24 Gorgeous Velvet Nail Ideas to Try This Holiday Season

In search of nail inspo for upcoming holiday and New Year’s parties? You can’t go wrong with a festive shimmery manicure. But instead of just adding a layer of glittery gold top coat (though that can be totally adorable as well), velvet nails are one of our favorite takes on the sparkly mani look. Keep scrolling to learn more about what the velvet nails trend entails. Plus, we’ve rounded up some dazzling Instagram inspo, from pretty pastels to chic French tips.

What Are Velvet Nails?

You know the way crushed velvet has that soft sheen that sparkles in the light and shines in different colors, almost giving it a duochrome effect? Well, your nails can look the same. Velvet nails, sometimes called cat’s eye nails, are made by simply waving a tiny magnet over magnetic gel polish, which is what creates those mesmerizing shimmers and swirls. Think of it like kinetic sand for your nails. 

How Long Do Velvet Nails Last?

Since velvet nails are achieved with regular gel nail polish, a velvet mani should last the same amount of time as a regular gel manicure. This can be anywhere from two to four weeks depending on the type of polish you use. 

How to Remove Velvet Nails?

The removal process depends on the type of gel nail polish that you use. If you use soft gel, you can soak off your mani by soaking a cotton ball in acetone, applying it to your nails and wrapping them in foil. Hard gel, on the other hand, will need to be filed off by a professional nail tech using an e-file. 

Ready to try the trend? Below, we rounded up some of our favorite velvet nail inspo for you. 

The Best Velvet Nail Design Ideas

Silver Velvet