No matter what the calendar or thermostat says, woman&home's beauty team have officially shed their autumnal manicures in favour of these chic winter nail colours...
While the 2024 nail trends are already a treasure trove of inspiration, knowing what styles real people - in particular, people who spend their workdays researching and pouring over said trends - are wearing on their nails, is always helpful when choosing your next manicure. This is especially true when a new season begins and while this year's autumn nail designs are still very much relevant, if you're ready to embrace the colder climes, let's just say you're not alone - our entire beauty team has already done exactly that.
So, to help inform your own long or short winter nail look, here are the rich and altogether moodier hues our writers and editors have ditched their favourite autumnal nail colours for...
The 4 rich and expensive-looking nail colours we're wearing this winter
While to some it may seem a tad early to be sporting a winter manicure, our team already have their festive nails booked in for December and thus, needed to give this season's trends at least some wear before the glitter French tips and pops of festive red make their return.
That said, if you're still loving your burgundy squoval nails or are on the hunt for something timeless to transcend the weather shift, we're pleased to say that the four designs and colours our team are sporting are very versatile - and share some crossover with a few of autumn's most popular hues. So whether you're looking for a dramatic update or just a change in nail shape, there's sure to be a wintery look to inspire...
Our wintertime nail essentials
RRP: £27
Boasting some of the best hand creams on the market, Aesop is a great option if you suffer from chapped and dry hands. Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson loves the Eleos hand balm because it feels very hydrating and smells like a dream. Formula-wise, it blends botanical butters and oils to deeply nourish your hands and fingertips, while imparting a luxe, woody and herbaceous scent.
RRP: £10.99
If you're doing your nails at home, Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett recommends the Gel Couture clear top coat from essie, dubbing it the "closest you'll get to having gels without getting gels."
RRP: £5.10
For another hand cream option, Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar loves this one from Aveeno. It is unscented and features nourishing oat to hydrate and reinforce your skin's moisture barrier, leaving your hands soft and supple. It's also non-greasy and fast absorbing.
Before we dive into our winter nail looks, we've also rounded up a few staples that our colleagues swear by for keeping their hands - and by extension, their nails - in tip-top shape, especially in the harsh winter months...
1. Glossy black
Having previously sported a rich, espresso-brown hue for her short autumn nails, Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim has continued on her dark nail trajectory, opting for an ultra-glossy black.
"I’m not sure if I was influenced by Hannah Waddingham’s Nails or being plunged into total darkness from about 3 pm these days. Either way, when faced with the little plasticky circle of inspiration at my manicure appointment I was drawn to a pitch-black shade, and have been feeling pretty cool as a result," says Fiona.
"Unlike black clothes, which are generally considered as classic as it gets (read: chic but slightly boring) a raven-toned mani with not even a hint of rouge in the noir feels a bit grittier and tougher than your typical winter berries and burgundies. I’m all for shades that look better on short nails than longer ones too - unless witchy is your thing I think a neat, square-edged shape is prime real estate to house black polish."
As for what exact colour Fiona is wearing: "This particular shade is Twilight by 14-Day Manicure, which you can have applied in salon or have a go at yourself with one of their at-home gel nail kits. I’d advise layering up at least three times and finishing with a high-shine top coat for a luxurious-looking finish."
2. Burgundy French tips
Instead of opting for a block, monochromatic manicure, Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett had instead embraced one of this season's trendiest looks - burgundy French tip nails.
"I’ve been loving red tones this autumn/winter, so it’s only natural that I’ve been enjoying the recent burgundy trend," says Sennen - having sported a dark red in October - but adds, "While I’m a big fan of block colour nails, I opted for a wintery twist on the classic French tip by choosing a deep wine-red hue to grace the ends of my almond BIAB talons.
"This is a great option for minimalist nail lovers, like me, who want to dabble in bolder seasonal shades whilst also remaining completely wearable."
3. Dark plum
While burgundy nails were Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson's go-to in the autumn months, she opted for a slightly darker update for her November nails: "While I love a burgundy and wine-like red - and plan to revisit them for my festive mani - I wanted something even richer for my winter look, so I settled on this very dark plum. I love how much this shade changes depending on the lighting, at certain times, especially in the evening, it looks almost burgundy or even like an espresso shade but in the daytime, you can see that purple-y undertone, which I think looks so elegant."
As for her preferred shape and length, Naomi prefers short squoval nails: "While I am trying to grow my natural nails with the help of a builder layer under my BioSculpture gel, I just love how this shape and length looks with dark plum, it feels so expensive. I also find squoval to be very forgiving, as even though two of my nail tips broke a day before my appointment, they all still look uniform and neat." P.S. If you want to request this exact BioSculpture shade, Naomi says it's called Pinotage - and notes that she had three layers applied to achieve this depth of colour.
4. Rich burgundy
Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar has taken winter as an opportunity to not only give short nails a whirl but also a dark nail colour: "I’m usually a long, sleek, almond-shaped, neutral nail kind of girl, but there’s something I find so alluring about short, dark burgundy nails.
"The deep shade makes me feel so in touch with the season and all of its wondrous colours and I feel that it really complements everything I wear at this time of year - especially my go-to olive winter coat," says Aleesha, adding: "I also love how it looks with my warm skin tone - provided I opt for a warmer-toned dark burgundy (think Rouge Noir) rather than a cooler-toned dark purple (like OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark)."
