We Can’t Wait To Try These AW23 Nail Trends

New season, new nails. But where do we start? We’ve enlisted the help of some of our favourite beauty experts to round up some of the biggest nail trends for AW23, so you can stay ahead of the curve.

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The Biggest Nail Trends For AW23

This season, there will be two camps of nail trends: the minimalists and the maximalists. Where the former may (literally) dip their toes into quiet luxury or clean, glossy nails, the latter is ready for a big transformation – think funky 3D nail art, autumnal colour palettes and gothic talons. Sound interesting? Below, we outline some of the biggest nail trends for AW23…

Top Trends At A Glance

1. Velvet Galaxy
2. 3D Nails
3. Quiet Luxury
4. Vampy Talons
5. Earthy Tones
6. Extra Gloss
7. Serpent Nails
8. Golden Hour

1. Velvet Galaxy

Longer evenings mean more opportunities for stargazing this season. Beauty experts are forecasting that this change in activity will reflect in our nails, as designs inspired by the night sky come to the forefront. The latest update on this trend combines shimmering galaxies and velvety textures, says Amanda Lee, owner and founder of Iris Avenue. ‘This manicure gives the effect of luscious velvet but with a smooth glossy finish,’ she explains. ‘It’s flexible design also means that there are a few ways to wear them, like mixing cat eye gels, metallics and glitter polishes.’

2. 3D Nails

More of us are also forecasted to go bigger and bolder with our nails – literally. ‘Whether its chrome bubbles, pearls or pierced studded nails, 3D nail art isn’t going anywhere this season,’ confirms Amanda. ‘They can be adapted to suit all shapes and lengths of nails, meaning anyone can give them a go no matter the look of their nails.’

3. Quiet Luxury

One of the biggest lifestyle trends of 2023, even nails are no longer safe from the spread of quiet luxury. This one is all about enhancing the natural look of our nails, with extra attention given to improving their health. ‘Quiet luxury is not just for fashion,’ says Amanda. ‘It’s the most perfectly groomed manicure with a barely there milky gloss of colour. Its a timeless manicure that oozes understated elegance.’

‘The healthy, quiet luxury nail is still where it’s at,’ added celebrity manicurist, Michelle Class. ‘This encourages us to keep honing in on a great nail care regime, because it really is so important and makes for a perfect canvas for any look we choose.’

4. Vampy Talons

Another trend sweeping the board this season is gothcore. While fashion drew on lace, leather and corsetry, and makeup went big on black lipstick and smudged liner, nails took on a slightly different version of the trend. Cue, vampire talons. ‘I think we’re definitely going to see a real emphasis on that slightly longer nail length this season,’ says Michelle. ‘At the Saint Laurent AW23 show, for example, we saw long, stiletto vampy nail shapes which really gave an empowering “don’t mess with me” vibe that I’m totally here for.’

5. Earthy Tones

Leaning more into an autumnal colour palette, richer shades of brown, auburn and khaki are also forecasted to make a comeback this season. ‘A deep wine or navy will always be a popular choice around this time, but this autumn I think earthy tones will be trending,’ says Holly Wolff, a nail technician at Neville Hair & Beauty. ‘From chocolate browns, forest greens, taupe and other warm and muted shades to a burnt orange, these shades will give you a real sense of autumn approaching. Micro French tips with the earthy colours would be a subtle and classy take on the trend.’

6. Extra Gloss

Following the lead of trend-setter Hailey Bieber, high-gloss nails are also set to continue being a popular manicure choice this season. ‘After a summer filled with neon bright colours, a short, clean, pale glossy nail will be back on the cards,’ says Holly. ‘It always seems to be a firm favourite and it’s not going anywhere this season. Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut nails lead the pack; an elegant look, ready for any occasion.’ 

‘I think there will still be a huge emphasis on the glazed and chrome nails,’ adds Michelle. ‘I would anticipate that shimmers and pearly shade polishes will be a huge hit going into winter – especially when it comes to recreating a more icy feel.’

7. Serpent Nails

Another trend to come from a celebrity, serpent nails were seen on Emily Ratajkowski at the end of summer – and have since blown up online, with searches for ‘serpent nails’ hitting over 14.5 billion views on TikTok. The design, which mimics snakeskin, gives the wearer the chance to mix and match nails with different versions of the snake print. You can read more about serpent nails, with an explainer from Young LDN nail technician Seriah Leslie, here.

8. Golden Hour

If you had an eye on the AW23 runway back in February, you would have noticed one colour shining out amongst the others: yellow. Buttery tones and sunlight shades are set to be big throughout autumn and winter, providing a much-needed shot of light. We expect this trend to pop up in metallic shades of gold, sunny yellows and cat eye styles this season. Read more about the golden hour trend here.

Featured image: Kamil Kalkan, Unsplash