Autumn is the season where shade choice moves fastest. A warm caramel that looks perfect in the first week of September looks light by late October, and the deep plums that look right in November feel heavy if you start them too early.
These are grouped by family, and inside each one they run from the earliest to the latest in the season.
Regrowth at the cuticle is obvious on a dark shade within two weeks, where a nude hides it for four. If you want a deep set that ages well, ask for a half moon at the base or an ombre from the cuticle.
Browns and caramels
Caramel
Warm mid-brown with a golden cast. The default autumn neutral now.
Toffee
Slightly deeper and less golden. Good as a French tip colour.
Chocolate
Deep warm espresso with a mirror shine.
Mocha matte
Mid brown under matte. The matte is what makes it modern.
Cinnamon
Warm red-brown. Reads spiced rather than plain.
Bitter chocolate
Almost black warm brown. The deepest neutral available.
Sheer amber
Translucent warm amber with real depth.
Oranges and rust
Terracotta
Dusty clay orange. Behaves like a neutral while still reading as colour.
Pumpkin
Muted burnt orange with brown in it.
Rust
Deeper and redder than pumpkin. Very November.
Burnt coral
Coral with brown in it. The bridge shade from August.
Mustard
Deep warm yellow. Divisive and much loved.
Reds and berries
Oxblood
Deep brownish red. The single most requested autumn shade.
Cranberry
Translucent deep red with glassy depth.
Burgundy
Wine red. Slightly brighter than oxblood.
Cherry red
Works every month. Especially good in October.
Plum
Purple-toned deep berry. Suits cool undertones.
Mulled wine
Deep red with a purple cast. The last red before Christmas red.
Greens and neutrals
Olive matte
Muted green under matte. Matte stops it reading military.
Forest green
Deep green that carries into December without being festive.
Sage
Soft muted green. The quietest colour in the season.
Warm greige
Grey with brown in it. Bridges every part of autumn.
Taupe
Grey-brown neutral. Excellent as a velvet finish.
Charcoal
Deep grey. Softer than black and easier to wear daily.
Metallics and finishes
Bronze chrome
Warm metallic. The first metallic that feels right again after summer.
Copper foil
Torn copper leaf near the cuticle, sealed under two topcoats.
Chocolate chrome
Chrome powder over a deep brown base.
Cinnamon velvet
Magnetic gel in a warm rust, worked into a soft cloud.
Bronze cat eye
Magnetic band in a warm bronze rather than a cool navy.
Gold micro-line
A hairline of gold lengthways on two nails.
For the designs these shades sit under, fall nails has the full list, and august nail colors covers the weeks just before this.
Questions people actually ask
What are the most popular fall nail colors?
Oxblood, warm chocolate brown, burnt orange and olive. Brown has grown fastest over the last two seasons and now outsells burgundy in most salons.
What fall nail colors suit pale skin?
Plum, deep berry and cool-toned burgundy. Very warm oranges and golden browns can read sallow against cool undertones.
When should I switch to fall colors?
Warm browns and oranges from the first week of September, deep reds and plums from the first week of October.
Which autumn shade is easiest to wear?
Terracotta. It behaves like a neutral while still reading as a colour, and it works from late August through November.
