This Week's Best Manicure Inspiration Is All About Burgundy French Tips and Icy Blue Polish

I love a dark fall manicure as much as the next person, but I’m not ready to spend the next few months choosing between burgundy and brown. This week’s best nail looks have given me plenty of reasons to branch out, starting with baby blue and maroon—quite possibly my favorite color combination ever. And yes, it looks just as good on nails as I’d hoped. If you’ve been wearing the same wine-colored polish every September, a little blue is a pretty easy way to change things up.

There’s still a deep, glossy eggplant manicure in the mix for anyone who’s ready for a darker shade. I’m also very into the soft washes of color that look like someone dipped a brush into an autumnal palette and got a little carried away. The pale green manicure makes me want to cut my nails short, while the gold chrome looks almost liquid. Ahead, scroll through this week’s favorite nails, preferably before you tell your nail artist you’ll have your usual.

Blue Meets Bordeaux

I’ve already confessed my love for this color combination, but can we take a moment to talk about those maroon tips? The curved edges against the baby blue make a familiar French manicure feel entirely different.

Block Party

The olive green is what makes this mix work for me. Next to bright red and baby blue, it gives the manicure a slightly retro feel, with a few darker nails breaking up the brighter colors. There’s no nail art to account for here, either—you just need a very good selection of polishes.

September Haze

These remind me of a fall landscape painted in a gorgeous watercolor. The blurred patches of rust and gold could be changing leaves; the blue, a little sky peeking through.

Dripping Gold

Apparently, I like my gold a little melted. Raised drips spill over the edges of these short nails, mixed with fully metallic finishes and textured accents.

Short 'n Sweet Pea

This is such a good green. I love it on these short, softly squared nails, and the creamy finish has me reconsidering whether I actually need nail art at my next appointment.

Sunset Frost

For Selena Gomez’s 2026 Emmys manicure, Tom Bachik went with a frosted peach shade on long almond nails. The shimmer shifts to pink, and with all those diamonds, it stands out even more. There’s plenty of sparkle to go around.

Purple Reign

Consider this my suggestion for your next dark polish appointment: a glossy eggplant purple, worn short. It’s deep enough to satisfy a burgundy loyalist, but the purple is still visible enough that you won’t spend the next two weeks questioning if your nails are black.

On the Dot

Black polka dots, a sheer pink base, and absolutely no reason to complicate things any further.

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.