7 Nail Design Trends to Inspire Your Fall Manicures

May 2024 · 5 minute read

Pumpkin spice has made its triumphant return and the leaves start to turn gold. The next logical thing to do is swap your sunny yellow manicure for vampy oxblood polish.

Your manicures don't have to stop at seasonally-appropriate colors. Why not take your nails to the next level with some nail art?

With so many ridiculously talented nail artists on Instagram, there are endless designs out there that will complement your personal style. And there's a handful of art that continues to show up in our feed and are on their way to becoming bonafide trends.

Whether you have reoccurring appointments at your favorite salon or you're a semi-pro and DIY your manicures at home, the trending nail art designs of fall cover all skill levels.

From bold mismatched nails to classic half moons, we've rounded up the seven biggest nail art trends for fall.

Mismatched Nails

Why choose one nail art design when you can wear all of them at once? This trend is completely customizable because it's entirely up to you to decide which patterns and colors to use on each nail.

Love neutral manicures, but looking to make your go-to colors a little more spicy? Take a cue from Canishiea J. Sams's Earth-toned nail art to serve as your inspiration. Even better, this manicure was created entirely with a set of press-on nails. It really doesn't get easier than that, am I right?

From yin yangs to checkerboards, this mismatched manicure by Evelynn Escobar-Thomas has it all. While this is a vibrant take on the trend, sticking to soft shades like Escobar-Thomas has will simplify choosing your color scheme.

Colorful Curves

You don't need to be a nail art pro to nail this design. Choose any solo color, or mix and match your favorite polishes to create this look. Use the polish's built-in brush to draw a curved line on any corner of the nail, then fill it in. Yup, it's that easy.

Upgrade your signature red manicure with a few curves. Celebrity and editorial manicurist Miss Pop created this nail art for Beanie Feldstein for Valentine's Day, but it works equally as well on a crisp fall day. She used Chanel's Le Vernis polish in Rouge Puissant ($30; chanel.com) on the actress' nails.

For a more subtle look, try pairing two contrasting pastel shades on each nail à la Anouk Nail It.

Polka Dots

Minimalists listen up, this nail art trend is for you. While you don't need fancy nail art tools to give yourself a polka dot manicure, the look still comes off as impressive.

Instagram's favorite manicurist Betina Goldstein added maroon dots near the base of all 5 fingers over a clear coat. Simple, yet stunning if you ask us.

Get ready to pop some bottles with these champagne-inspired dots. Nail artist Amy Le chose a neutral base and added some "fizz" with an array of gold, cream, and gray dots in varying sizes.

Marble Swirls

The reason marble countertops are the backdrop of virtually every beauty flat lay on Instagram is that the pattern is incredibly chic. Unsurprisingly, marble makes for elegant nail art, too. What better way to say goodbye to summer than with these blue marble acrylic nails by Rayshel? The swirls are reminiscent of the ocean waves from all of the hazy afternoons spent at the beach.

We are also ooh'ing and ahh'ing over these marble nails by artist Onody Bernadett. The marble itself is amazing, but she went a step above by adding gold nail foil.

The Colorful French Manicure

The French manicure is a classic, but if you're looking for a little something more swap the traditional white tips for colored ones of various shapes and sizes.

You color block your outfits, so why not do your nails, too? Manicurist Alicia Torello chose complimentary Orosa nail polishes to paint double French tips on each finger.

Simply looking to level-up your go-to white tips? Play with shape as demonstrated by nail artist Amy Le.

VIDEO: How Much Do I Need to Tip at a Nail Salon?

Half Moons

If you think you've tried every iteration of the half moon manicure, think again. Half moons have become a staple nail art design because there are endless ways to switch it up, whether it's negative space crescents or color blocking.

The beauty of negative space half moons is that the design still looks amazing as it grows out. While you could stick with a single shade, gradient half moons like these ones by Hang Nguyen are an instant pick me up.

If you can't beat the pumpkin spice latte, embrace it. Channel the classic fall drink with orange and white color-blocked half moons from Paintbox's creative director Mabelyn Martin. This design by was created using the NYC nail salon's in-house line of nail polishes in the duo Like Spice + Like Spring ($40; paint-box.com).

Confetti Nails

This manicure is a party you don't have to clean up after. Even when it's not your birthday, confetti nails are the next best way to celebrate.

These shooting star nails by Hey, Nice Nails! are truly out of this world.

Just like actual glitter, sparkly nail polish can be a pain to take off. Enter Color Camp's press-on nail sets. Not only are they a foolproof way to get professional-quality nail art, but it only takes a few minutes to pop them off.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK57wZ6YrqypZLuitcusZp%2BZnKF6r63IpWSaqqRitqWxwKw%3D