Want Rich Girl Nails? This Neutral Hue Is Already Dominating 2025

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Ella Gerstein created tortoise shell nails on Blake Lively. — Credit: Instagram/@enamelle

I’ll be honest: I almost exclusively wear light pink polish. Sometimes, I’ll reach for a red if I’m feeling spunky. But somewhere between Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” lyrics seeping into my brain and Pantone naming Mocha Mousse the color of the year, I have been obsessed with testing out brown nail designs. In fact, I’ve had two different shades—a chocolate suede and creamy latte—on my hands in the past week.

I’m not alone in my newfound love for a chocolate mani—it’s made it’s way onto countless celebrity manicures this winter. Blake Lively, Selena Gomez, and even Hailey Bieber, the great predictor of popular nail colors, co-signed the trend with her soft brown manicure tied to the launch of the Cinnamon Roll Peptide Lip Treatment last month.

The cozy, warm shade is quickly cementing itself as the it-neutral for 2025. “What I love about brown is it can read as a rich neutral on dark skin, but then act like such a statement on paler skin,” says celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein. “That’s what I’ve always loved, and why it’s always been in my kit.”

While a single-polish nail set always hits, trying out new color combinations and creative designs using trending shades of coffee can be incredibly chic. From tortoiseshell tips to chocolate-glazed donut chrome, there are endless possibilities for fun yet fashionable brown nail designs.

To help you find some inspo for your next nail appointment, I’ve scoured the depths of Instagram and tapped four celebrity nail artists to share their favorite takes on the brown nail design trend.

Tortoise Shell Nails

Tortoise shell manicures took fall nail trends by storm—and rest assured, there will be plenty more this winter. “I was the pattern creator in 2013,” Gerstein shares, adding that she recently did the look on Blake Lively (as seen above). The chic look combines a variety of brown polish shades—from light amber to dark chocolate.

Brown Marble Mani

Sharon Ladokun's brown marble nails — Sharon Ladokun’s brown marble nails

For gorgeous, latté nails (yum), a brown marble manicure is the perfect look. To create the “stone-like” design, nail artist Priscilla Nguyen says to “swirl multiple shades of brown against white, green, or any base your heart desires.”

Chocolate Glazed Donut

Hailey Bieber created waves with her chocolate glazed donut nails, which are essentially brown nail polish topped with chrome powder. To emulate her look, Vicki Ornellas, a nail technician and Global Educator at Ardell, suggests applying two coats of brown polish and a layer of white chome powder on top. “Clients that never wear the same color have worn this two to three times!” she says.

Blooming (Gel) Flowers

Brown blooming gel nails by @laranailedit

I’ve always loved the look of blooming gel, and these brown flowers are perfect for carrying the winter color trend into the spring. “Blooming gel is a must-have to create that beautiful flowery effect that looks almost like coffee and milk mixed together,” says nail artist Sharon Ladokun. She recommends using the French Manicure Gel Cairo Ombrés Set from Aprés Nail.

Blue to Brown Gradient

@macokwsk's brow to brown gradient nails — @macokwsk’s brow to brown gradient nails

“Blue and brown was one of the biggest color palettes for nail art this year,” says Gerstein. While there are endless ways to combine these stunning shades, @macokwsk’s light blue to dark brown gradient is a personal favorite.

Soft Sweater Nails

“Sweater nails can be done with any color, but using brown is the best way to bring out the classic design,” explains Nguyen. The 3D look adds a fun pop (literally) to an otherwise neutral nail look. Finish the design with a matte top coat for the most realistic approach.

Swirling Shades of Brown

Brown nails definitely don’t have to be basic. As seen on Jenna Ortega at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, neutral nails topped with structured swirls of polish are an elegant take on the trend. For easy application, use a small detail brush to swipe on swirls of several brown shades.

Classic Dark Chocolate

You can’t go wrong with a classic, clean mani. Gerstein says that solid dark chocolate nails are Lupita Nyong’o’s absolute favorite. “It’s her neutral,” she says. “The first time I ever put a dark chocolate on her, she was like, ‘Whoa.'”

Polka Dot Party

This stylish manicure combines two 2025 trends: brown nails and polka dots. And it couldn’t be easier to create. Lay down your favorite shade of brown, and top with tiny dots of white polish using a dotting tool.

Brown Base with Translucent Tips

Nguyen recently stepped out of the box with this see-through set. “I polished the brown gel color on two-thirds of the tips, leaving the ends clear. I then added three small caviar nail beads on top of the clear for an extra oomph and texture,” she explains. “I called it boujee minimalist.”

Sultry Pops of Red Wine

“One of the biggest, unexpected color trends that I saw was brown paired with wine red,” Gerstein says. In this fun take, she combined her iconic tortoise shell design with a bright magenta polish.

Tiger’s Eye Glimmer

This light-catching brown mani inspired by a tiger’s eye stone is mesmerizing. “You can mimic a tiger’s eye stone by using brown cat eye gel polishes,” says Nguyen. She notes that you can also use layers of brown and orange polish, but I think a few coats of CND’s “Purplexity” will do the trick.

Inside Out Ombre

There’s no reason to settle for one shade of brown when your next nail set can host multiple. For this stunning design, apply the lightest shade on the center of the nail and the darkest by the outer edges. Dabbing on the polish with a sponge makes it super easy to create.

Burberry-Inspired Brown Plaid

This complex manicure is deceivingly easy to do. “It’s a simple and fun design made by lining different shades of brown on top of each other,” says Nguyen. The finished product is so luxe it looks straight out of a Burberry catalog.

All Shades of Brown

For a more colorful brown manicure, sweep any and all shades of brown across your nails just as Gerstein did in her design—and you don’t even need a large polish collection to do it. “The way to get all those shades is to add white and black so you can make it darker or lighter,” she shares.

Brown French Tips

French tips are classic and well-known designs, which makes it extra fun to change them up and swap out colors depending on the current trends and seasons. Simply swipe your preferred shade of brown across the very tops of your nails, and you’re all set.

Blinged Out Browns

If you’re as obsessed with jewelry as I am, you’ll love adding a little bling to your mani. Whether placing a few brown rhinestones on neutral nails or embellishing tortoise shell tips with gold beads, the options are endless. “Rhinestones and crystals are fun to add to any nail design, says Nguyen. “You don’t even need to paint any nail art—let the rhinestones and crystals do the work for you!”

Mocha Zebra Nails

Animal print had a major comeback this year, and I love this trendy take on zebra print. Stack a rich chocolate like Artistic’s “From AM to PM” on top of a creamy brown like Chaun Legend’s “Bite Me” for the perfect mocha color combo.

Teddy Bear Love

Even the girly girls can rock brown nails. Throw on your favorite shade of pink and top the look with a sweet brown heart for a teddy bear-esque nail set.

Monochromatic Squiggles

“Whether it’s abstract line work or French nails, different shades of brown can make each color pop against each other,” says Nguyen. Try out this squiggly line design for a fun way to show off all your favorite shades of brown.

Savanna Stones

You can create a pebble-like design by painting on a few thick strokes of white paint with rounded edges. With an amber brown like Chanel’s recent nail lacquer release in shade “Faun,” your nails will look straight out of the Savanna Desert.

Sparkly Coffee

A rich coffee bean color can shine on its own, but adding brown glitter gives it that extra oomph. Even Victoria Monet rocked a gorgeous dark brown glittery manicure during the Grammys.

Feisty Cheetah with Gold Flecks

Cheetah print is having a serious resurgence in 2025, doubling as a maximalist pattern and an everyday neutral for true cheetah lovers. Bring the trend to your nails by layering caramel, chocolate, and nearly black shades of brown polish with a dotting tool.

Subtle Sandy Mani

Winnie Harlow recently showed off her caramel brown ombre nails on Instagram, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The neutral color combo creates a stunningly subtle nod to the brown nail trend.

Gradient Autumn Tones

From an extra-creamy latte to a shot of espresso, you can rock every shade of coffee all in one mani. Apply a different shade of brown on each nail, so you never have to choose a favorite.