Photos: Courtesy of @matejanova, @betina_goldstein, @avrnailswatchesSave this storySave this story
Fall nail color trends tend to be very beverage-coded. As soon as the thermometer drops below 70 degrees, our social feeds flood with espresso and pumpkin spice manicures. This year, though, we’re yearning for more than that. Forget nail colors inspired by the little treats you can pick up on your way to work. Among this season's top nail colors are molten silver, a blingy shade that’ll fit right into your jewelry stack, shimmering sapphire, and browns as cozy as your softest cashmere throws.
Also on deck are Goldilocks shades that aren’t bright or summery, but they don’t jump headfirst into the color palette of the cooler months either. “Instead of going straight to very dark shades, people might choose colors that still feel lighter, while capturing the mood of the season,” says Jin Soon Choi, New York City-based nail artist and founder of nail-care brand JinSoon. Ahead, learn straight from the pros about the shades that will be all over our feeds and fingertips this fall.
Meet the experts
- Jin Soon Choi is a New York City-based nail artist and founder of nail-care brand JinSoon.
- Max Estrada is a Tucson-based nail artist and the founder of eNailCouture.
- Elle Gerstein is a New York City-based nail artist.
- Natalie Minerva is a Los Angeles-based nail artist and spokesperson for OPI.
- Juli Russell is a Portland, Oregon, nail artist and spokesperson for Sally Beauty.
Cozy browns
Courtesy of @melanated.mani
Courtesy of @kolors.by.eszter
Like knit sweaters and plush blankets, brown nail polishes are making their annual return, and they feel just as comfy and indulgent. Instead of the usual mochas, you’ll find shades as soft as the suede boots you’re digging out of your closet, like JinSoon Earth Clay (which Choi sent down the Proenza Schouler fall-winter 2026 runway) and Essie Expressie in Never Skip a Beat (a fast-drying formula in camel). You’ll also find toastier hues, like OPI Slip Dressed Up and Orly Canyon Clay, that blend brown with a hint of red.
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Jinsoon
Earth Clay
Jinsoon
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Essie
Essie Expressie Nail Polish in Never Skip a Beat
Target
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OPI
Slip Dressed Up
Amazon
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Orly
Canyon Clay
Beyond Polish
Orly
Cherry
Courtesy of @samantharudge.beauty
2026 Edward Berthelot
Courtesy of @avrnailswatches
Courtesy of @kuypernailart
While the fruit itself might reach peak harvest in the summertime, cherry is more of a fall color with its vibrancy and underlying chill. Choi used the color in the Michael Kors fall-winter 2026 show, saying it “feels sophisticated without being too deep.” Hermès Le Mains Hermès Rouge H is a full-bodied take on the color, while Dazzle Dry’s Fast-Track Cherry swirls in blue undertones. Juli Russell, a Portland, Oregon, nail artist and spokesperson for Sally Beauty, prefers a cherry that’s less maraschino and more cola, suggesting Nailboo Gel in Cola Kiss: “It has that incredibly rich, warm, red-brown base with the slight sheerness you need to get the full cherry cola effect.” We also like Cirque Colors Bonbon Jelly, a slightly browner shade that also starts out sheer and builds opacity.
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Jinsoon
Coquette
Jinsoon
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Dazzle Dry
Fast Track Cherry
Dazzle Dry
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Nailboo
Cola Kiss Forever Glaze Gel Polish
Sally Beauty
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Cirque Colors Bonbon Jelly
Cirque Colors
Earthy greens
Courtesy of @thecolornook
Courtesy of @melanated.mani
Courtesy of @avrnailswatches
Elle Gerstein, a New York City-based nail artist, says this autumn will give us nature-inspired greens. She foresees “moss, khaki green, and deep, muted forest shades,” but calls out olive as the standout of the season. “I especially love olive with a satin, cat eye, or a very subtle metallic finish for fall,” she says. Lights Lacquers Extra Dirty and DND Gel’s Jukebox Olive (a gel formula) look like they'd rest beautifully atop a martini glass. For a deeper color that’s more arboreal—less garnish—opt for Mooncat’s The Stranger or Olive & June’s Mossy.
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Lights Lacquer
Lights Lacquer Extra Dirty
Lights Lacquer
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DND
Gel Jukebox Olive
DND
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Mooncat
The Stranger
Mooncat
Molten silver
Courtesy of @avrnailswatches
Courtesy of @betina_goldstein
Courtesy of @betina_goldstein
As shiny as a pair of pants in TLC’s music video for “No Scrubs,” molten silver is a Y2K-coded color of the season. It's “basically jewelry for your nails,” says Russell. “It's icy, reflective, and impossible to ignore.” Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri Chrome Nail Polish Steel The Show is metallic and highly reflective. Chillhouse Chill Paint Forever Wear in Miss Machina has cool gray undertones that give it a futuristic edginess. Lights Lacquers I’m Alive is slightly brighter, while Londontown’s Lakur in Skyline Reflect is technically a black polish that’s loaded with cool silver, blue, and purple shimmer and looks particularly flattering on deeper skin tones.
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Sally Hansen
Insta-Dri Chrome Nail Polish Steel The Show
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
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Chillhouse
Miss Machina
Chillhouse
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Lights Lacquer
It’s Alive
Lights Lacquer
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Londontown
Skyline Reflect
Amazon
Sapphire
2026 Edward Berthelot
2026 Edward Berthelot
2026 Edward Berthelot
2026 Edward Berthelot
This season, nail artists are gravitating toward an unexpected jewel tone. Sapphire has depth, dimension, and an air of mystery. “Indoors, it can appear incredibly dark and sophisticated, but when it catches the light, suddenly you see this extraordinary jewel-like blue,” says Max Estrada, a Tucson-based nail artist. Try Orly’s shimmering You’re On Sapphire, a deep, velvety take on the color. Zoya Nail Lacquer in Jen and Olive & June’s Sapphire Season both feature an almost metallic finish with more tempered sparkles. Holo Taco’s Playing With Sapphire is filled with larger flecks of glitter that, against the ocean-blue base, evoke a galaxy filled with stars.
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Orly
You’re On Sapphire
Beyond Polish
Orly
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Zoya
Nail Lacquer in Jen
Ulta Beauty
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Olive & June
Sapphire Season
Olive & June
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Holo Taco
Playing With Sapphire
Holo Taco
Not quite black
Courtesy of @melanated.mani
Courtesy of @matejanova
Courtesy of @avrnailswatches
Courtesy of @matejanova
Courtesy of @nailsby.prachi
Courtesy of @matejanova
There are at least three autumnal certainties: The days will get shorter, the beverages will get spicier, and not-quite black polishes will be on everyone’s fingertips. "They're just so vampy and really wearable," says Natalie Minerva, an LA-based nail artist and OPI spokesperson.
Classics include Essie Wicked (an almost black merlot) and OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark (a midnight purple that Allure senior writer Lizzy Gulino reaches for year-round). There’s also Dazzle Dry’s Stolen Kisses, which adds a touch of shimmer, and Manicurist’s Hollyhock, which has a warmth that’s especially pretty on deeper skin tones.
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Essie
Essie Nail Polish in Wicked
Target
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OPI
Lincoln Park After Dark
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
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Dazzle Dry
Dazzle Dry Stolen Kisses
Dazzle Dry
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Manucurist
Hollyhock
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
