New in nails: 6 fall trends to try

Be it at the salon, on runways or fresh off the feeds of Instagram's buzziest celebrities (hi, Hailey Bieber!), this year's most sought-after fall manicures are abundant in earthy jewel tones, chic shaping, and subtle spins on timeless designs. In hopes of inspiring your next set of nails, we spoke to three Canadian manicurists over email on what's trending this season to bring you up to speed. 

Chocolate glazed chrome nails

Editorial manicurist and nail artist Naomi Misu tells us the "glazed donut" nail trend à la Hailey Bieber has been in high-demand for months at Toronto's Tips Nails Bar, with no signs of stopping — so why not play with a new colour and keep the trend going? 

"Hailey and her nail artist, @nailsbyzola, have showcased various base colours topped with a white chrome, and most recently have introduced it in a chocolate brown colourway," explains Tiffany Sachs, a Toronto-based nail artist and manicurist specialising in editorial, celebrity, fashion and commercial manis. In an autumnal take on the original strawberry set, Sachs predicts this chocolate glazed edition is sure to be a hit. 

Fall-ify your French

The possibilities are endless when it comes to reimagining the standard French manicure. A classic nude pink base and clean white tips ruled the '90s and Y2K scenes — but this fall we're craving an edgier alternative. In contrast to last year's playful tips, we'll be seeing fall shades cap off our French manis this time around. Sachs suggests black, chocolate and espresso browns, burnt reds and oranges or earthy green tones to spice up your tips. Take it one step further and play with the depth variations of the smile line (the line that creates the tip), from micro thin to a deep V-shape to elevate the look.

Back to our roots

"Less is more" is a minimalist's motto. Nudes and neutrals are usually the safe bet when it comes to simple manicures — but this season, solid earthy tones are perfect for exploring colour in a subdued manner (if vibrant hues are not usually your thing). Switch up summer's brighter greens for darker shades and browns with yellow undertones, Misu advises. "Mustard yellow would be super cute too!" she adds. "I feel like people are loving the '70s and '80s colour palette this fall, they are bold but somehow neutral. TV shows like Stranger Things and Euphoria definitely gave us the vibe!" 

Squoval shaping up

In theory, long coffin nails seem appropriate with Halloween just around the corner. In practice, they can sometimes be difficult to manage and are easier to break the longer they get. Instead, give in to the shape of the moment and opt for short squovals. After all, "Short is in!" says private editorial manicurist Sarah Alaina. "Short square[s] with slightly rounded edges, a squoval manicure is natural, clean, and functional," she shared. Taking inspiration from Peter Do's FW22 runway show, fuse function with fashion and add black accents to your mani to keep the spirit of the spooky season alive. 

Simple, subtle, silver 

Consider your nails an opportunity to further your accessories, from your bracelets and rings straight to your fingertips. That's how Alaina sees it, anyway — and we agree! "Using silver in your manicure is like having nails that are little pieces of jewelry," explains the manicurist who frequents campaigns, commercials, and film sets to carry out her craft. "The glazed manicure has been so popular, I think the shiny nail will be interpreted in a more subtle, soft way using silver reflects."

Total texture

Tap into your experimental side with an editorial twist on your next manicure by adding texture atop your polish. "This can be as simple as some structured gel blobs over top of a solid colour of your choice or as loud as a full chrome on chrome manicure with added beads on top!" says Sachs. With over half a million views, the #texturednails hashtag on TikTok compiles an endless flow of creative takes on this trend for you to sift through. Think Iris van Herpen inspired nails — high fashion but far more wearable.

Lauren Knowles is a Bahamian born writer based in Toronto. A recent journalism and fashion studies graduate, she aims to create purposeful work through the lens of fashion and beauty.