Autumn Nails Inspiration and Ideas: From Autumn Colors to Vampy Looks

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Stephanie loves all things beauty and even worked at Sephora for a time. As a kid, her mom would take her to get manis and pedis and it has become a favorite part of her self-care routine. She's excited to share her tips with newbies and veteran nail artists alike and make sure you get the most from your nail journey.

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Autumn is my favorite time of the year! Not only does fall feature my favorite holiday, Halloween, but it also welcomes cooler weather and I love the colors of the season.

Because of this, there are so many autumn nails inspiration and ideas. Fall welcomes many bold colors, such as red, green, gold, browns, and more. All of these colors will look amazing on a manicure.

Are you interested in an autumn-inspired manicure? Here are some ideas I have and examples of inspiration I found on Pinterest.

Bottom line up front: My favorite look is the first idea, the alternating neutrals with glitter. I love how minimalist the fall season is and this look perfectly sums up the ideal autumn nail manicure. Plus, neutrals match anything and are perfect for all occasions. I wouldn’t do both the brown and purple nudes, I would choose only one and add the glitter as an accent nail. But you can take this look and do whatever you want with it!

Top Picks Up Front

The Best Autumn Nails on Pinterest

Are you ready to see the best autumn nails on Pinterest? Here are some of my favorite looks!

1. Glamorous Nude Autumn Nails

I’m loving all of these creative looks you can do with nude nails, and this look is the perfect example! Autumn is the ultimate minimalist season, so this is the perfect time to take out your favorite nudes. Neutral colors will complement any autumn wardrobe and event.

The key to achieving perfect autumn nudes is choosing darker neutrals, but not pure brown. That subtle brown on the left is the perfect example. I love the way that brown looks with the purpley light beige. Complementing these colors are the sparkly nude colors, which give this manicure the oomph it needs.

2. Gold Foil Autumn Nails

Gold is an exquisite color that looks amazing during the colder seasons. While I often consider gold to be a winter color (I think of Christmas lights and New Year), you can totally pull this color off during the autumn season. The gold foil on this manicure is the perfect example. The nails are painted in a lovely gray nude (another great fall color) with gold foil accents om a couple of nails.

Do you not want the gold foil? You can find gold nail polish nearly anywhere, you can still do a DIY nail look.

3. Plum and Gold Glitter Autumn Nails

Purple is a color that you may not think of when “autumn” comes to mind. But the right shade of purple is very seasonal. I personally love the plum shade that the model used in this manicure. Plum is a darker shade of purple with brown and gray undertones. There are also plum variations that feature more red. This color is described as romantic, royal, uplifting, and even luxurious. And with the gold glitter details on the tips, this manicure looks fit for an autumn queen!

4. Simple Pink Blush Autumn Nails

Pink may not be the first color that comes to mind when you think of a fall manicure. However, certain shades of pink work for the season. Pink blush is my personal favorite for autumn. This is a pale pink that’s more on the red side. It has a very neutral and fresh look compared to other shades of pink. This color is very popular and you can find this shade and similar nearly everywhere.

I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the color pink, but I love the simple and matte look of this manicure. If I were doing this look, I would still mix in different colors. I personally love the way dark purple shades such as plum looks with pink blush.

5. White Wedding Autumn Nails

You don’t have to wait until winter to take out your favorite shade of white! White is very much an autumn color. I also like white as an autumn color because this shade looks amazing on nearly any skin tone.

This look immediately caught my eye because I think it’s perfect for a wedding! Obviously, the jewels are what make this manicure stand out. The circular ball jewelry is so unique, I’ve honestly never seen that on a manicure before. The graphic on the accent nail is also stunning. If you look closely, the nails have a slight gradient. That’s another reason why I’m including this manicure in the autumn nails list; if you want a white manicure for autumn, I suggest choosing an off-white color so your nails don’t look too wintery. For this look, the gradient offers something a little more eye-catching than stark white nails.

If you want an alternative color, such as for a DIY look, I suggest a yellow-based white that is more on the nude spectrum. You can also do this look but add gold jewelry instead or another cool design.

6. Green French Tips

I absolutely love green during the autumn time! While most consider green a spring color, the right shades totally work for autumn. If you still don’t want full green nails, I suggest a French tip look like this. French tips are in style all year, but I think this look is totally chic for the season.

If I were getting this manicure, I would go a little darker and opt for a darker green, such as hunter green. I do think the all-green pinky nail is cute, but I would also do the pinky in the French tip or choose another nail for the accent nail.

If you don’t like the green look, I suggest choosing a classic French manicure or keep up with the moodiness of the season, opting for the French tips in navy or even black. This is a great way to use the darker colors of the season if you don’t want a witchy manicure.

7. Glitter Autumn Nails

Can’t decide which autumn color you want for your seasonal manicure? How about opting for all fall colors in chic glitter? I love how the model uses a mauve neutral (another beautiful autumn color and one I would totally do) on the entire nails and paints only the cuticle part with the autumn glitter. You can also make this manicure fun by adding glitter to the tips, like French nails.

Glitter and sparkles work all year, including during the autumn season, and this look totally proves it. I wish the person who posted this image included the nail polish brand because I’ve never seen this before. If you can’t find this nail polish at your local beauty store, I suggest showing this image to a nail salon and seeing if they have a similar glitter color.

8. Perfect Autumn Ombre Nails

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I love ombres! In case you didn’t know, an ombre is an effect where a light color slowly turns darker. While it’s best to get this look done by professionals, you can do this look DIY with the right colors and a sponge or brush to blend in each shade.

I absolutely love this blush ombre going on. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of pink, I would totally do this look, though I would do the glitter accent nail in more of a silver glitter to tone down the pink.

If you want to do a different autumn ombre, I suggest doing so in different shades of brown. You can also get creative and do a cider ombre (light orange to dark rusty orange) or an olive green ombre.

9. Leopard Print Autumn Nails

I think it’s safe to say I include leopard print nails in all of my lists. But I can’t help it, I love leopard print and have loved this look ever since I was a kid. We usually see animal print nails during the summer, but this is also a cute look for the fall. I mentioned this look in particular because I love how the leopard print art alternates with black. Some black nails also have gold glitter on the tips, which is also perfect for the season. As an alternative, you can try a unique print such as tortoiseshell.

10. Orange Plaid Nails

I’ll be honest, I hate the color orange. But orange is such a classic autumn color, I had to include it. I think the model uses this color in the best way possible. All of the colors are orange except one brown glitter accent nail and a orange/neutral plaid design. The plaid design is my favorite. Plaid has a cozy feeling to it and it works perfect for the season. Don’t want to do an orange plaid? Classic plaid features red and black, so I suggest doing this look.

11. Hunter Green Autumn Nails

Okay, I’m literally obsessed with this shade of green. This hunter green pops but is still subtle enough for autumn. I like darker colors for autumn, especially green. I think brighter lime green is better for the spring and summer. I also love everything about this model’s look. The length of the nails is perfect, not too long or short. The square shape is so eye-catching. Finishing off with all of those rings, her hands look so stylish.

12. Checker Print French Tip Autumn Nails

Checker print easily mixes up any autumn manicure. While I wouldn’t consider checker print an “autumn look,” I think the black and white color combination looks good for the season. I just really like these press-on nails. The checker print is only on the tips, so it looks really unique.

If you want something different than black and white checker print, I suggest doing this look in red instead. Red is a cozy color that is perfect for the season.

13. Reverse Sunset Autumn Nails

I saw on other nail websites that writers are recommending the sunset look for the autumn. I never considered the sunset color combination an autumn color. But these beautiful nails have me mesmerized and I will recommend this look for any time of the year. Plus, red and orange are perfect fall colors. I think with this reverse look, having the white in the middle makes this manicure look more out-of-this-world, so it’s not a typical summer sunset.

While these nails are acrylic and are more than likely done by a professional, I think you can do this look DIY. Paint your nails in that pretty off-white color. Then, paint a line of red on the bottom and orange on top. Take a brush and blend in the three colors for the ombre effect.

14. Silver and Gray Autumn Nails

A sparkling glitter manicure is perfect for the autumn, depending on how you do it. I think this look is the perfect way to use silver glitter for the autumn. The nails are all painted in a muted dark gray (I actually have a similar color as that one and I love it) and one nail is a glitter accent nail. I love how you get the dreary neutrals with a little shimmer, without going overboard. This is an easy look you can do yourself, so there’s no reason to walk into a salon.

15. Navy and Silver Autumn Nails

Another way to add sparkle to your autumn manicure without it looking too Christmasy is by doing a look like this. First, navy is such a great autumn color. Navy blue is the classic dark blue shade, and it’s one of my absolute favorites. I also think navy has a vintage sort of look. The silver glitter stripes make this manicure look more modern. The best part about the silver glitter stripes is you can do this DIY and it makes the navy color look so much more fun!

I also like how the model’s nails aren’t terribly long. For a look like this, I suggest keeping your nails short and rounded. You can also extend this look to the winter and I see this manicure working really well at holiday parties!

16. Neutral Swirl Autumn Nails

Anyone who looks at this look will fall in love, I guarantee. I love how this manicure uses a slightly darker brown neutral color with thin white swirls. The darker brown makes the white stand out more. While this isn’t the most Christmasy look, I can see these colors extending to the winter. You may be tempted to get your nails done as long as the model’s nails. I do like the long nails for this look, but you can do this look DIY with your natural nails.

17. Cherry Foil Leaf Accent Autumn Nails

Now, this shade of red doesn’t scream autumn to me. It’s more of a cherry red color. Cherry is a summer color; a warmer shade of red or even blood red is better for fall. I do suggest choosing a spicy orange-red for this look instead of this cherry red if you want the red to stand out.

But let’s focus on the accent nail, which is why I selected this look. If these were my nails, I would do my accent nail in a similar neutral color with the foil leaf, but without the black lines. The black lines make the accent nail too loud and take away from that precious foil leaf.

I do think the model’s nail length is perfect. They’re long but not too long, so they don’t take anything away from this manicure.

18. Neutral Crystal Autumn Nails

If you want to do a crystal manicure but also want to ensure it’s appropriate for autumn, I suggest this look. I love these nails because the crystals are on the neutral side; they’re not full silver or full gold, that perfect in-between color. However, this look will still “wow” anyone! I also like how the model’s nails are a natural color. They don’t take anything away from the crystals so the nails still look glamorous.

19. Fox Autumn Nails

These nails are SO cute! I’m in love with the little fox detail. I’m honestly not sure how this fox was applied. My assumption is its special nail art but it does look painted. I think it’s so cool how there are those who treat their nails as if they were canvases.

Plus, the tips of the fingers have cute fall leaves. The mix of colors here is perfect for autumn; the leaves are a combination of white, olive, red, and gold. Plus, I love how the artist doesn’t make the leaf design too extravagant so the nails don’t look too busy. The nails are painted with a beautiful shade of deep brown that has a matte finish.

FAQs

Question: What are the Best-shaped Nails for an Autumn Manicure?

Answer: I like the minimalistic look of autumn nails so I wouldn’t suggest crazy-long acrylic nails. Keep your nails short, focusing on your natural nails. If you want your nails to have a more striking appearance, file your nails so they’re square-shaped. If you’re doing your nails DIY, rounded nails are the easiest to achieve.
This doesn’t mean I’m not saying don’t do acrylic nails. If you do acrylic or gel, keep the look subtle. Short and either square, almond, or rounded will look amazing for the season.

Question: Do we Know why Nail Trends for Fall 2022?

Answer: I’m only writing this in summer 2022, so I’m not too sure yet. From what I’m reading, we do expect the coffin nail trend to extend to the next season. Some other classic trends, such as nude nails, will also be prevalent this fall. Another major trend will be blue nails. I recommended the color navy on this list, so I suggest sticking with that shade. I’m shocked by some of the other predictions, such as chrome nails and rhinestones.

Question: What are the Best Fall Colors?

Answer: Here are my recommendations for fall colors:
Mustard
Moss green
Royal blue
Rich brown
Neutrals
Earthy colors
Blood red for Halloween
You can also mess around with these colors to suit your preference. For example, I hate mustard yellow. If I want a manicure in that same category, I would choose gold as opposed to mustard yellow.

Conclusion

Autumn is the best time of the year! We’re only a month into summer and I’m ready for fall. These manicures are making me really excited for the upcoming fall season!

Out of all of these looks, the nude nails are my favorites. I’m very specific about nudes — I prefer brown nudes over pink nudes. But I think nude and neutral colors look best during the fall. Plus, you can extend this look to the wintertime or get a summer nude manicure that can last until fall. I love the first look, but I would get that brown-based or purple nude alone, not alternating, and add one of the glitter polishes as an accent nail. Still, I love how that look is so creative yet you can easily do this look DIY.

I hope you love all of these autumn nail ideas and I was able to recommend your next manicure for the fall season!

Continue reading:

Nude Nails Ideas and Inspiration

Square Nails Inspiration and Ideas

20 Fall Nails Inspiration and Ideas