The Gist
- September is firmly placed as “the in-between” time, and we’ve got the perfect manicures to bridge this seasonal gap.
- Have fun with a gel manicure that plays with different sheens, textures, and colors.
It sneaks up every year; the season changes, the air turns crisp, and the leaves begin to fall. The temperature can’t seem to decide if it’s summer or autumn, cold in the mornings with sunny afternoons, and neither can you. Maybe you’ll miss the beach days and dips in the ocean, maybe you can’t wait to curl up with a sweater and start putting up early Halloween decorations. September is firmly placed as “the in-between.” If you don’t know what season to dress for, how will you land on a design for your nails?
A gel manicure will allow you to get the most out of your nails this season. Nowadays, most nail artists use gel polish to create nail art, as it doesn’t dry as quickly as a standard lacquer and allows for more precision with their brushes. Once it’s cured with the light, the artist can easily build upon the nail, adding base layers and intricate details, like a fine chrome line or creating an aura effect with an airbrush.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up our favorite gel manicures to inspire your nails all month long.
Vamp City
A timeless classic with a modern twist. This set features a deep, vampy burgundy to usher in the fall season, topped with a matte finish and micro-glossed tips for a subtle French effect.
Porcelain
The delicate blue whorls on this manicure are offset by a nude base that teases a white edge, reminiscent of the most delicate porcelain teacup.
Tomato Girl…Autumn?
This manicure might appear as a classic red to the untrained eye, but two incredibly detailed leaf clusters peek out on the accent nails, turning the wash of bold red into little tomatoes on your fingertips, fresh off the vine.
Petal Tips
For a more minimalist approach, this set sweeps the base of the nail with a fresh nude, painting a thin, clean red tip across the free edge and detailing delicate red flowers on the accent nails.
Hand Painted
According to artist San Sung Kim, this dreamy set of hers was inspired by Mariano Fortuny’s still-life, “Malvas Reales,” using gel polish to essentially recreate and capture the essence of the impressionist painting on a new type of canvas.
Night Sky Cat Eye
Using magnetic gels, Kim creates a deep blue set that shifts and glitters as it catches the light, exposing hidden fine-line moon, star, and constellation detailing.
Star Sage
This pear-toned set makes a strong case for magnetic gels. The cat-eye effect catches the light with a subtle, tasteful shimmer, coupled with some clear 3D accents for depth. To complete the look, each nail is topped with a mini black star decal that pops against the light base.
Matcha Blend
Kim has managed to capture the exact moment your oat milk hits your matcha and transfer it onto a nail. The perfect transition from summer to fall, and now no one will forget your cafe order.
Maraschino Cherry
This moody set looks harder to achieve than it is, thanks to the clear 3D gel that Kim used to create the illusion of carving out abstract lines and pairs of cherries. According to the artist, she only used one base color and builder gel to complete the look—a two-ingredient masterpiece.
Burgundy Dreams
If you’ve waited all year to pull out this color scheme, now’s the time. A simple stiletto nail with a deep, rich autumnal tone will have the leaves falling around you in no time.
Pattern of the Year
You heard it here first: polka dots are back in a big way this year. Add some butter yellow on the nail’s edge, and you’ve got yourself a trend-forward double threat.
Mob Wife Leopard
While Carmela Soprano always sported a square, French manicure, nothing says mob wife like a good animal print. Celebrity nail artist Iram Shelton used OPI gel polishes to achieve this fierce, squoval set.
Chartreuse
A soft green shade is airbrushed over a semi-translucent base, leaning into the aura nail trend before painting delicate gold-chrome bows and a small rhinestone on each to tie everything together.
Polka Dot Bikini
Polka dots are surprisingly versatile; in contrast to our butter yellow French tips above, these dots lean into a blue-on-blue scheme and cover the entire nail.
Teddy Bear
This set takes the cake for cutest manicure by far, with multicolored teddy bears stamped across each finger.
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Marbled
The detailing on this indigo marbled set elevates any manicure. It’s as if your nails were chiseled out of stone and deserve their spot in The Parthenon.
Mossy Brown
Mossy brown is an elevated, simple yet effective classic that lies in the nude-toned family. The best part about this understated manicure? It’s guaranteed to go with everything.
Instant Reblog
These nails scream Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey’s flower crown, Marina and the Diamonds—in other words, this would have gone triple platinum on Tumblr in 2015, and the style holds up ten years later.
Chrome Stars
Atop a base of a translucent or milky base, star and rhinestone gems are added to bring a little edge to your manicure. It’s a built-in accessory!
Poolside
The marbled effect on this manicure, coupled with multiple shades of blue, adds dimension and the feeling of sitting poolside, frozen cocktail in hand.