The 15 Coolest Nail Designs for Fall 2025

It's that time of year when we slowly start putting away our favorite neon polishes in favor of the darker, moodier shades of fall. For nail-art aficionados, a change in season presents an opportunity to experiment with an entirely new slew of fun nail designs and colors. Although there are certain standbys we always have waiting once fall arrives (shout-out to our favorite burgundy nail polishes), we reached out to some of our favorite nail aficionados to give us a heads-up on what we'll be seeing in the coming months.

Six experts gave us the scoop on this year's fall nail designs. Even better, most of these are easy enough to DIY with the help of a few tools, new polish shades, and textured topcoats.

Intrigued? Keep reading for 15 new fall nail designs for 2025 (plus tips on how to get the look at home) straight from the pros.

1. Allover Matte

"I think this fall will bring the need for change, and this may be expressed in the switch from a super-shiny manicure to a matte effect," predicts Jin Soon Choi, a New York based expert nail artist and founder of JinSoon.

2. 3D Designs

A 3D approach will take nail designs to the next level. "For art, it’s very textured, 3D designs that are going to stand out," says Elle Gerstein, celebrity nail artist. "The color trends are still very textured but mixing soft with hard. Think of a satin or silk slip paired with a tweed top and then transition it to nails. It’s very luxurious and feels textured—I think polishes are doing the same thing."

3. Subtle Shimmer

For beginner nail artists, Boyce also suggests experimenting with different finishes. Go check out any nail inspo page right now and you'll see a few shimmery options on the rise in addition to a few other finishes. "Try playing with matte and glossy topcoats, like a matte base with a glossy tip or vice versa," she instructs.

4. Colorful French

Several of our pros agreed that French manicures are back in a big way. "They are simple, but I love that you can really combine any colors to create a clean statement look," says Lisa Logan, consulting manicurist for Nails.Inc and owner of The Nail Suite in Harlem, New York. Boyce agrees, suggesting that people with longer nails go for an almond shape with a darker shade at the tip and that those with shorter nails experiment with the painted curve.

5. Double-Corner French

Lately, Choi's clients have been requesting a riff on the iconic French manicure. "Clients often ask for different versions of this, modernizing it a bit by using a different color combo (not just pink and white) or trying colorful tips. They also request things like negative-space French manicures, diagonal or two-tone diagonal tips, and ombré French," she says.

6. Ombré French

The above photo is a perfect example of the ombré-French design and can be created using any number of color combinations.

7. Kitty-Cat Tips

These feline-inspired nails give the appearance of claws with dark, angular tips—just in time for Halloween. This design looks best on longer nails, and it can work on extensions, too. "This is slightly harder to DIY, but if you are getting nail extensions, this is such a fierce look," says Boyce.

8. Two-Toned Tips

"Many people are slowly easing back into fun, bold manicure looks," shares Logan. Like Choi, Logan's clients have requested modern French manicures with two-tone diagonal tips, as pictured above.

9. Tips Only

"The nail art for this season will be unlike any other mostly because it will be DIY," predicts Mazz Hanna, celebrity manicurist and founder of Mazz Hanna. Simple designs on just the tips of the fingernails are a great way for at-home nail artists to begin while also playing with this season's color palette.

10. Tonal Ombré

Instead of multicolor manicures, Logan is seeing more clients request a tonal ombré with two or more colors on a single nail. Like the transition between seasons, this design can carry you from fall to winter (or your next manicure appointment).

11. Ombré Color Family

If the multi-nail ombré look seems a bit more feasible to DIY, we love the idea of playing within a cohesive color family. Hanna agrees, noting, "It is super easy to do and still makes a bold statement."

12. Glass Extensions

As a specialist in gel extensions, Boyce is, unsurprisingly, all in on the glass nail trend. "It's a chic design that goes with everything," she shares. "This is slightly harder to DIY, but if you are getting nail extensions, this is such a clean look."

13. Negative-Space Nail Art

"Nail art has become more and more popular at NYFW," explains Choi. "I expect to see many negative-space manicures with simple and minimalistic nail art, such as the look we created for Proenza Schouler [one season]."

14. Polka Dots

Similarly, nail artist Jacqueline Pham sees the polka-dot trend carrying on strong into the fall. "There are variety of colors that can be used to transition into a minimalist fall design while playing up these patterns," she says. Hanna agrees, noting that these dots are super easy to achieve using a bobby pin. "Even with limited nail art experience, and you can use any seasonal color that is trending," she shares. But you can't rush the process. "Polka dots typically take longer to dry, so it's important that you make sure your dots are completely dry before applying your topcoat," cautions Hanna. "If you apply a topcoat too soon, it will cause the polka dots to drag." And that can make this DIY design prone to redos.

15. Stripes

Pham expects stripes to make a comeback this season since they're so easy to achieve at home. Additionally, Choi suggests using the edge of your nail polish brush to DIY it. She encourages at-home nail artists to begin by using everyday items like a toothpick or a clean makeup sponge. If you're ready to level up, all of our pros recommend buying a set of thin paintbrushes.

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.