Frequently asked questions
Which lines are in the winter gel collection?
Seven. V Beauty Pure brings 102 shades from its winter and holiday range, Apres 96 muted editorial tones, LDS 73 from the value chart with names such as Vivid Jade, Eggplant, and Grape Juice, LAVIS 61 solid colours plus its winter and holiday grouping, Chaun Legend 30 including the holiday collection, OPI 15 named shades such as Black Onyx, and DND Diva one. It is the largest seasonal gel page at ND, and 131 of the 378 are out of stock at the time of writing.
What should a winter wall carry?
Classics first: a true red, a deep red, a black or charcoal, and a milky nude carry the whole season. Then the party shades bought shallow in October, gold, champagne, and one silver, because that window is about six weeks. Then the January shades bought at working depth in November, espresso, plum, and a soft grey, which are what clients book once the decorations come down and the two quietest months of the year begin.
Why do dark winter shades peel?
Because they were laid too thick. Saturated pigment blocks light, so a heavy coat of a black, a navy, or a plum does not cure through and stays soft under the top coat, which shows as denting or peeling within days. Two thin coats fully cured is the rule. Dark colours also stain the plate, so the base coat is not the step to skip in a busy December, and a dark shade flooding the cuticle line is visible from across the room.
Why do clients complain about lifting in January?
Because winter dries out the nail and the skin around it: central heating, hot water, and gloves make the cuticle area brittle, and that is where lifting starts. In the salon the answer is prep to the sidewalls, product off the skin, and a clean seal at the cuticle. At home it is cuticle oil daily and gloves for washing up. A rubber base or a cover gel also helps clients whose nails are peeling after a season of parties.
What is in the winter gel collection
378 gel polish shades at wholesale, tagged for winter and drawn from seven lines: V Beauty Pure with 102 listings, Apres with 96, LDS with 73, LAVIS with 61, Chaun Legend with 30, OPI with 15, and one from DND Diva. It is the largest seasonal gel page at ND and also the one with the most gaps: 131 of the 378 are out of stock as this page was written, which is what a winter chart looks like at the end of a season.
The lines and what each brings
| Line | Shades | Character |
|---|---|---|
| V Beauty Pure | 102 | The winter and holiday colour range, the largest single group on the page |
| Apres | 96 | Muted, editorial tones for clients who want winter without sparkle |
| LDS | 73 | The value chart, with named numbers such as Vivid Jade, Eggplant, and Grape Juice |
| LAVIS | 61 | The solid colour chart and the winter and holiday grouping |
| Chaun Legend | 30 | Saturated colours including the holiday collection |
| OPI | 15 | Named shades such as Black Onyx that clients ask for |
A hundred and six of these listings carry the winter and holiday grouping, which is the part of the page to display as a set rather than filing into the wall by number.
Two months, two different walls
December wants red, gold, champagne, silver, and glitter. January and February want the opposite: espresso, charcoal, navy, plum, deep green, and the milky nudes that clients book when they want their hands to look tidy rather than festive. Both halves are on this page, and a salon that buys only the party shades in October finds itself with nothing new to sell in the two quietest months of the year, which is exactly when a fresh display brings people in.
Dark shades need thin coats
- Saturated pigment blocks light. A heavy coat of a black, a navy, or a plum does not cure through and stays soft under the top.
- Two thin coats beat one generous one, every time, with a third only where the shade needs it.
- Base coat is not optional. Deep colours stain the plate, and January is when clients notice.
- Keep the cuticle line clean. A dark shade on skin is visible from across the room.
- Cap the free edge. Winter wear starts at the edge, against gloves and coat sleeves.
Building a winter gel wall
- Start with the classics. A true red, a deep red, a black or charcoal, and a milky nude carry the whole season.
- Add the party shades in October. Gold, champagne, and one silver, bought shallow because the window is about six weeks.
- Add the January shades in November. Espresso, plum, and a soft grey, bought at working depth.
- Use the crossovers as the backbone. On this page 78 listings are also tagged for fall, 50 for summer, and 47 for spring.
- Check availability before promoting. A third of this page is out of stock at any point late in the season.
- Write the number on the client card. Deep shades are almost impossible to identify from a party photograph.
Winter is hard on the natural nail
Central heating, hot water, and gloves dry the plate and the skin around it, which is why lifting complaints cluster in January. The fixes sit either side of the appointment. In the salon: prep to the sidewalls, keep product off the skin, and seal the cuticle line properly. At home: cuticle oil daily and gloves for washing up. A rubber base or a cover gel also helps clients whose nails are peeling after a season of parties, which is where the LDS and LAVIS cover shades on this page earn their place.
Clearance inside this collection
Fifty-five of these listings carry the clearance tag, which at ND means the shade sells at its regular wholesale price until the stock is gone and is not reordered. There is no markdown attached to the tag. Combined with the number already out of stock, that makes this a page to buy from early rather than late: a shade a client rebooks every winter should be bought in pairs, or matched to a restocked neighbour before it disappears.
Glitter, chrome, and the December accent
The accent nail is most of the upsell in the party weeks, and effect finishes need a little more care. A glitter gel sits better over a solid base of a similar tone than straight on the nail, and the top coat is floated rather than pressed so the flake is not dragged out of place. Chrome and shimmer powders need a fully cured, non-wipe surface underneath, so the layer beneath matters more than the powder itself. One gold glitter, one silver, and one chrome beside the winter wall covers almost every December request.
Storage next to a radiator
Heat ages gel faster than daylight, and winter puts radiators behind display shelves. Keep the bottles away from heat sources and out of direct light, roll rather than shake before use so no bubbles land in the first coat, and wipe the neck before capping so the bottle does not skin. A thickened deep shade lays a heavier coat than the swatch it was sold from, which turns a well-cured colour into a peeling one without anyone changing technique.
Selling colour in the gift season
From late November a salon sells two things at once: the service and the shade. Clients who never think about a bottle will buy one as a gift, or to keep their own manicure touched up over a holiday, which is why the shades on the display should be the ones a client can actually take home rather than professional-only products she cannot. The habit that makes this work is simply naming the shade when the client sits down and writing it on the receipt when she pays.
The other December sale is the booking itself. A client who comes in for a party set in the second week of the month is the easiest rebooking of the year, because she will want the colour off and something quieter on before she goes back to work. Offering that appointment while she is in the chair fills the first week of January, which is otherwise the emptiest week in the diary.
What to keep on the wall all winter
A handful of shades earn their place from November through February and should never be allowed to run out: one true red, one deep berry or plum, one espresso or charcoal, one milky nude, and one white. Between them they cover the party bookings, the January tidy-up, the French requests, and the accent work, and they are the shades most likely to be asked for by name rather than chosen from the display. Everything else on the wall can rotate around those five without anyone noticing a gap.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every gel colour on this page ships at wholesale pricing for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. Free shipping on orders $75+, and in-stock bottles ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.