Nail Color Fall into Winter

As the mood in fashion this fall turns luxurious, with its rich colors, textured fabrics, furs and leathers, the mood of your manicure should follow suit.

This season's nails get glamorous in dark indulgent colors, metallic sheens and high glossy finishes, that perfectly complement the jewel tones, moody grays, browns and lush blue-reds seen in fashion right now.

A fusion of opulent locations and eras influenced designers this season, ranging from Victorian England, to old Russia, to the jazz age to the over-indulgent 1980’s.


This opulent attitude goes from head to toe to fingertip, as nothing scream indulgence quite like a dark polished fingernail against a fur trimmed tweed coat or velvet cocktail dress.

At the moment sporting black nail polish, a trend that started popping up on starlets and fashion “it” girls throughout the summer is continuing to go strong into the winter months.

Chanel’s “Black Satin” is leading the pack as the trendiest color of the trend, selling out almost everywhere it is sold.  Being on a waitlist for this coveted shade is not unheard of, as the polish is so hot, even the New York Times dedicated an article just on its shade alone.

Why is the trend of wearing black nail polish so newsworthy?  Maybe because even the executives at Chanel were shocked by the shade’s popularity in the United States. After all, one would think that black polish would appeal to a small, specific market.

But the buzz surrounding this color trend has lent itself to admirers in all ages of women, regardless of economics or geography.

Now that wearing black nail polish is getting so much hype will the trend slow down?  It doesn’t appear so.  Rescue Beauty Lounge, a nail salon in NYC’s trend conscience SoHo neighborhood, tells me that there own private label version of black, “Revamp,” a shade with speckles of ruby undertones, is by far the current favorite choice among their customers.  At a recent visit to the salon for my own “research” manicure, the topic of conversation among the clientele - you guessed it - “who would and wouldn’t wear black nail polish.” (Those who voted “no” all agreed, though, that they would consider this bold color for their next pedicure).

Finding yourself amongst the “would” bunch but can’t get your manicured hands on a bottle of Chanel’s famous black?  No worries, as The Time’s article goes on to lists beautiful alternatives such as OPI’s “Lincoln Park”, MAC’s ”Nocturnelle”, Essie’s “Wicked” and Cover Girl’s “Midnight Magic” that may be more readily available for you “of-the-moment fashionistas.”

Love the idea of taking your nail color dark, but don’t want the attention that wearing black polish may draw?  Then a deep rich brown maybe the perfect alternative.  Shades such as Creative Nail Design’s “Fedora”, a polish that is getting its share of editorial praise as well, Essie’s “Bitter Chocolate” and “Clutch Me If You Can”, as well as OPI’s “Oh To Be 25 Again”, are all beautiful choices.  These shades of deep browns mimic the dark leathers we’re seeing in the oversized “it” bags of the season from design houses such as Marc Jacobs, Gucci and Ferragamo.

For the holidays, paint the town and your nails red.  Deep crimson or purple-red hues perfectly compliment this season’s glamorous metallics.  Cosmetic guru Bobbi Brown’s “Ruby Shimmer”, a deep shimmery red was inspired by the sparkle of ruby gemstones against the skin.  Max Factor’s “Gilded Ruby” adds a burst of crimson sparkle while Anna Sui”s “303” gets the prize for giving your nails a most true “ruby slipper” effect.  Pinks this season are more sultry than sweet as they play off of smokey grey eye makeup. Chanel’s “Pink” and “Baby Satin Pink” promise to enliven your French manicure.

Layering nail colors is a fun way to create your own personalized shades this season.  Cover Girl’s “Boundless Nail Color” takes the trend a step farther by offering nail colors specified as solid colored base coats and glittery top coats.  Their website’s “Interactive Boundless Nail Salon” allows you to experiment with your favorite combinations on your own “virtual fingernail”, all before stepping in the store to buy a bottle.

Even nude shades dazzle this year, as they tend to glow from within.  Mega-design star Tom Ford makes his cosmetic debut with Estee Lauder this fall.  His nail color - “Amber nude” a beautiful neutral with a subtle tint of gold.  It’s a shade that's sure to take you from the holidays straight into the warmer days of spring.

Love the idea of your manicure and pedicure colors complimenting each other, but find yourself confused at which shades will work together?  Then perhaps Jemma Kidd’s “Intoxicating duos” are for you.  In her new make-up line, the former British model turned make-up artist, eliminates the guess work by presenting five different palettes of matching polishes that are sure to please.

Matching your lipstick to your nail polish, a nod to the properly made-up women of the 1940’s, has been spotted on runways and in fashion editorials this season.  The look is pure “old Hollywood glamour” and is an easy and fun way to add a little sophistication to your overall festive “look” through the holidays.

Whatever polish is your perfect shade this season, there are a few “rules of thumb” to remember - dark colors look best on a shorter nail length, apply a fresh protective top coat everyday to maintain shine and prevent chips, protect your manicure by wearing dish gloves when keeping house, and if polishing your nails is reserved only for special occasions - remember an unpolished hand can look just as beautiful this winter, as long as it is properly filed, buffed and well moisturized!



Former Newsworthy Nail Colors

This isn’t the first time Chanel has found success with dark polish. Their polish “Vamp”, a deep reddish-black, first made a splash when introduced in the early 90’s and remains one of its top 10 sellers today.

Urban Decay also made nail polish history by bending the color rules in the late 90’s when they introduced the mass market to nails painted in shades of blues, greens, purples and muddy metallics.




Born with a natural sense of style, Julie Hoylen is a fashion stylist and consultant working in the New York City area. Julie's professional experience in both the fashion and music industries has allowed her to develop a unique perspective on personal style that keeps her clients turning to her whenever they need help defining their look personally or professionally. 

Julie is the Lifestyle Editor and Chief Style Maven.  You can see the latest from Julie on Live In Full Color.