Beauty

5 Fall 2021 Nail Trends Everyone Will Be Wearing

Some unexpected hues will be taking us through the autumn.

by Jacquelyn Greenfield
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Originally Published: 
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Fall is the time of year when beauty takes a reset. It’s fashion’s new year and that means it’s the right time to try something you haven’t tried before. Try out darker eye makeup or vampy lipstick colors. Who doesn’t want a cute manicure to go with their favorite hot drink? Speaking of manicures, this season is is bringing a ton of new nail colors you will love.

Already we’re seeing new looks from our favorite nail techs on Instagram, @glosshouse and @heluviee, who are doing mismatched designs with summer and autumn colors to usher in the seasonal transition. In the upcoming months we’ll be sure to see some more fall manicures hitting our timelines, but now we’ll let you in on the top nail polish trends you’re going to see everywhere this season.

There are certain shades that make their way back around every year, but this year get ready for some surprising new ones in less-expected cool tones like muted blues. Another shock this season: No orange. We understand how deep the love goes for pumpkin spice anything, but this year the burnt oranges are reserved just for the leaves and the lattes. Instead the drink-inspired shades we’ll be seeing lean towards chocolate, espresso, and caramel.

Keep reading below to find out which shades will be huge this season and polishes to consider adding to your collection.

We only include products that have been independently selected by Nylon’s editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

FALL 2021 NAIL TREND: Moody Blues

This color family out of left field for the fall. Typically, the fall season is synonymous with warm reds, oranges, and rich wines. This season, we’re seeing a variety of stormy blues shades ranging from a creamy cornflower blue to darker midnight shades.

FALL 2021 NAIL COLOR TREND: Forest Greens

Green has been a major player in the race for the color of the year. Kelly, electric, and generally slime-y greens dominated this summer. This season, green is going au naturel. Expect to see shades you can find in nature like pine, moss, basil, and sage.

FALL 2021 NAIL COLOR TREND: Net Neutral

This is an obvious one. A flattering neutral manicure is a forever classic. Even better? In the transitional seasons it goes with any outfit even as the weather fluctuates and it’s hard to figure out what to wear. The neutral manicure of the moment almost perfectly matches your complexion. Using a slightly sheer shade lets your skin tone peak through giving the illusion of a seamless match. Finish with a matte top coat to complete the almost-bare look.

FALL 2021 NAIL COLOR TREND: Punk Royalty Purple

Dark manicures are a mainstay of the fall beauty repertoire. While we’ll never quit the time-honored, punk traditional black manicure, it’s nice to have an alternate dark “neutral”. Rich purple tones add an equal amount of edge to your look but the warm undertones are more flattering on all skin tones. This season we’ll be seeing purples reign in varied tones from warm plum to almost-black.

FALL 2021 NAIL COLOR TREND: Café Colors

Yes, we know browns can be neutral shades, but the color is going to be so huge this season it needs its own category. Manicures in every shade available at the coffee house will be all over the place. Plus, since there are so many variations in the café color family you can expect brown to be the color for monochrome swirl designs this season as well.

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