Brown Nail Polish Is the Season’s New Neutral

In a season where the fashion is strong on jewel-toned velvets and ornate patterns, you’ll want to up the intensity of eyes, lips, and nails. So while camel may have been the color on chic fingertips throughout the summer, prepare to go darker for fall. “When the clothing is colorful, a neutral nail suits it,” manicurist Typhaine Kersual says. “And right now, that neutral is brown.”

Fall always signals a shift in nails from the aforementioned camel to red, burgundy or the increasingly prevalent grape, but a chocolate nail is a refreshing change. In the land of neutrals, Kersual points out that, like its neighbors gray and black, brown gets along with every skin tone. “It’s a perfect color if you want to change from all the usual basics.”

Here, Kersual opted for Zoya’s Louise, a warm cocoa, but she is quick to point out that the range of hues out there is exceedingly rich. “Of course, deep shades give more attitude. But with brown, it’s hard to go wrong. Like greige, it has so many nuances.”

Unlike greige, which has been riding polish popularity wave for ages thanks to its safe yet sophisticated characteristics, brown has patiently been waiting for its moment to shine. (Or not, we also like a matte topcoat.) “This is the perfect time for brown,” says Kersual. “And with all the options out there, it’s like an updated version of 50 Shades of Grey.”