The Biggest Fall Nail Trends To Know, According To Hollywood’s Go-To Nail Artist

“Normally, when heading into fall and winter, nails tend to get longer and colors darker,” says A-list nail artist Tom Bachik. “But this fall, everyone is going a little bit shorter with their nail length instead. When I was on tour with J.Lo, we took her nails shorter; and my makeup-artist friends, and other celebrities I work with, are all scaling back the length of their nails, too.” What’s more, shorter lengths call for an updated shape, says Bachik. “As nails get shorter, they get more square. Look to Kim Kardashian – when she wears her nails super short, they’re straight across at the top edge. Even on longer nails, I’m seeing more of a square vibe this season. They’re more tapered with the added length but still slightly squared-off at the tip, which makes them more wearable and distinctly elegant. It’s essentially a modern version of the ’90s square nail.”

Coffee-colored beiges, burnt oranges, pumpkin and caramel tones are this season’s nails shades to try. “Think warm fall-inspired sweater colors,” says Bachik. If you tend to stick to pinks and reds, you can still lean into this trend by opting for brown-tinged plums or deep spiced burgundies and reds. Wear them neat or apply a toasted top-coat finish (scroll down for ‘the toasted look’) for even more of a directional vibe.

“Nail effects are still hot – especially glowy shimmers and mirror chromes that add to the color itself and give it a unique look,” says Bachik. “First, apply your favorite warm autumnal tone as a base color then layer on a gold shimmer or pearlescent top coat to finish. I call it a toasted look – it was inspired by my wife.” The effect works for lighter shades, too. “You can still wear your favorite color, whether that’s a dark pumpkin orange or a more natural tone, and layer the gold shimmer or sheer pearlescent shade on top to tweak it. Selena [Gomez] just wore this toasted effect – we did it with a pumpkin color and then with a beige. With the beige color, I applied a gold shimmer nail polish with pink undertones over top. Essie has a sheer, see-through shimmer collection that is fantastic for creating this toasted effect.”

“This season, nail trends have simplified – nails have gotten shorter and nail art has become much more basic. Over-the-top 3D pop art designs are gone and in their place we have touchable textures where swirls and patterns are created with gel nail polish over top of a solid colour to deliver a more subtle, textured effect.” To get the look, Bachik suggests applying the pattern of your choice, then using a chrome powder or color over top of the gel pattern before adding a final layer of polish. “I recently did a cover shoot with Selena where I used a gel polish and a small art brush to draw random circles and squiggly patterns over a nude nail base. Then, I applied a platinum gold color over top of the 3D texture [as pictured here].” We love using Bachik’s Click Colors to create this look – his all-in-one gel polish pens are available in a kit complete with a home-use LED lamp for curing color in just 30 seconds.

“There’s a resurgence of gems and jewels on nails this season,” affirms Bachik. “It’s especially popular on shorter nails – I recently created multiple looks with gems and stones and 3D textures for J.Lo.” This time around, he says, whatever bling you apply, make it smaller and more pattern-oriented than the gem art of seasons past. “Think jewels applied in a row as the tip of a French manicure for instance.”

The micro-French manicure (featuring a very thin tip, as opposed to the classic large white tip) has been trending for many seasons now, and remains the perfect nail for a minimalist who wants a little something extra. Bachik agrees: “Micro-French nails are here to stay because they help create an illusion of a longer nail plate, as opposed to a classic French tip, which can sometimes make the length of the nail bed look shorter.” And, he says, that classic ’90s pink-and-white look is what everyone is asking for right now. “You’ll see many versions of this traditional color pairing – if you apply the nude base color first, then draw the white line along the tip to give you that bright pink-and-white look. For a more subtle effect, I apply the white French tip first, then the nude or pink over top of it, to soften the line and get that natural, ’90s supermodel look.”

According to Bachik, while the classic pink-and-white French mani is still a seasonal favorite, you’ll also see this look featuring dark colored tips. “Even mixing it up, with multiple colors on the tips while still paired with a nude base, is a fun and easy way to bring in that dark seasonal color trend.” Here’s where coffee tones, pumpkin spiced shades and even heather-grey blues will pop. “As we move into winter, you’ll see more jewel tones following that same effect.”