15 Nail Art Designs for Fall That Aren't Tacky
Nail art can be tricky, am I right?
One second you think you’re getting a mani to subtly show off on the gram while sipping your perfect heart-shaped matcha, and the next second you’re carrying around 5 lbs worth of crystals on your thumb. I get it; it’s a delicate balance between wanting something special and going way, way over the top.
If you’re anything like me, you feel a little queasy at the sight of neon orange pumpkins, 3D goblins, and crystal ghosts practically leaping off of someone’s nails. At that point, they may as well add flashing lights and hire a band to follow them around and play the soundtrack to Hocus Pocus.
Although that actually seems like a lot of fun… my personal opinion is, like trick-or-treating, there comes an age when it’s a bit odd to be parading around with such distracting seasonal nail art.
On the other hand, a girls’ gotta live. After all, nail polish is one of the easiest ways to switch up our beauty routine, so I am all in favor of fun in moderation. Once in a while, I love swapping out my normal nude or light pink mani in favor of something more exciting and creative.
Now, the fact that we are in our first official week of Fall is reason enough to celebrate. I recently shared on my Instagram story a nail art situation gone wrong (in short: I overestimated my skills on how to explain the idea in my head to the nail technician). In the end, I went back and decided to go with a muted, feminine ombre instead. I’m considering it my “transitional Fall mani”. Moral of the story: just show your nail technician a photo from this post to recreate.
As I was preparing for my second visit to the salon and searching online for Fall nail art designs, I rummaged through the thousands of tacky ones to find you the very best colors, patterns, and shapes. Without further ado, here are 15 of my favorites:
p.s. I’ll be testing out a few of these myself over the next couple months and will share feedback on my Instagram as well (don’t forget to follow along @lifestylebyannaelizabeth)
Quick tip -
Instead of: pumpkins, goblins, ghosts, leaves, and blood splatter
Try: spots, leopard print, evil eye, ombre, geometric shapes, accent muted plaid, neutral stars, and crescent moons
All photos were found via Pinterest and Instagram and credited as best as I could; please reach out via email if your photo is credited incorrectly.
Do you get a special mani for Fall? Tag me in your favorite nail art selfie on the gram, or comment on my latest post and tell me!
Want more beauty inspiration? Read Every Beauty Product I Bought and Loved this Season and How to Know When It's Time for a Major Hair Change.
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xo Anna Elizabeth