Autumn Nails: 5 Fall Colors and Easy Design Directions
These five autumn nail directions move from elegant dark shades to simple early-fall accents. They cover the burgundy, olive, tortoiseshell, rust, caramel, nude and orange looks shown in our fall nail pins.
All 5 ideas
- Glossy burgundy
Use a deep wine or black-cherry polish on most nails for a clean fall manicure. One sheer nude accent with a tiny burgundy curve can make the color feel lighter. Keep the finish glossy so the shade reads rich rather than flat.
- Soft olive green
Choose muted olive rather than neon or emerald. Pair it with cream or a single fine gold line on one nail. The green works as a wearable seasonal neutral and sits well beside burgundy or tan in a mixed set.
- Amber tortoiseshell
Layer translucent caramel, amber and deep brown irregular patches on one or two accent nails. Leave the other nails burgundy, olive or nude. The softly overlapping spots give the tortoiseshell effect; perfect symmetry is unnecessary.
- Rust, caramel and nude
Alternate warm rust and caramel nails with a translucent nude base. A thin rust French tip or a tiny leaf on a nude accent nail ties the palette together. This direction is warmer and softer than a dark Halloween manicure.
- Easy orange on nude
Start with a sheer nude polish and add one small burnt-orange dot, curved tip or simple leaf per nail. Keep the marks large enough to read but sparse enough to leave negative space. This is the quickest fall option for short nails or beginners.
See the visual directions
These images illustrate the manicure directions described above. Adapt the palette, motif scale and number of accent nails to your nail length and shape.
Before you start
The photos are illustrated styling references. Choose products appropriate for your nails, and follow the manufacturer’s application and removal instructions.