If I asked you to imagine the perfect spring manicure, chances are you’d settle on the baby boomer look or any number of pastels. But it’s 2024 – who has time to live life by the rulebooks? Lily James just threw them out entirely, channelling the spirit of autumn via an excellent brown manicure.
With her squoval nails painted a rich shade of chocolate, James posted an Instagram Story with her fingertips clasped around a green juice. Deeper shades like this tick all the right boxes in the cooler months, but as the sun starts to shine, we typically move towards lighter and brighter colours.
But why? Year-round, brown – a shade also favoured by Sofia Richie – is flattering on all skin tones and taps into nature’s colour palette. Pulling it off is all about finding the right shade – err on the side of sumptuous browns, rather than anything too rust-hued, and set upon a natural nail shape. James’s oval-tipped nails are perfect for the look.
It’s also worth playing with finish. Chrome and other shimmering finishes are incredibly popular right now, and are super easy for a good nail tech to achieve, but you can also opt for a high-shine top coat to create a supremely glossy finish. Alternatively, a matte effect can lend itself to a cooler, more statement look – Essie do a great one for home use.
Here are some of our favourite polishes to try now:
Hermes Les Mains Hermès Nail Polish
£45
Selfridges
Nails Inc. Caught in The Nude Nail Polish
£8
Cult Beauty
Essie Core 897 No To-Do
£8.99
Superdrug
Manucurist Nail Polish – Clove
£14
Manucurist