Anyone who knows me knows that I love to paint my nails. I don’t think my natural, unpainted nails have seen the light of day in years. However, I’ve never had acrylics, and I don’t plan on getting them anytime soon. I plan to stick to regular polish for now, which isn’t too hard when you can use stencils or dotting tools that are readily available at most cosmetics stores.
I don’t think I’m alone in this either, so I’ve got some ways to get cute nails without press-ons or acrylics to share. I figured since the best season ever is upon us, I might as well compile a few autumn-inspired nail designs for the fall lovers who, like me, want cool nail art without having to get them professionally done.
simple fall Solids
The easiest way to get cute fall nails is to pick a solid color that goes with the vibe of the season. I love a good jewel tone, but more dull and subdued pastels can also be a nice choice.
The most timeless and iconic fall nail color will always be cherry red, and sometimes I like to do an even darker red just for fun. Currently, my favorite shade is OPI’s “I’m Not Really a Waitress” because it also has a little shimmer in it.
Though if you’re not a fan of darker colors, I get it. The best light colors for fall, in my opinion, would probably be a light orange or a dull lavender, such as Deborah Lippmann’s “Love In The Dunes.”
Ladybug nails
My current obsession is ladybug nails, which arguably could be done in the spring, but I still think they work so well for the cozy fall vibe this time of year.
You’ll need a red base and some black and white for the accents, though I also think that a dark blue could be super cute in contrast with the red instead of black. If you don’t have a dotting tool for the dots, you can use the dull tip of a wooden pencil, or basically anything with a rounded end.
For a more detailed tutorial, you can search ladybug nails on YouTube, and plenty of videos pop up. If I’m being honest, when I did these, I just tried to copy the picture. They came out great, so they‘ are’re definitely beginner-friendly! Just make sure you let the red base dry before you add on the face and dots.
halloween nails
We can’t forget the main event of fall: Halloween. I think the options for spooky nail designs are limitless. A personal favorite is blood splatters, which are super easy to do because they don’t have to be perfect. You can also try making spiders, which are very doable, considering they’re just one dot with eight lines.
Most packs that come with dotting tools also have tiny line brushes that you can use for webs or stitches; the possibilities are endless. Halloween nails can be scary or cute, but it’s really up to you since you’re the one walking around with them. Either way, they help you get into a festive mood.
Mismatched Nails
One of the easiest ways to make your nails more unique is to do a different color on each nail. It makes your hands look put together without all of the effort it takes to wait for each layer to dry and hand-paint little masterpieces on each one.
For some fall vibes, you could do different shades of reds, greens, browns, and oranges while alternating each finger. If you want to do Halloween colors, you could do purple, lime green, bright orange, and black for an old-school, nostalgic October moment.
I absolutely love to paint my nails, but I know it can be a hassle to figure out which nail art is right for you. While the nails in the posts above are most likely still gel or acrylic, the designs definitely aren’t only possible with those mediums, and they serve as good inspiration for some simple and cute patterns. If any of these quick and easy designs speak to you, then it can’t hurt to try one out!
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