53 Nail Art Ideas for a Fresh Autumn Manicure
There are some colors that are indelibly associated with fall, like burgundy, berry, hunter green, and rust — the warm hues of the changing leaves and apple orchards. And those shades will always make for classic manicures. But just because they'll never go out of style doesn't mean you have to stick to them alone, and with some of our favorite fall nail art ideas, you definitely don't have to wear just one at a time.
With talented nail artists and celebrity-frequented salons sharing inspirational designs on Instagram every single day and beloved polish brands constantly cranking out stunning new colors, there's no shortage of manicure ideas to add to your autumn to-do list — including many you'll feel confident to try doing yourself.
"My [Instagram] Explore page is filled with abstract manicures where every look is unique and perfected in its own way or very simple, classic looks with a twist, such as a French manicure using neon colors," nail artist Amy Le previously told Allure.
"Lines and dots are the easiest DIY art to create as long as you have the right tools," nail artist Elle tells Allure. "Essentials are toothpicks to create dots, makeup sponges for marbling, and a thin eyeliner brush or paintbrush to create stripes."
Here, you'll find unexpected ways to wear timeless shades as well as unexpected ones and DIY-friendly designs alongside intricate styles that call for a professional touch.
Keep scrolling for the looks you'll love to see peeking out of the sleeves of your favorite oversize sweater.
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1/53Transitional aura
There’s a special time of the season when the blue skies of summer seem to linger and serve as the backdrop for the leaves as they change color. That moment was captured in this gel manicure by Toronto-based nail artist Rebecca Ramsdale, who used airbrushed and chrome finishes to create the glowing effect.
2/53Autumnal tie-dye
It may feel like summer owns the rights to tie-dye, but with different colors, you bring out fall vibes. Case in point, this look by Ramsdale. Brighter shades like sky blue and highlighter yellow are offset by wine, orange, and an almost-black shade. And because of the beige base, this amalgamation of color feels chic and low-key.
3/53Pumpkin chrome
Orange may be one of the most obvious polish shades for fall, but you can breathe new life into it by changing up the finish. Nail artist Amber Hancock made orange infinitely more interesting by giving it a chrome finish that dresses it up without losing the fall feel.
4/53Squash French
The resurgence of the French manicure has proven that there isn’t a single color that doesn’t look fabulous as a replacement for the traditional white tips — and fall is a fun opportunity to prove it with seasonally suitable shades. Take these squash-yellow tips by Hancock. The shade is an ideal transitional pick because it's light and sunny enough for summer but also feels pumpkin-patch perfect.
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5/53Color-blocked tortoiseshell
We’ll always associate tortoiseshell with getting new glasses for a new school year, but nail artist Callie Hager schooled us on just how cool tortoiseshell nails can be when combined with another trend: color-blocking. Two nails in this manicure are fully covered in tortoiseshell, while two feature a tortoiseshell French tip on one side. The French look is interrupted by a white border that separates it from pea-green.
6/53Trippy retro botanicals
Sure, the psychedelic designs of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s are often associated with the brightest of colors, but we love the way Brooklyn-based nail artist Jordan — who goes by @jmoneynails — took a bold concept and muted it with deep browns and orange. She achieved what she calls “vintage couch mushroom energy” with great attention to detail while not overdoing the illustration quality of the manicure.
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7/53Neutral tiger stripes
Animal prints will always be in, but we don’t blame you if tiger stripes in nature’s own orange and black feel a little too on the nose. Get the look in a more toned-down, grown-up, and fall-friendly combination that nail artist Gabi De la Cruz used for these oval masterpieces. She was originally going to leave them shiny, but couldn’t resist the sophistication of a matte finish.
8/53Taupe chrome
Contrary to popular nail salon requests, chrome manicures don’t have to be dark, moody colors or bright, bold ones. De la Cruz went with a totally unexpected taupe. It feels simultaneously ethereal and understated — very wood-nymph-who-went-to-business-school if you will.
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9/53Futuristic sienna ombré
Nail artist Gabriela Cespedes flawlessly combined soft and sharp design elements in this long, pointy manicure. The spicy brown ombré creates a sweet, subdued base, while the almost-pitchfork-like chrome elements add a bit of sci-fi wickedness.
10/53Rich, sparkling accents
Some of us look forward to wearing deep fall nail polish colors more than anything else that comes with the season and nail artist Aistė Haas has served up an eye-catching way to take that to another level. The thumb and pinky each get the full-coverage treatment of super-sparkly burnt orange and plum respectively, then those colors are distributed among the other nails via French tips and delicate curves.
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11/53Checkerboard French
Make one tiny change to a classic French manicure and you get these trendy checkerboard tips. Instead of stopping at just white, nail artist Paula R. created this geometric effect with a contrasting shade. Any shade you love will do, but the toasty brown is perfect for fall.
12/53Iridescent curves
Nail artist Emily Zheng considers this one of her Halloween-inspired manicures, but thanks to its subtlety we think it can be worn in fall and beyond. The sorcery is all in the chrome curves that interrupt an otherwise sheer nail. Although you may associate iridescence with a more pastel look, this darker version of the ethereal effect proves ideal for autumn.
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13/53Caramel marshmallow gradient
Seeing this manicure by Los Angeles-based nail artist Sascha Rios suddenly gives us a new idea for a coffee flavor. We love the way the strong vertical divide between the caramel and white fades toward the base of the nails thanks to expertly applied airbrushing.
14/53Moody teardrops
This manicure by Paula of @nailsofpaular is giving elegant harlequin, don’t you think? The sheer, off-white base takes an unexpected turn with asymmetrical black teardrops on each nail. To really elevate the design, she added a gorgeous gold border between the colors.
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15/53Mosaic accents
UK-based nail artist Jen Hopper came up with the richest way to embellish a deep emerald green manicure: a mosaic-inspired abstract splash of multiple jewel tones. And what better way to enhance the colors than with gold leaf mixed in among the polishes? The result is opulent without being over the top.
16/53Peekaboo color-block
Who says clear can’t be one of the choices in your color-blocked mani? Not Toronto nail artist Cindy Nguyen, who included a sheer, nearly naked shade into this fall-perfect, geometric blend of autumn colors.
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@thehangedit/Instagram17/53Shining star
With a rich chocolate brown base and acrylic stars, this set is another way to get nails ready for fall. "All you need is some brown tones like those in Olive and June's Pumpkin Spice Latte set and a good liner nail art brush or acrylic pen to paint on the stars. Just be sure to use a topcoat to seal it off," says Los Angeles-based manicurist Hang Nguyen at Nailing Hollywood.
@thehangedit/Instagram18/53Mix & match
We love a mix-and-match nail and this one, done in black and white, is a great example of the way different designs can go well together. "This black and white with negative space gives a more gender-neutral look," says Hang Nguyen. "Think art with a bit of a pop culture feel." Use the shade tuxedo mask and paper snow from Lights Lacquer (or any black and white nail polish you may have on hand) and a liner brush to achieve this look.
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@nailartbyqueenie/Instagram19/53Gold accents
We love a metallic accent, especially when it's in gold. "Use a thin striping brush to paint a mix of dainty and slightly thicker gold lines on each nail to contrast with the main color of the design," says LA manicurist Queenie Nguyen.
@nailartbyqueenie/Instagram20/53Tortoiseshell with color
Elevate the classic tortoise design with a bold, contrasting color. Whether it's bright red or neon green, the additional element is sure to make a statement. To get this look, "mix a clear topcoat with a light brown or mustard yellow to thin out the color as a base," says Queenie Nguyen. "Then, add some black, uneven spots and layer again with the thinned-out base color mix from before. Lastly, choose a pop of color to contrast with the tortoiseshell."
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@nailartbyqueenie/Instagram21/53Fall gradient
Bump up a classic French manicure with gradient tips in the same color family. Queenie Nguyen encourages nail enthusiasts and beginners alike to DIY this. To make it easy, snag one of these Keep It Tonal ombré nail kits from Nails Inc.
@rachelsuenails/Instagram22/53Gold foil
Take home the gold, literally, with this French manicure with oh-so-shiny tips. "Choose any earthy reds or oranges and paint a French using a gold that foil will easily stick to or a foil gel," says Los Angeles-based manicurist Rachel Joseph. "Then seal the foil with structure gel and a topcoat."
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@apresnailofficial/Instagram23/53Classic neutrals
We love bright colors, but neutrals hold a special place in our hearts. They work for any occasion and also match most clothes — and pumpkin spice lattes. You can achieve a look like this with a mauvy-nude nail polish or press-ons.
@sonyameesh/Instagram24/53Chrome bubbles
Take advantage of negative space on your nails with an innovative chrome look. Nail artist Sonya Belakhlef says that 3D and chrome nail art are both really big this fall. "You can either use premade, flat-back bubbles or sculpt them using builder or hard gel to create the look," they say.
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25/53Clayful
Warm, brown-orange hues are fit for fall. We love these ruddy clay colors for the season. To get this look, Los Angeles-based nail artist Brittney Boyce says to file your nails into a coffin shape before applying a shade like Orly's Red Rock or Canyon Clay.
Betina Goldstein26/53Pretty patchwork
We love the quilt-like vibes of this colorful yet simple manicure by Betina Goldstein. There are absolutely no rules when it comes to which colors to use — go with any combination of at least six shades that feel the most "fall" to you — and be sure to switch up the order on each finger. And use a superfine brush, like the Doublemoss Arte brush, to create clean boxes. You can watch Goldstein create this blocky beauty right here.
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Miss Pop27/53Sweater set
"If you have a toothpick, you can have sweater nails," says nail artist Miss Pop about her adorable and undeniably cozy-looking manicure. No brush is needed other than the one that comes with the bottle of your base color because you can create that cable-knit look with just a tiny wooden tip. Simply paint on a few rows of uniform squiggles — she recommends doing it in a color that really stands out against a dark foundation shade — and you're all set.
Savannah Walker28/53Plaid tips
If you lived through the '90s, you know that virtually every September issue of any teen or fashion magazine heavily featured plaid as a classic fall pattern. It’s still timeless, but if you're looking for a fresh way to wear plaid, consider a French manicure with plaid tips. This version by nail artist Savannah Walker is especially autumnal, thanks to the warm shades of brown. Although the clear base may make it seem simple, the intricate details within the plaid itself make this design one you'll want to take to a pro.
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Courtesy of brand29/53Angular accent
Perk up an otherwise neutral manicure with a couple more colors on a single nail. This chic look starts with a coat of OPI Nail Lacquer in the red shade Art Walk in Suzi's Shoes. Then apply the midnight-purple Abstract After Dark in three ascending horizontal lines, connect them with a detail brush to create a staircase near the cuticle, and fill them in. Use the detail brush again to apply Espresso Your Inner Self in a similar manner and fill in the rest of the nail using the bottle's brush.
Miss Pop30/53Circle of speckles
Wine will always be a favorite fall color, but if you're in the mood for a little more pizzazz, try this easy DIY nail art. Miss Pop simply dotted around the perimeter of each nail — a dotting tool or toothpick will work — with OPI's light pink Another Ramen-tic Evening and shimmery shell Throw Me a Kiss. It completely changes the feeling of the sophisticated burgundy shade We the Female.
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Courtesy of brand31/53Florals for fall
Just like leaves drying up on trees can make for a beautiful sight in the fall, so can dried flowers on your fingertips. Elle created this gorgeous look for Blake Lively by using Le Chat Perfect Match Smoke Show for an ombré effect, followed by a very sheer coat of the brand's new pale pink shade Simply Me. She then took tiny pressed flowers (a craft store find!) soaked in alcohol and placed them on the nails along with gold and silver foil. Whether you're using traditional or gel polish, just be sure to seal in these three-dimensional elements with the appropriate topcoat.
Betina Goldstein32/53Mixed-metal stars
Silver and gold know no single season, but we're loving the combination of both for a fun fall manicure like this one by Goldstein. Any opaque silver polish will do for the base — Essie's No Place Like Chrome is a great pick — and any opaque golden polish will work for the stars. But if you don't trust your hand to be steady enough to paint on perfect stars, you can always try decals to make it easier to achieve this look.
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33/53Cute croc
There's no need to bother with nail polish at all when there are such cute, custom-size, stick-on nail gels like these that are so readily available. ManiMe's L8r G8r set has a fabulous crocodile print — dark-green ovals on both lighter green and golden backgrounds that you can mix and match — that feels both bold and versatile. You can expect the $25 set to last well over a week and look absolutely perfect since they're cut to fit your nails.
34/53High-contrast negative space
Black nail polish always makes a big comeback every fall, but there are more ways to wear it than just a solid shade. Miss Pop made black infinitely more interesting by leaving it out in select negative spaces. She painted on thick lines and triangles in different geometric combinations, with only glossy bare nails showing through in its absence.
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Betina Goldstein35/53Floating ink
We're completely obsessed with Goldstein's "floating ink" fingernails. She combined ethereal swirls of three Essie shades — Cacti on the Prize, Infinity Cool, and You Know the Espadrille — to create an abstract masterpiece that looks like magical, marbleized stone or paints swimming around in a puddle. No two manicures will look alike, even if you use the same colors.
Savannah Walker36/53Green & lean
Nails don't need to be long to look fierce with a pointed tip or vibrant nail art, as evidenced by this bold manicure by Walker. The vibrant Kelly green and sharp tips have a witchy vibe (Halloween is just around the corner, after all), but it avoids feeling too themed, thanks to thin black and white stripes in random directions.
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Courtesy of brand37/53Sparkling sea
Knowing it's the end of summer doesn't mean it's the end of playing in the ocean, so Elle created this sparkling manicure that incorporates several nail art effects. For the ring fingers, she used LeChat Dare to Wear My Serenity, Moonstone, and Flawless White, dropping them on a glass palette to marbleize them by dragging the colors together in a horizontal motion. "Then, take a thicker nail art brush and pick up the glob of the swirl of colors, place it, and drag it onto the nail," she says.
For the pinkies, pointers, and thumbs, she painted a line and filled it in with glitter to cover a quarter of the nails. On the middle fingers, using a thicker gel brush, Elle started heavier at the base of the nails and then lightly used the brush to fade it toward the top for an ombré effect.
Getty Images38/53Negative-space crescent
Miss Pop promises this thick, off-center, richly red twist on the French manicure is easy to do at home. To get the vampy look, she simply used a stencil over nude nails to paint perfect crescents of Zoya Professional Lacquer in Alyssa on the tips (because even the most talented nail artists use tools to help them get the most precise looks).
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Betina Goldstein39/53Black & white tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell nails have been a thing for a while now and there's no sign of the trend dying down, though we totally understand if you're ready for a new take this fall. Goldstein hand-painted these black-and-white beauties using polishes by Essie, Chanel, and Orly — who says you have to stick to one brand? — atop Aprés Nail extensions. The more imperfect this look is the better, so it's ideal for a DIY attempt at nail art.
Courtesy of brand40/53Single sparkly stripe
Can you say "fall wedding nails"? Elle created this simple yet glamorous look that would be perfect for nuptial bliss — or just something to enjoy looking at while you're working from home. After two coats of LeChat Dare to Wear Irish Cream, she used a striper brush dipped LeChat Perfect Match Cosmic Flash (launching in October) to create the vertical lines by moving the nail rather than the brush to achieve a straight line. (Genius!) "Adding the glitter gives this neutral look a little flare to transition into fall," Elle tells Allure.
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Savannah Walker41/53Any-season stripes
With tiny stripes in traditionally springy and summery shades like periwinkle, sunny yellow, peachy pink, and neon green, you might think this manicure wouldn't work for fall. Think again! Walker's unexpected inclusion of colors like brown and copper makes this an amazing transitional manicure — especially with the hint of sparkle on each nail.
Courtesy of brand42/53Careful curves
If you love wavy lines but not the literal snake look, this sophisticated take is the way to go. Paintboxnails started with a super-pale pink, and autumn'd it up with an olive green, curvy stripe through each nail. It's somehow both bold and neutral — a great first foray into nail art for a newbie.
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Courtesy of brand43/53Teeny-tiny tips
Superlong nails are not a prerequisite for a French manicure and as we all know, neither are the typical white tips. Nail artist Kara Crevier created a minimalist look with Olive & June polishes that work so well for fall: a pale base with the thinnest stripe of a warm, rusty color at the tips.
Courtesy of Katie Masters44/53Tortoiseshell
Scroll through Katie Masters's Instagram grid — she goes by @nailthoughts — and you'll notice that tortoiseshell is one of her most requested manicures. The abstract pattern is arguably a year-round classic, but there's something intrinsically autumnal about it. Perhaps, as we've said, it's because it recalls academic eyeglasses and a studious back-to-school vibe.
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Courtesy of Betina Goldstein45/53Flying south
Birds may be migrating before it gets too cold, but these gorgeous geese can stick around on your nails. Goldstein used the Essie shades Licorice, Blanc, and Geranium (for the beaks) to create a tiny interpretation of artist Dinara Mirtalipova's print, "Princess and Geese."
Courtesy of Savannah Walker46/53'70s stripes
"I just love warm tones," nail artist Walker tells Allure about the shades in this retro manicure. The burgundy, orange, and yellow stripes on a mustard base make it not only '70s-inspired but also ideal for fall.
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Getty Images47/53Not-so-basic black
If you love dark nail lacquer, chances are you haven't been waiting for fall to break out your favorite pitch-black polish. But just in case you've been holding back, now's the ideal time to get inspired by the chic, black manicures seen on Fashion Week runways.
Courtesy of Katie Masters48/53Marbelized mulberry
Negative-space manis aren't just a spring and summer look. Rich shades of mulberry were mixed into a marbleized effect with warm, shimmering gold, as Masters did here, leaving an asymmetrical hint of naked autumnal nails.
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Courtesy of Betina Goldstein49/53Spotted crescents
Classic polka dots get a unique negative-space twist in this manicure by Goldstein. She painted rich, chocolate-brown crescents along the side of each nail, dotting the darkness with a bright white polish.
Courtesy of Savannah Walker50/53School uniform
Anyone who's ever gone to private school knows the combination of plaid skirts and black sweaters very well. And while you don't have to wear those anymore, you can pay tribute to that back-to-school vibe with this manicure idea by Walker. She painted some of her client's nails solid black while hand-painting a yellow, black, and red plaid on the others.
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Instagram/@heymichellelee51/53Flannel fingertips
If your plaid preferences lead more toward buffalo, this simpler option with wider stripes and only two colors — modeled by former Allure editor in chief Michelle Lee — is a fall no-brainer. You don't need to layer all your prettiest rings for this manicure to look cool (though it sure doesn't hurt).
Courtesy of brand52/53Big little lines
Very few manicures scream "fall" quite like a shade of dark red. But if you're tired of the same old, same old, check out this update by nontoxic New York City nail salon Tenoverten. Not too thick, not too thin, partial stripes in creamy white add interest to a timeless look.
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Courtesy of brand53/53Spirited swirls
This manicure conveys a clear love of Halloween without screaming it like a banshee. Apply a perfect pumpkin-orange base in the JinSoon shade Enflammee. While it was still wet, the shades Obsidian and Doux were added to two accent nails and gently dragged with a striping brush to create ghostly swirls.
