The Best Fall Nail Colors Of 2025, According To Experts

Forbes

4 days ago

While summer nail colors are dominated by happy brights and pale pastels, fall is the time to reach for more saturated shades. The best fall nail colors are sensual and moody—think warm chocolate browns, wine-inspired reds, unexpected earthy greens and color-shifting topcoats. As you transition your closet (and mindset) and ditch breezy linen for cozy cashmere, channeling autumnal vibes through your nail polish is easier than ever.
The best fall 2025 nail colors are refreshingly rich and saturated. These warm, earthy shades will ... More perfectly complement the seasonal transition. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
'While we always want summer to stick around, in general nail shades go darker in fall,' says Julie Kandalec, New York City-based manicurist and educator. 'We're seeing mauves and mochas, clay colors, deep greens and teals, bronzey metallics, cabernet reds, shades of white, and even micro French manicures.' Here are the best fall colors of 2025, whether you're looking for an updated neutral, jewel tone or out-of-the-box autumn iridescent.
'Earthy, clay colors—as if you were in an airplane over the American West and looking down—will be big this season,' says Kandalec, who notes that browns are a popular, sophisticated option. This chocolate brown hue, reminiscent of worn leather, is a refined choice for fall. Wear it with your favorite fall boot while warming your hands with a pecan oatmilk cortado. For an entire set of can't-go-wrong fall shades, we also like Lights Lacquer's Headed West collection.
Crisp fall days call for coziness, and comforting mauve shades are a quintessential autumn neutral. This versatile, vintage-inspired shade—which really reads more taupe and beige with the slightest hints of purple—is polished for work, and it pairs well with a slouchy bag, chunky sweater and basically anything in your closet for weekends, too. (Pro tip: If you liked a summer purple jelly, you may like this as a seasonal replacement.)
If you've gravitated toward navy in fall in the past, try this rich blue-meets-green shade as a stunning, less predictable alternative. The rich, elegant color is a little bit darker and more muted than peacock. Evelyn Lim, chief educator at Paintbox, likes saturated teal shades like this cruelty-free one as a short nail choice.
Greens with a hint of brown are trending this fall, according to Kandalec. If you're looking for a nuanced polish, this mysterious olive color evokes lush forest-y vibes with its slightly muddy yellow and brown undertones. While this color may stretch you out of your comfort zone, it will earn you endless style points. For another similar shade, try Addiction Tokyo's Kyoto Moss.
So yes, this shade should be familiar to you. One of the brand's original nail colors, Essie Bordeaux was first released back in 1981, and it's equally in style today, according to Kandalec. That's because wine-colored hues are fall classics—they work with a variety of skin tones and add sophistication to every outfit. If you're looking for more of a brown with red undertones, we also like the new Essie Boho Rodeo.
'We're seeing white in the fall nail collections this year, which is pretty rare,' says Kandalec. 'There are ecru and eggshell shades, and even whites with a little pearl or microshimmer finish.' This sheer creamy white polish from Londontown is designed to strengthen and moisturize nails—with ingredients like evening primrose oil, cucumber extract and vitamin E—which is helpful as fall air becomes crisper and drier.
Nail colors that mimic fall leaves and pumpkin hues are, fittingly, back this season. This spicy shade is a warm orange-brown, but with an updated reflective finish. It's ideal for those who want extra shine without adding gems or additional nail art. For a color-shifting bronze, try ILNP Abundance.
If you wore hot pink in summer and are looking for a pink shade that transitions into fall, raspberry is a good choice, according to Lim. This statement-making pink is infused with peony and pistachio extract to protect nails.
Ulta Beauty Glamnetic La Perle Press On Nails
'French manicures—especially micro-French manicures—are big for fall,' says Kandalec. 'They make the nail beds look long.' The only issue is, precise micro-French styles can be labor intensive and difficult to execute at home. As an alternative, this press on set from Glamnetic has a square-oval shape and glazed finish that gives nails a pulled together, stylish look. For an edgy twist, try almond shaped French mani press-ons with black tips and gem nail art.
The Forbes Vetted beauty team has spent lots of time researching and writing about nailcare, including stories on the best summer nail colors, the best press-on nails and the best nail polish brands. This article was written by Forbes Vetted beauty and fashion writer Molly Calhoun, who has covered haircare and skincare extensively for the vertical and has covered lifestyle topics for two decades. She has personal experience with many of these brands and plans to wear chocolate brown and earthy green nail colors all fall long.
Forbes Vetted deputy editor Jane Sung oversaw this story. She is a beauty veteran who has been a lifestyle journalist for twenty years, and she has tested and edited stories on hundreds of beauty products.
For this story we spoke with two leading nail experts: Julie Kandalec, New York City-based celebrity manicurist and educator, and Evelyn Lim, chief educator at Paintbox.
For this list, we started with a broad, comprehensive search. We scoured trend forecasts from top nailcare brands, we pored over runway looks and we sought the expertise of respected nail artists. We sought out bestselling formulas and new shades from top brands, including Essie, Manicurist, OPI and Lights Lacquer.
We consulted two nail experts for this story. We discussed specific color families and polish names that are trending for fall 2025 in addition to popular nail trends like micro-French nails and bronze or copper metallics.
We considered polishes at different price points because everyone is working with a different budget.
We took online reviews into account as well. While some shades aren't always right for certain skin tones, we assessed if users reported that polishes were prone to chipping or streaking.