Fall Nails 🍂 Top Trends + How to Get the Look!

all is finally here!!! And with the summer heat fading away, it’s the perfect time to try out the latest fall trends – including this season’s hottest nail looks 💅

Whether your autumn plans are low key or require full glam, we’ve gathered the manis that will look great wrapped around your favorite mug of tea or fall read, put the finishing “polish” on your PSL post, and give understated elegance as a guest in a fall wedding. So whether your fall vibe is bridesmaid or a bookworm, keep reading for:

• This year’s hottest fall nail trends
• Trending nail colors for fall
• How to get the ultimate fall mani

And more… so let’s dive in!

🍁 What is the hottest nail trend right now?

Right now, the fall nail trends we’re seeing are crisp and polished! Last year’s matte looks have gotten turned on their head with lots of trends incorporating chrome polish and dripping in gold and other metallic shades.

The top trends we’re watching are:

• ☕ Coffee chrome: Shiny metallic dust over warm espresso shades + vampy reds, browns, and plums
• 🐢 Tortoise shell: Matches everything… fall brown in a pattern that screams old money and academia
• 🍃 Leaves + nature: Taking inspiration from all the beauty right outside your window this time of year!

🍂 Coffee Chrome

Browns are always the vibe for fall, but this year they’re getting a shiny twist. You can DIY a chrome mani by working chrome nail powder onto the surface of your nails after the polish dries. But if you don’t have time to mess with multiple coats yourself, chrome press ons are everywhere right now.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Brown Chrome Y2K Fall Nails by NailShopSugarCoated on Etsy
• Iced Coffee Chrome Luxury Nails by PressedParadiseCo on Etsy
• Glazed Donut Haley Bieber Wedding Nails by FrstclassBeauty on Etsy

🍂 Tortie Time!

Forget slow and steady – you’ll want to hop on the tortoise shell bandwagon fast! It’s a classic look, but she’s back in a big way this autumn. It’s easy to see why – the print is stylish and classy, and since it incorporates both black and brown, it pretty  much matches everything!

Here are a few of our favorites:

• SLEPT ON Medium Square Tortoise Shell Nails by pressedglamnails on Etsy
• Tortoise Shell Marble Leopard Print Nails by AmmoOnline on Etsy
• Tortoise Shell Nails with Gold Flake by Tranquilite London on Etsy

🍂 Fall Frenchies

The classic french manicure never really goes out of style, but you don’t have to get the same white tips every time! This season we’re seeing ombre french manis, tips that look like ghosts or candy corn, and even dual tone tips for fall.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Fashion Ombre Brown French Tips by SaltSodaStudio on Etsy
• Chocolate Tones Fall Colors French Nails by ArtisanNailsbyJulia on Etsy
• Almond Brown French Tip Nails by NailShopSugarcoated on Etsy

🍂 Falling for Leaves

Fall is such a beautiful time of year – the weather is comfortable, the leaves are changing colors, and sometimes you even catch them drifting down in the breeze. The red, oranges, yellows, and golds of the season are always a popular choice for autumn fashion trends, but this year’s leaf-inspired nails really step it up! Look for trends like leaf nail stickers, leaf-shaped nail glitter, and even leafy textures sculpted out of acrylic.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Autumn Nails by NailKis on Etsy
• Maple Leaf Press on Nails by GlitterNailGoods on Etsy
• Autumn Glow Press on Nails by SevenNailArt on Etsy

🍂 Butterfly Wings

There are a lot of reasons to be thinking of butterflies this time of year… their transformation is symbolic of the seasons changing outside. This is the time of year when butterflies are migrating to where they’ll spend the winter. Plus, monarch wings are the same bright orange as autumn leaves. So don’t be surprised if you see these cute nail designs flutter by!

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Hand Painted Acrylic Butterfly Nails by AnnalouNailsArt on Etsy
• Chrome Butterfly Press on Nails by BeautyByRundles on Etsy
• Monarch Butterfly Press on Nails by NailsbyChewy on Etsy

🍂 Go for Baroque

Baroque art and architecture harkens back to 17th century Europe. It featured lots of dramatic curving lines, gold, and gilded accents. So with metallic shades trending, it’s no surprise that Baroque-inspired nail designs are trending too. Look for anything that oozes elegance, preferably with shiny gold details!

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Golden Rose Hand Painted Faux Acrylics by MythicalNailArt on Etsy
• Stained Glass Window False Nails by yourperfectnailss on Etsy
• I, am an Autumn Nails by MariahsNails on Etsy

🍂 Cat Eyes

Cat eye nails are nothing short of mesmerizing – and there are so many fun color combinations for fall! Cat eyes are named for the reflective, dimensional shimmer that looks like the glint in a cat eye. Usually the look is achieved with a polish that contains fine metal fragments and using a magnet to shift them into a line before the polish dries. It can be a little tricky to do at home, but there are lots of reusable press-ons that take advantage of the cat eye trend, too.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Handmade Amber Magnetic Cat Eye Nails by luxxynails on Etsy
• HARVEST Deep Bronze Velvet Witchy Nails by MagpieNails
• Crimson Moody Red Jelly Smooth Cat Eye Nails by MsVeeBeeShop

BONUS 🍂 Spooky Halloween Nails!!

Spooky season is upon us! Halloween is the first holiday of the -ber months, so if you’re looking for some festive nails to celebrate, you’re definitely not alone!

These nails are ghoulishly good and scary cute – they make a great option for a pre-Halloween mani, but really, is there ever a bad time for a spooky set?

PS - Check out this Halloween ideas guide on Etsy :)

You could go with perfect pumpkin nails that work for Halloween and Thanksgiving alike.

Or these sweet soft goth ghost nails. The only scary thing about them is how cute they are!

Or go the minimalist route with ghostly french tips. These ones are so simple, but super effective!

Calling all cat owners! This set is so cute you might just want to wear it all year long. Good thing these high quality press ons are reusable.

Vans have been throwing it back with retro-inspired color palettes lately… and these nails are giving the same vibe. It’s like if your favorite Old Skools and tarot cards were mixed together to create the perfect mani.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice…!! The collab that the sequel movie did with Glamnetic may have sold out way before opening day, but you can find lots of hand painted nails that have the same spooky stripey aesthetic.

Nothing says autumn like plaid! This sweet little fox will make you smile every time you catch a glimpse of your nails. Plus, they’re perfect for all autumn long… with the cool blue and cozy vibe, they’ll even work into winter.

🍁 What nail colors are in for fall?

If elaborate nail designs aren’t your vibe, you can also pick up a new nail polish for just a few dollars at the drugstore and keep your nails looking stylish all autumn long.

So what shades should you shoot for?

• Warm, coffee browns
• Bright fall leaf hues
• Muted academic colors
• Bright accents

🍂 Coffee Colors

Whether you like your coffee black or with a heavy dose of cream of sugar, consider using the shade for your next manicure! Whether you top it with chrome or just let the rich warm brown shine, coffee brown is trending this season.

🍂 Classic Leaf Shades

This one’s a little bit of a no brainer because it’s the same every year – but any color the leaves turn this season makes a great manicure option too!

🍂 Dark Academia

Dark academia fashion is all about the colors, textures, and aesthetic of old-world academic institutions like Yale and Oxford… and as the academic year hits full swing, you’ll see those colors pull through into nail trends, too.

Think neutral academic colors like beige, ivory, tan, black, and white.

But also wintery jewel tones – emerald, sapphire, eggplant… anything that looks like it could be the color of a sweater keeping you warm during a long night at the ancient campus library.

🍂 Pop of Color

It might be getting dark earlier, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be dark tones. Brighten up a dark outfit with a manicure that’s a fresh, warm pink or lilac color, or even just add an accent nail or two in a shimmery blue or black. Colors like these will keep it fun throughout the fall.

🍁 What is the trendiest nail shape?

Trending nail shapes come and go. Some are even downright controversial (hi, duck nails).

But this fall, we’re seeing a return to two of the most classic nail shapes out there: almond, and square tips. Both of them are classic, timeless shapes that pair well with every other fall nail trend, from tortie prints to gold accents.

🍂 Almond

Almond nails are rounded and slightly elongated. They make your fingers look long and elegant whether you get them XS, XL, or anywhere in between.

🍂 Square

Square nails look pretty and polished, but on natural nails, they’re super prone to breakage caused by snagging the edges. Luckily, square press ons eliminate that problem!

That’s it for our guide to this season’s fall nails! 🍁

Tis the season for cute fall nails 😊 We hope you found lots of inspo on this list for your next manicure, whether you DIY it at home, order some cute press ons from a small business on Etsy, or head to your local salon.

We’d love to hear what you think of this season’s trends! Drop us a line and let us know.

Until then, happy fall y’all!