Our neutrals look a little different this season. Buh-bye nude, cream and pink. Hello brown, beige and auburn. And with searches for ‘autumn nails’ up by 81 percent on Google, it’s time to give these seasonal shades the spotlight. Cue, tortoiseshell nails. This fall manicure is (once again) making the rounds on TikTok – and word on the street is that it’s even caught the eye of one Hailey Bieber.
Major Nail Trends Coming This AW24
What Are Tortoiseshell Nails?
As the name implies, tortoiseshell nails are a style of nail art that features a speckled pattern of brown, black and caramel tones – mimicking the appearance of a tortoise’s shell. The look is usually created by layering and blobbing these autumnal shades on top of a brown colour base.
And with autumn on our doorstep, we can (finally) indulge in this seasonal manicure to our heart’s content. And it’s not just us getting excited for the change in season. Style sweetheart Hailey Bieber took to Instagram earlier this week to show off a fresh set of tortoiseshell nails, created by celebrity nail stylist Zola Ganzorigt.
‘Leave it to the ultimate trend setter to signify the start of autumn,’ says Sophie Vongkhamsao, an in-house beauty and content specialist at Fresha. ‘The darker nails colours are perfect for the season with Hailey opting for a trendy tortoiseshell twist. We’re really looking forward to seeing people putting their own stamp on these iconic nails, perhaps with some nail art or chrome finishes.’
How To Ask For Tortoiseshell Nails In The Salon
At the salon, simply ask your nail tech for a tortoiseshell manicure. If you have a more specific look in mind, you can also bring in reference images and colour swatches – look to Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration.
@nailluxbygiu Finally got this tortoise shell design right Here’s my take on how to achieve it: 1. Jelly brown (cure) 2. Jelly orange (cure) 3. Blooming gel, while wet create pattern with a dotting tool and a brown gel (cure) 4. Blooming gel again, while wet create a second patten with a dotting tool and black gel (cure) 5. Jelly brown (cure) and top coat (cure) Products by @GELCARE® • Jelly brown, Argan oil, Espresso, Patent leather black, blooming gel, top coat #tortoiseshellnails #tortoisenails #autumnnails #fallnailinspo #almondnails #nailarttutorial #fallnails #brownnails #nailsartvideos ♬ Bed Chem – Sabrina Carpenter
How To Recreate The Look At Home
Fancy giving tortoiseshell nails a go at home? This is a fairly easy look to recreate; all you’ll need are your base and top coat, as well as a few shades of brown to create that shell effect. Below, the Fresha team has laid out a step-by-step guide to nailing the manicure:
- Start by prepping your nails. This often includes removing any previous nail varnish and making sure your nails are clean, as well as pushing down your nail bed slightly and clipping down your nails to a desired length.
- Once your nails are prepped, file your nails into an almond shape. An almond shape usually keeps a good length at the centre, so try to file down the side of your nails while maintaining this. Once this is achieved, you can file the tip of your nail into the shape of an almond – buffing out any rough edges to create a semi-pointed look.
- Apply one coat of light brown or tan polish as the base colour which will serve as the background. Next take a nail art brush and create irregular shapes on your nails using dark brown polish. Allow this layer to partially dry and then add a sheer layer of amber polish over the nail, this will help blend the colours to create more dimension.
- Finish off the look with a thin layer of topcoat to seal the design and help it last longer. If you’re looking to take this look up a notch, use cuticle oil to nourish your nail beds and give a natural shine to your nails.
10 Tortoiseshell Nail Ideas For Autumn
1. Classic Tortoiseshell Nails
2. French Manicure
3. Double French
4. Gold Glass
5. Mismatch
6. Green Tortoiseshell
7. Tortie Pumpkins
8. Gold Plated
9. Pistachio Shell
10. Half & Half
Featured image: Bryony Elena, Unsplash
