Every holiday season, we scour Pinterest, our Instagram saved folder, and the coolest celebrity beauty moments to pick out the best inspo for our party looks. It’s a lot of work, but we have to make sure our hair is on trend, our outfit is festive, and our nails are just the right shade. Luckily, we found the perfect manicure to at least get the last part sorted.
Inspired in part by the classic holiday candy and the iconic Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, this season, prepare to see sugar plum manicures taking over everyone’s fingertips. Ahead, everything you need to know about the trending nail look.
The Trend
In 2023, if there is a trend, you can bet that Hailey Bieber plays some part in it. In late November, the Rhode founder posted a makeup tutorial for “Sugar Plum Fairy” makeup, which instantly went viral. Shortly after, we were all taking inspiration from the pinkish-purple glow on Bieber’s skin—painting our eyelids a sugary, sparkly pink and coating our lips in a matching gloss.
J. Brandon Correa, National Makeup Artist for YSL Beauté, previously told us that the look is so appealing since “It captures the essence of winter magic and adds a touch of whimsy to your look,” and is “all about embracing the enchanting allure of plum-inspired shades with frosted shine finishes.”
Now, the trend is coming for our nails. Though there is nothing new about pink-lavender nails with lots of sparkles, it is a new approach to holiday nails, and will stand out in a sea of red and green. Plus, once Bieber debuted her pink shimmery makeup look, we started to see it move to manicures, like Zooey Deschanel’s pink chrome version.
@themaniclub/instagram
Think of the trend as more of an overall vibe than one specific look or technique. However, there are two major qualifiers, the first being color. Some takes on this manicure lean more pink and others lean more purple, but all of them have a sheerness regardless of the shade. It’s almost like a glazed donut manicure with a lavender glaze rather than vanilla—something you can undoubtedly find at the most Gen Z coffee shop near you.
Then, there’s the sparkle, which acts as the “sugar” part of sugar plums. Now, we’re not talking an intense chrome sparkle or a 3D rhinestone sparkle; rather a dreamy glitter or shimmer to give the look that magical balletcore feel.
How to Get the Look
The beauty of this trend is how simple it is to recreate. There’s no need to buy a million new products or head to the nail salon since you probably have everything you need to achieve the look at home.
First, remove any lingering polish already on your nails with a nail polish remover. Then, cut and file your nails to the desired length before applying oil to your cuticles to soften and push them back. Then, wipe your nails clean and buff the surface for an even canvas before going in with your favorite base coat.
@lolo.nailedit/instagram
After that, there are a few different ways you can achieve the sugary goodness. The easiest way is to simply grab a glittery nail polish in a plum-like color. If this is your method of choice, Londontown’s Sugarplum ($16) and BRILL-ant ($16) that will surely do the trick, or OPI’s Addio Bad Nails, Ciao Great Nails ($12) also fits the bill.
Of course, you could also do a thin base layer of your favorite pink or lavender—we like Chanel’s Immortelle ($32) or Sorcière ($32) for this method—followed by a glittery top coat like Londontown’s Shine Top Coat ($20).
Regardless, once dry, add a dollop of nail oil for nail health, then you will have the sweetest, most on-trend nails this holiday.