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Winter nail colors: Discover the season's new neutrals


JANUARY 24, 2018 3:58 AM EST

There’s no better time than the present to experiment with fresh and fun nail polish colors. Manicure trends for winter move away from go-to nudes and pale pinks and instead, nature-inspired hues emerge, with cool pastels and earth tones among the best nail looks. Take a look at the new neutrals – white, yellow and sand – as worn by Hailee Steinfeld, Gina Rodriguez and Cara Santana, and check out our brand and color suggestions if you want to get the look for yourself.

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SNOW WHITES. Although pure white nail polish can look a little stark, off-white shades are proving popular in the nail care world. Olivia Culpo, Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian have all stepped out with cool snowy manicures of late. Check out Essie Nail Polish in Blanc, a bright white with a tiny touch of grey that suits most skin tones and looks especially chic on short, round nails. Or head to your nearest cosmetics counter for Zoya’s Snow White, perhaps best described as a pure white cream with an opaque finish, and China Glaze Nail Polish in White Out, a slightly off-white hue that's suitable for French tips.

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 Hailee Steinfeld rocked a cool white manicure with contrasting nail art. Similar hues can be found from China Glaze, Zoya and Essie Photos: Getty Images

LOVELY LEMONS. Citrus-inspired hues of orange and lime have ruled nail polish trends for a while now. Well, now it seems lemon yellow is about to have its moment. Working well with neutral color palettes, Max Factor Max Effect Nail Polish in 29 Mellow Yellow is a pale yellow with a high-shine finish, while OPI I Just Can't Cope-acabana is a sunny shade that will sweep you away to a tropical paradise. Featuring a buttery yellow with cream base is Butter LONDON’s Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Lemon Drop, a high-impact color with glossy effect.

MORE NAIL TRENDS: Party-ready manicures

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Cara Santana adds fun yellow nails to her look as she joins Jesse Metcalfe at Moet Hennessy John Legend's HEAVEN with the Art of Elysium party. Get the look from Butter London, OPI and Max Factor Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy

SOFT SANDS. Sitting somewhere between peach and almond, there are many sand-inspired colors just waiting to grace your digits. Tom Ford Nails Nail Polish in 02 Toasted Sugar is worth the splurge – the creamy nude with a dash of apricot screams sophistication. OPI Nail Lacquer in Samoan Sand serves as a happy medium between mocha and nude, which is ideal for the office or going out. The formula offers up an opaque finish, but use two coats for optimal color.

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Gina Rodriguez showed off a sandy-hued manicure at the ACLU annual Bill of Rights dinner in L.A. Lookalike tones can be found from OPI and Tom Ford Photo: Getty Images

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