Don’t want to be that person that asks for tortoise shell at your October nail appointment because the other four people your nail tech had in today have asked for the exact same thing? Don’t get me wrong, I love a tortie design – you can check out my favourite previous designs here – but I like to switch it up a little in October, while remaining as suitably seasonal as a pumpkin spice latte.
Autumn manis are all about earthy tones, like your chocolate browns, creamy nudes and warm orange shades, and my most recent manicure brings them all together with a fun mix and match design that’s perfect for the pumpkin patch. For the girls who want October nails without the ghosties, dripping blood or spooky designs, this is the inspo for you.
This month I waved goodbye to my half french, half tortie design and went for the ultimate cosy vibes. After a reshape, prep and tidy up, my nail tech Chloe pulled out all the warm tones from her The Gel Bottle collecion, as well as an ultra-glittery orange. As always, I showed her about seven different designs and said ‘but do whatever you fancy’ – I trust her creativity completely, as I always leave the salon with a totally original set that I love.
This time we went for a super cute double French tip, starting with a deep brown on the outser edge, lined with a creamy nude. We replicated this on the thumb, too, bringing the set full circle. On my ring finger, we kept it simple with a couple of coats of the highly reflective Cattail, which is uber-sparkly, bringing all the pumpkin party vibes.
My middle nail featured Autumnal blooms, with neutral petals carefully painted in an array of nudes, dotted with a contrasting coffee or mocha shade. Meanwhile we carried a flower over to the index finger on top of chocolatey swirls. Chloe was itching to get the acrylic powder out for the first time this season too, delicately painting a cable knit design onto a portion of the nail. She then sprinkled the acrylic powder onto the paint, which left it raised with a matte finish, looking just like a chunky knit jumper.
It’s not the first time I’ve had acrylic powder art on my nails, having opted for cable knit last Christmas, and before that, had some summery sea shells created with the same technique. It definitely brings some new dimension and texture to the design. The whole set has a subtle seventies vibe, bringing all of the different depths and textures with gloss and matte finishes, alongside a huge range of art techniques including French, florals and swirls, with glitter thrown in for good measure. And if you are a Halloween Queen, you might even say they’re giving ‘Sanderson Sisters’, right?
Now, don’t mind me, I’m off to order a salted maple and caramel frappucino and watch Hocus Pocus 2.
