Gold is synonymous with luxury and glamour, making it perfect for the upcoming festive season. Scroll through these 20 stunning gold nail looks that we think you’ll absolutely love.

Some people hate going to the nail salon for one main reason—decision paralysis when choosing a polish. If that sounds anything like you, fret not—we’re here to help make your decision easy. Gold nails are not only having a moment but are forever synonymous with luxury and glamour, making them perfect for the festive season ahead.

Meet the expert

• Priscilla Nguyen is a manicurist and Aprés Nail educator.
• Thea Green is the founder and chief executive officer of Nails.INC.

Keep scrolling to see 20 gorgeous gold nail ideas that are sure to elevate your manicure.

Gold Trophy

If you want to go for the gold and have your digits look like a literal trophy, take note from this darling mani, which, surprisingly, isn’t chrome! All you need to do is swipe on a few coats of Fool’s Gold from Death Valley Nails and finish it off with a shiny topper.

Gold Frenchy

Neutral hues will always be in style, and this ombré French look incorporates a hint of gold, leaving us in pure awe. After picking out five of your fave neutral shades (we suggest looking at the Nails.INC Caught In The Nude collection) and painting them on your nails, it’s onto the fun part! “Go in with the Nails.INC Gold Mani Marker,” says Thea Green, Nails.INC founder. “The fine-tipped nail art pen allows easy application of line detailing on the nail.”

Gold Chrome Tips

Love minimalism but want to incorporate a fun punch of gold into your next mani? Then you need to get gold chrome tips. Pop on a base coat of any color, from nude to milky white or pink, and draw on a French tip for an amazing look you won’t be able to look away from. Priscilla Nguyen, manicurist, and Aprés Nail Educator goes into further detail, sharing, “Use a matte topcoat, cure, then outline the French lines with a black polish using an angled brush or a liner brush. Cure the black French lines and then rub on a mirror gold chrome powder to execute the gold French look.”

Glitter Tips

Love gold but want it to be understated? Take note of this glitter tip look, which features a beautiful blend of pale pink to sparkly tips. To get the exact look, paint on a few coats of CND’s Silk Slip Dress, then buff on CND’s Glitter Sneakers on the upper portion of the nail using a sponge for a gradient effect.

Pearlescent Gold

For more of a pearly gold, you can’t go wrong with this understated look. “To achieve this look, a milky white and iridescent gold will be the perfect combo,” shares Nguyen. “Add little gold sparkles for extra details and pop!”

Chocolate Golden Chrome

If you're in the mood for a bronzey nail set, we think this chocolate golden chrome vibe is perfect for you. After painting on two coats of black nail polish, swipe on a gold or bronze-hued chrome powder, finishing it off with a glossy top coat.

Gold Florals

This floral mani is unreal. If you’re inspired, we suggest keeping things easy and getting some stickers and gold decals to bring the look together. For the base color, Nguyen tells us to use Aprés Nail’s Fairy Wings, sticking to two or three coats.

You're a Star

Star manis are always a yes in our book, and if you want to get a look similar to this, it’s a pretty fun process! First, apply your favorite polish to your nails—we love anything nude or pink. “To create the star nail art, use the Nails.INC Gold Mani Marker,” says Green.

Minimalist Gold Details

If we had this manicure on our hands right now, we're pretty sure we could rule the world. You'll want to choose a dusty pink for your base coat, which will make the gold swirls pop.

Golden Shimmer

This champagne-hued mani is picture perfect, and if you want to replicate the look, New Year’s Toast from Color Dept. is the exact shade used. For another polish option, Nguyen says, “Aprés Nail has a beautiful color called Champagne Dreams.”

Gold Velvet

We are beyond obsessed with jelly nails, and if this gold velvet set is pulling at your heartstrings, take this as your sign to get them! “Add a layer of the Aprés Nail Glitter Bomb and using a magnet, move the glitter around by waving on each side of the nail to create that velvet look,” Nguyen shares. “After curing the Glitter Bomb, add a layer of Caramel Or Caramel to achieve the jelly brown shade.”

Shine Bright

We’re fans of anything sparkly and gold, and this bright and shiny mani is giving us all the feels! “I recommend Nails.INC 45 Seconds Speedy in the shade GiGi, which is a gorgeous gold color and dries in 45 seconds,” Green tells us.

Swirly Pop

We immediately added this swirly gold mani to our saved folder when we first saw it. “To achieve this look, I would use How You Dune? from Aprés Nail for the base color and the Long Liner Brush to create the sparkly swirls with Golden Anniversary,” says Nguyen.

Goldie Aura

Aura nails are beautiful enough on their own, but with the addition of gold details, as seen here, they’re taken to the next level. “To create Aura nails, start with a sheer pink base such as the Nails.INC Glowing My Way,” says Green. “For the gold fine line detailing, use the Nails.INC Gold Mani Marker.”

Orangey-Gold

Would you believe us if we told you this is pure nail polish and not cat eye? After you’ve picked your jaw off the floor, we’re here to tell you the shade used is Holo Taco’s Bottle Service, an orangey-gold shimmer-metallic hue that you’ll fall in love with.

Milk Chocolate Chrome

Brown and gold go hand in hand, and if you want to incorporate the two into your wardrobe and nails, this milk chocolate chrome mani is the vibe you’ve been searching for. “Polish a layer of black gel polish and cure,” says Nguyen. Apply and rub on a gold chrome powder over the entire nail, then topcoat.”

Celestial Accents

For a celestial mani as beautiful as this, look no further than the brand Cirque Colors, which has all the essentials you’re going to need to nail this look. After applying two coats of Georgette and another coat or two of Nectar, place and mix and match some Celestial Charms on each and every nail.

Dreamscape

This dreamscape set will leave you feeling mesmerized. If you want a similar look, stock up on nail jewels and gold rhinestones. You'll also want to draw on a gold French tip—it looks intimidating but we promise this mani is totally doable!

Chrome Swirls

French nails are a classic for a reason, and if you want to switch things up, drag the sides (super thinly) down your nails, as seen here. Go in with your favorite espresso brown color for the tips and add gold chrome swirls to the rest of the nail.

Pop of Gold

Want to wow your friends with a gold mani? Trust us when we say Holo Taco’s Sunshine Crush will get the job done. Shifting from golden yellow to orange and pink depending on the light, we’re big fans of this mesmerizing hue.