have to have a good night with bright-pink glitter nails, which scream party time.

03 of 26

Multi-Colored With Dots

Colorful, dotted nails feel so, so appropriate. Simply dot up your nails in whichever design you want to recreate this straightforward look.

04 of 26

Pale Pink Shimmer

This is what you call grown-up glitter. Jazz up a nude color with sparkles galore to make your nails pop.

05 of 26

Metallic Blue

Rock out this year with intergalactic, blue chrome nails. Light-reflecting and eye-catching are always a good New Year's vibe.

06 of 26

Colorful Confetti

You're looking at a party in a bottle. This beautiful mess reminds us of those nights that turn into early mornings.

07 of 26

Glitter + Gray

Sparkle into the new year with glittery, firework nails for the win. Instead of wearing glitter nails all over, freehand a design like this to add some pizzazz.

08 of 26

Pearl Accents

Silver and white sparks of pearl nail adhesive look edgy and effortless. To re-create this look, think more, not less, adhering as many of the pearl pieces as you can.

09 of 26

Gatsby Colorblock

Black and gold is such an elevated color combo. It's our favorite for special occasions. Experiment with lines to create geometric harmony with a touch of shimmer.

10 of 26

Gold Tips

If you're really trying to deck out your nails, go with a glitter ombré design. This holiday nail art just feels like new and exciting beginnings.

11 of 26

Multi-Tone Tips

Fun is definitely on the horizon with these nails, which showcase tips in varying shades of colors and patterns.

12 of 26

Glitter Swap

Enhance a vibrant color, like cobalt blue, with alternating half-glitter designs. Add corresponding gold jewelry to really turn up the volume since it's New Year's and all.

13 of 26

Art Deco Tips

These turquoise-and-gold tips bring images of the 1920s to mind thanks to their Art Deco inspo.

14 of 26

Gold Swoop

Gold glitter, cream, and negative space make for the perfect NYE combo—though, you can wear the look all year long, too.

15 of 26

Holographic Split

Prefer to keep your nails as minimalist as possible? Here, we're schooled on just how well a holographic stripe split down the middle of each nail can look for NYE and beyond.

16 of 26

Sticker Fun

Another minimalist way to approach New Year's is with no color and just a hint of silver adhesives. It's abstract but undoubtedly stunning.

17 of 26

Holo Halves

Sometimes scoring a New Year's Eve-ready manicure is as simple as sectioning each nail horizontally in half with a holographic foil tip. We're going to call it futurisitc-chic.

18 of 26

Gleamy Copper

If you can't imagine parting ways with your go-to nude polish, consider jazzing it up with a rich copper hue. Simple and stunning.

19 of 26

Silver and Gold

If you're a glitter fanatic but don't want to cover your whole nail, consider this double-arced look that features a French tip and half-moon cuticle accent on each nail.

20 of 26

Glitter Edges

Another option is to keep the center of each nail free of color while focusing eye-catching glitter accents around each edge. To DIY, simply dip a striping brush in the glitter polish of your choice and carefully trace around each edge.

21 of 26

Pretty in Pink

These half-and-half pink nails immediately caught our attention. The silver glitter squares really make the design pop.

22 of 26

Low-Key Luxe

These are quite possibly the easiest nails to recreate on this list. All you'll need is a handful of gems in varying sizes and your favorite top or base coat. After filing your nails and caring for your cuticles, apply a coat of clear polish and press one gem onto each nail.

23 of 26

'90s Nostalgia

Remember when you were a little kid and sticker earrings were all the rage? Well, now you can use those same stickers to create a New Year's-ready mani. It's equal parts pretty and playful, making it a must for anyone who craves a pop of color.

24 of 26