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The Nail Trends and Polishes We’ll See Everywhere This Fall

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The Nail Trends and Polishes We’ll See Everywhere This Fall featured image
Photo Credits: Matteo Valle / Contributor/ Getty Images | Image Used for Illustrative Purposes Only

As summer draws to an end and the neon polish slowly starts to fade, we’ll be switching out the light-bright bottles for more fall-inspired hues. But which color stories can we expect to see trending once temperatures begin to dip?

Michelle Saunders, essie celebrity manicurist, lends an expert hand: “This year I’m expecting the nail trend to reflect the colors of the season: rusts and paprikas, suede greys and hints of metallics.” Love a chic nail art moment? Don’t despair—that’s not going anywhere either. Below, a breakdown of each trend, along with our go-to polishes.

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Timeless Terracotta
Celebrity manicurist Mazz Hanna’s fall hue of choice: burnt orange. “It’s the perfect transitional shade because it can play in both the summer and fall seasons.” To try the trend out for yourself, look to OPI’s Suze Needs a Loch-smith ($10.50), a shade Sigourney Nuñez, OPI North America education manager, describes as “a copper-kissed orange ala Pumpkin Spice Latte,” CND Creative Play polish in Nuttin’ to Wear ($6.50) (top) or essie’s Rocky Rose ($9), a blend between classic terracotta and a burnt rose (bottom). 

Creamy Purple
Nuñez says another color we’ll be seeing a lot of come fall is luxurious purple in dark to light tones. “Rich purple shades inspired by amethyst geodes from Uruguay are another hot color for fall,” adds Hanna. “Think of a slightly lighter shade of the cult favorite Lincoln Park After Dark—but instead of appearing almost black when applied, look for something with a slightly softer purple hue,” she explains. A pick that fits the bill: OPI Good Girls Gone Plaid ($10.50), shown below.

Ethereal Emerald
Metallic emerald is another color we can expect to see everywhere. “It’s an excellent color to complement the black, lacey ‘romantic grunge’ and leopard looks seen on the fall 2019 runways of Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen,” says Hanna. Her favorite? Orly Air of Mystique ($9.50). For a longer-lasting shine, opt for CND’s Shellac Gel Polish in Aura (top); or for a glitter-forward mani that’s chic, not cheesy, look no further than LeChat’s Metallux Collection (bottom).


The Neutral Classics

Then there are the classic fall staples: grey, navy blue and eggplant. “These colors are timeless, go with just about everything, and are the LBD of the nail world,” says Hanna. LeChat Educator Anastasia Totty agrees, saying the bright neon colors of summer will be replaced by “coffee-colored neutrals like mauve and light brown.” Londontown nails the neutral-lineup game every time (top), Zoya’s Kateri (middle) is the perfect cocoa hue, and ORLY’s Cashmere Crisis ($9.50) is the perfect summer-meets-fall grey (bottom).

Sweater Weather
According to Saunders, fall nail art will mimic the textiles we see in fashion. “Chunky sweaters, metallic brocades and sleek trousers give way to nail art that’s bold and graphic,” she says.

“If you’re feeling adventurous, try asking your nail pro for a nail art using the ‘sugaring technique’ or ‘sweater nails,’” says Nuñez. “The sugaring technique pairs gel polish with acrylic powder and the final result is embossed, matte and playful.”

Negative Space
Totty says negative-space designs will play a major roll come Fall. “You can amp it up by adding one coat of a cool pink for a glossy peek at the natural nail topped with minimal line work,” adds Nuñez says. Her “top coat” hue of choice for this: essie’s Bubble Bath.

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