I have to be honest: Many of the same nail colors tend to trend every fall. Associate editor Annie Blay-Tettey and I were recently lamenting (and laughing) about how “vampy” and “foliage-inspired” hues continue to dominate. But seeing the same shades come back each fall isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “They stick around because they feel natural for the time of year, like the changing leaves and shorter days,” says Mazz Hanna, a nail artist and founder of Nailing Hollywood, a boutique agency. These colors have their place, just like sipping pumpkin spice lattes, blasting Folklore through your speakers, and going apple picking.
In addition to the old reliables, though, there are some new entrants to the fall nail color scene. I spoke to multiple nail pros about the shades popping up on social media, runways, and red carpets that don’t feel like the same old, same old. Whether it’s the color itself (pink jelly isn’t just for summer) or the reason behind its resurgence (like society’s current obsession with grunge and goth trends), each of these colors.
Sheer blush
Courtesy of @jinsoon
Courtesy of @matejanova
Courtesy of @chuenails
Summer was the season of scaled-back manicures, with jelly finishes (translucent formulas) reigning supreme. But one shade of the airy look has made it to the fall: sheer blush. “[This color] enhances the natural nail rather than covering it,” says nail artist and brand founder Jin Soon Choi, “offering a sophisticated take on the barely-there aesthetic.”
She recommends Jin Soon’s nail polish in Pixie, a semi-transparent petal pink that she painted on Anne Hathaway. Cirque Colors Nail Polish in Rose Jelly is just as sheer, but ever-so-slightly rosier. Manucurist Active Plump adds an extra shine to your nails with finely-milled flecks of pink glitter.
Deep Navy
Courtesy of @melanated.mani
Getty Images
Black cherry is the trend that won’t quit, and you’ll likely see the shade continue its reign this fall. (Choi even says so.) But if you’re looking for an unexpected hue that’s just as smoky, try a dark navy, which Hanna describes as “bold and crisp without the starkness of black.”