The only redeeming part of summer ending is the start of fall beauty season. I’ll miss my baby pink and lilac manicures, but there’s something about richer, moodier polish shades that makes colder days feel infinitely chicer.
To make the transition to autumn easier, I pulled together the best fall nail trends worth screenshotting for your next appointment. Think deep plums and wine reds, plus elevated twists on the mainstays like French tips and chrome finishes. I also tapped professional nail artist Mia Farrelly for her forecast on what’s about to take over on her clients' fingers for fall.
Ahead, the best fall nail trends of 2025 and some inspo to add to your manicure queue.
Striped French tips
When I saw Kylie Jenner's black and white take on French tips (pictured above) I saved them to my nail inspo folder immediately. Then, I saw how cute a striped French mani looks with fall-esque shades, and immediately decided that they'll be my Halloween nails.
Red wine nails
As soon the weather drops below 70 degrees, I’m swapping my bright cherry reds for deeper maroon shades. And Farrelly loves a rich wine-esque red for fall. ”A dark wine red is something you should expect to see this fall," she says. "The deep, rich shade gives a timeless and sophisticated look.”
Polka dot nails
Celebs like Hailey Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and Dua Lipa have all been rocking polka dot nails as of late, and it’s one of the biggest nail and fashion trends out there. It’s so easy to execute the classic pattern, but you can also amp it up with contrasting colors and different sized dots.
Mirror nails
We're amping up chrome nails to the next level with reflective manicures this fall. Think shiny, metal finishes that are so glossy that they basically double as mini mirrors.
Tortoise shell nails
“I’m loving the return of animal print nails for autumn, especially tortoise shell,” says Farelly. “The moment they start popping up on your feed, you know it’s officially fall.” And there are so many ways to pull off the reptilian pattern. Whether you’re going full on tortoise, using the print as an accent nail, or elevating a French manicure with a tortoise finish, the autumnal pattern is always chic.
Plum nails
"There’s something so striking about deep purple shades this time of year," says Farrelly, "It’s dark, intense, and dramatic." The shade is popping up everywhere in fall fashion, and I especially love it as a simple yet elevated nail color.
Meet the expert
Mia Farrelly, aka @bymiaf, is a UK-based nail technician at Calma Salons who loves all things nail art and content creation.
Why Trust Cosmopolitan?
Jasmine Hyman is the assistant beauty editor at Cosmo who is obsessed with manicures. For this story, she spent hours researching the best fall nail colors and designs, and tapped nail artist Mia Farrelly for her insight.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
