7 Nail Polish Colors That'll Rule Your Mood Board This Fall
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If summer is the Elle Woods of nail-polish colors — bright, fun, the perfect accoutrement to holding fuzzy pink pens — then fall is the Rachel Green. It's simple, understated, and cool as hell . . . and definitely more likely to travel to Central Perk than Harvard Law School for a man. (Winter is Wednesday Addams, if you were curious, for obvious reasons.)
Over the last year or so, we've seen the return of minimalist beauty, which is perfectly up Rachel's (and everyone else's, it seems) alley. Yes, we took a short break for brat summer, but now, we're back acting demure and mindful. And guess what? The upcoming fall season's biggest nail-polish trends are definitely sticking to that theme.
"While we love nail art, this fall we're seeing a shift to more muted looks and sophisticated solids," Michelle Nguyen, founder of Paris Lash Academy, tells PS. If you aren't a fan of keeping things simple and instead like your nails to be a little more out-of-the-box and in-your-face, not to worry. There are plenty of maximalist options to keep on your radar over the coming months.
Ahead, we break down the best fall nail colors you're about to see everywhere. Keep scrolling to peep our predictions and shop the products needed to make your nails the envy of everyone in the room.
Experts Featured in This Article
Michelle Nguyen is the founder of Paris Lash Academy.
Jan Arnold is the co-founder of CND.
Rachel Apfel Glass is the founder of Glosslab.
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Fall Nail Trends: Espresso Brown
Zoya Nail Polish ($12)
"Milk nails and latte nails step aside . . . espresso nails are the next fall trend, thanks to Sabrina Carpenter," Jan Arnold, co-founder of CND, tells PS. "Espresso nails are all about deep, dark browns to play into the song of the summer but also reds, blues, and pinks as a nod to her album cover."
Arnold notes you can expect to see lots of variations this year, like brown chrome, brown french designs, and even matte and pearl finishes. Achieve the look with this Zoya nail polish or a shade like CND's Fedora.
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Fall Nail Trends: Electric Blue
CND Denim Patch ($11)
"Electric blue was one of our favorite trends this year and I love to see that it's still going strong," Arnold says. She suggests a shade like CND Denim Patch or CND Blue Eyeshadow to get the look at home.
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Fall Nail Trends: Olive Green
Duri Monkeying Around ($10)
"Earth tones always transition beautifully into fall, and we love a good olive green especially paired with a matte top coat," Nguyen says. This color from Duri fits the bill perfectly.
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Fall Nail Trends: Charcoal Gray
Zoya Nail Polish ($12)
"Charcoal gray is a brighter neutral, making it the perfect transitional shade from summer to fall. You can also go lighter or darker depending on your preference," says Rachel Apfel Glass, founder of Glosslab. This Zoya nail polish is the perfect moody gray to add to your collection.
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Fall Nail Trends: Balanced, Subdued Oranges
"With balanced oranges replacing neons, the gourds are rolling in! We love terracota and darker orange shades for fall," Nyugen says. For this look, try a more muted orange like this shade from Essie.
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Fall Nail Trends: Rich, Passionate Reds
PLA Yule Be Sorry ($13)
"While we loved all things Barbiecore, we're temporarily retiring our bright pinks and shifting into rich, passionate reds," Nyugen says. The deeper shades evoke the changing of the seasons, like this gorgeous red pick from PLA.
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Fall Nail Trends: Silver French
OPI Infinite Shine 2 Long-Wear Lacquer in Silver on Ice ($12)
"A classic take on an old favorite, the silver french is super dainty and pretty and will become even more all the rage this fall," Glass says. If you want to go a little bold with your silver french, try adding silver tips with a bit of glitter. This shade from OPI is our pick for adding a little extra something to your manicure.
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Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.