With spring drawing nearer but the weather still feeling firmly like winter, our beauty team's February nails are a mixed bag - but a very chic one, if we may say so ourselves...
Though the 2025 nail trends are a helpful source of inspiration, the New Year feels like it's barely begun, so it can feel a bit too soon (and a tad overwhelming) to embrace a new look straight away. Moreso with the weather still much the same as the months before - when we were all wearing rich red and burgundy nails. Thus, picking February manicures can feel like quite the conundrum. Do you go for a fresh neutral nail design, stick with your go-to short winter nails or embrace spring already with a cheery pastel?
There's much to consider, but luckily for those still grappling with the decision our beauty team have already settled on their February looks - and there's something to suit every preference and length. P.S. Don't fret, you won't find any cringy Valentine's Day nails here.
The 4 chic and versatile nail looks our team picked for February
February, like January, is a tough month for nails. Clean and short nude nails, along with creamy whites and beige nails, is a route most take, but that's not to say a more wintery hue isn't still apt. You could also rely on a timeless look, like red, to tide you over until the spring months, or just skip straight to the pastels that will soon be everywhere you look. In cases such as this, there is such a thing as too many choices.
So, it can be helpful to refer to what shades other people have picked, which is where our beauty team make their dramatic entrance...
Our February nail favourites
Before we regale you with our February nail picks, we've rounded up a few nailcare buys we've been enjoying lately - including hand creams and hydrating cuticle oil.
RRP: £27
With its blend of shea butter and nourishing oils - including coconut and castor oil - this hand cream deeply moisturises your hands, warding off dryness and imparting a gorgeous herbaceous and woody scent.
RRP: £15
With a hydrating cocktail of sweet almond, coconut and walnut seed oils, this cuticle oil nourishes your nail beds and the surrounding skin - to promote growth and improve the look and health of your nails.
RRP: £13.50
With nourishing ingredients like almond oil, pansy and chamomile flower extracts as well as carnauba wax, this hand cream hydrates your hands and protects them from dryness and irritation.
1. Aleesha's jelly-pink nails
Having sported rich shades of red and burgundy for much of the winter season, Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar decided to opt for something a tad softer (and a lot less opaque): "I'm not that adventurous when it comes to nail colours, so my winter nails weren't anything too jazzy - but after a few months of deep reds, darker shades and subtle sparkle, I wanted to go back to basics with something relatively neutral. For me, something healthy-looking that brought the season's quenched, hydrated skin focus to my nails was really at the forefront of my mind - enter, Jelly nails.
"A sheer impression, a glossy finish and a subtle, healthy-looking flush of cold-girl look pink gave me the perfect February look. It suits anything that I might want to wear for my Aquarius season birthday and will look chic but pretty on the slopes when I head out on my Austria holiday."
2. Sennen's dark mauve nails
Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett on the other hand, wasn't quite ready to ditch the wintery colour palette: "In all honesty, like many others deciding which nails to opt for this time of year, I’ve found it difficult to retire my festive hues and pick manicures that resemble the winter/new year transition. In an attempt to avoid a classic sheer pink or romantic red for February, I opted for a slightly unusual warm mauve-toned chocolate brown as it felt neutral enough for the first few months of the year, without already delving into spring colours.
"I particularly love how the hue changes depending on the lighting you’re in, sometimes it appears slightly reddish, whereas other times the purple really shines through. While I am itching to get my hands on lighter pastels for March, this mocha-esque shade is serving me well for the chillier months and is neutral enough to complement any cosy winter outfit."
3. Fiona's milky pink nails
Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim went down the fresh and neutral route and embraced a brand new treatment: "I’m trying something different here - three things, to be precise. Thing 1: I had Bio-Sculpture nails instead of plain old gels. Thing 2: I chose this pale, therefore not traditionally ‘me’ shade. Thing 3: I’m sharing this photo 10 days post-appointment instead of my usual freshly manicured, perfect as they’ll ever be nails. Why? Please refer to thing 1: I had Bio Sculpture nails for the very first time and have been so impressed by their ongoing appearance and lift-free longevity I thought, let's show that instead. I also found the appointment mesmerising to the point of being quite meditative - the precision! The tiny little brush! The chiffon-thin coats!
"I’ll concede the shade was a bit of new year new me-ing. I wondered how it would feel to be one of those women with rounded nails in a chic neutral tone, instead of my usual dark squared-off look. So I chose this milky pink (Ghost Rose by L.A - Space x Bio Sculpture) as the colour to do it with. No regrets. It’s always nice to mix things up, isn't it?"
Naomi's Lavender milk nails
While also booking in for Bio Sculpture, Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson decided to hop straight onto one of this year's trend predictions: "After learning that 'Lavender Milk' nails were set to be a big thing this year, I just couldn't get the dainty-sounding colour out of my head. So, when I arrived at my Bio Sculpture appointment I instantly gravitated towards the brand's 'Fluttering Lavender' shade, which offers the perfect sheer and muted tint to my nails. Having worn variations of dark red and burgundy for the last few months (see our beauty team's Christmas nails) I was keen to switch things up for February, especially with spring somewhere on the horizon.
"That said, with the weather still freezing and downright miserable, I couldn't bring myself to go for a bright hue or true pastel - this cool lavender, however, turned out to be the perfect in-between. It's light and fresh but subtle, especially with the short almond shape I opted for (not that I had much choice after two of my nails broke pre-appointment). I also think it goes perfectly with my new piece of bling..."
