The Week's 8 Best Fall Nail Looks Are All About Jelly Finishes and Chrome Details
The pumpkins can go—these manicures are staying.
Halloween may be this weekend, but I'm already mentally planning my next manicure—minus the (exceptionally cute) pumpkins, ghosts, and spiderwebs. Listen, I love a good themed nail look as much as the next person, but I don't particularly love having to redo my nails the second a holiday ends. So, for this week's roundup, I've been on the hunt for designs that still feel like fall, and can even (gasp) help me transition into winter.
Luckily there's a lot to work with. We're talking glossy chestnut browns that look good enough to eat, jelly manicures inspired by autumn landscapes, and some seriously fun takes on animal print. Of course, not everything has to come in a shade of brown or burgundy to qualify as a fall manicure. One of my favorite looks this week pairs cobalt blue with a deep wine shade, while another takes chrome to an almost ridiculous level of reflectiveness. What do these eight manicures have in common? I'd happily wear every single one well into November.
October Skies
You know that very specific time of day in October when the sky turns pink and orange, but there's still a little blue peeking through? That's exactly what these nails remind me of. Each finger has its own watercolor-like swirl of color, and the sheer jelly finish gives everything that gorgeous, almost glassy effect. An entire autumn sunset, right at your fingertips.
Toasty Little Things
These nails look like they should come with a fireplace and a glass of red wine. The warm amber jelly is glossy and pretty much identical to the chestnuts they're photographed with.
Golden Harvest
The rich amber shade has just a hint of green peeking through it, while delicate gold detailing frames each nail like a tiny gemstone. It's almost like a special effect.
Fall Mixology
Tortoiseshell, meet turquoise. Two things I never would have thought to put together on a manicure in fall, but it just works. The bright blue details break up the rich amber-and-brown pattern in the coolest way.
Moonlit Magic
If the night sky had a disco ball, I imagine it would look something like this. Between the inky blue edges, the glitter stars, and flashes of pink and copper from the reflective top coat, there's so much going on here that reminds me of a mystical moonlight.
Sweater Weather Safari
Who said animal print has to be black and white? Instead, we're getting zebra stripes in just about every fall color imaginable, with unexpected touches of green and mauve thrown into the mix.
The October Blues
Burgundy for fall? Obviously. Cobalt blue? Also a favorite. But the two together, with thick French tips? Now we're talking.
Fawn of Fall
Bambi nails may be in the running for my favorite animal print design of the season. The brown base of these nails feels right at home with the rest of my fall beauty aesthetic.
Why Trust Marie Claire
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
