40 BEST NEW FALL NAIL POLISHES

One of the biggest accessories on the runways of late? Tips. Nail art may be dying down, but the right color is everything this season. We rounded up the top trends on the catwalks and whittled down the lacquers you need now for getting each look.

Nail Noir

While black still cast its spell on nails on the fall runways, new alternatives to the moody hue that were inspired by the darkest shades of the earth and sky also enchanted us. Think oxbloods, midnight blues, amethysts, and mossy and emerald greens. Though pros often match dark lacquer hues to shorter nails, Chanel manicurist Ashlie Johnson warned, "Dark pigments can sometimes make your hands look a little unladylike if your nails are super short." Instead, she advised saving your duskier varnishes for nails that are "just past the fingertip and filed to more of an almond or oval shape. This will help elongate your fingers."

Nail Noir: Oxblood

Tom Ford Beauty Nail Lacquer in Bordeaux Lust, $32; neimanmarcus.com

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored High-Shine Nail Lacquer in Jezebel, $18; sephora.com

Nail Noir: Midnight Blue

Essie Nail Polish in After School Boy Blazer, $8; nordstrom.com

Nars Nail Polish in 413 BLKR, $19; narscosmetics.com

OPI Nail Lacquer in Incognito in Sausalito, $6.95; beyondpolish.com

Nail Noir: Amethyst

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Charmed I'm Sure, $3.99; kalibeauty.com

Lancôme Vernis in Love in Purple Fiction, $15; nordstrom.com

Nail Noir: Mossy and Emerald Green

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Mysterious, $27; chanel.com

Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour in Bewitched, $4.79; target.com

Electric Company

When a burst of bright yellow appeared on nail tips at Lela Rose and tapered talons lit up in the hottest fuchsia ever at Kate Spade (pictured here), the heaviness of autumn seemed to lift for a moment. The manicurist behind both looks, Deborah Lippmann, predicted that bold color and textures are what will speak to women this season. "Put your sheer pinks away," she laughed. Instead, coat nails in electric hues, like poppy, fiery orange, chartreuse, ultraviolet, and bright cobalt, for the perfect pick-me-up to your fall wardrobe

Electric Company: Poppy

Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Trafalgar, $24; dior.com

Dolce & Gabbana Intense Nail Lacquer in Camelia, $24; saks.com

Electric Company: Fiery Orange

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Silly Billy, $15; butterlondon.com

Tom Ford Beauty Nail Lacquer in Ginger Fire, $32; neimanmarcus.com

Electric Company: Chartreuse

Deborah Lippmann Punk Rock Nail Lacquer in I Wanna Be Sedated, $19; deborahlippmann.com

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Wellies, $15; net-a-porter.com

Electric Company: Cobalt and Ultraviolet

Topshop Nails in Varsity, $10; nordstrom.com

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored High-Shine Nail Lacquer in Ultraviolet, $18; sephora.com

Metallic Mania

We often think of the big three—gold, silver, and bronze—when it comes to metallics. But it's time to expand our understanding of metals beyond an Olympic hopeful's dream—at least when it comes to polish. Though burnished gold struck, well, gold on such runways as Antipodium and Felder Felder, Johnson recommended training your eyes to unusual tinny hues, like the steely lavender Essie in Nothing Else Metals seen here at Costello Tagliapietra. "Metallics are always a huge hit, and why wouldn't they be when they seem to match everything? This is a trend that reigns over and over, but for fall we'll see it with a twist," she said, citing Chanel Limited Edition Le Vernis Nail Colour in Alchimie, a mossy green chrome, as a perfect example. While full-coverage chromes dazzle, the newest additions to the metallic family retain holographic, shade-shifting capabilities that grant you a multitude of hues on your ten tiny canvases.

Metallic Mania: Shade-Shifters

OPI Nail Lacquer in Peace, Love, and OPI, $6.95; beyondpolish.com

Essie Nail Polish in For the Twill of It, $8; nordstrom.com

Orly Nail Lacquer in Angel Rain, $4.99; ulta.com

Topshop Nails in Aurora, $10; nordstrom.com

Metallic Mania: Heavy Metal

Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Brushed Gold, $20; nordstrom.com

Formula X for Sephora The Chromes in Need for Speed, $12.50; sephora.com

Maybelline New York Color Show Holographics in Lavender Lustre, $2.97; walmart.com

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Alchimie, $27; chanel.com

Go, Go Glitter!

On the fall catwalks, glitter either flecked (at Anna Sui) or blanketed (at Clover Canyon, pictured here) nails to dazzling effect. But if you think you've seen every glitter polish possible, you haven't seen anything as stunning as what's on the horizon. Lippmann stumbled across new holographic glitters that she simply had to have; the multisize sparklers found in three of her six fall polishes transform nails into jewel-encrusted showpieces. Other innovations: matte glitter suspended in swarthy hues, glitter that appears like graffiti splatters, or opaque micro-shimmer swimming in color-complementary (think: gold and purple) large glitter particles. Indeed, innovation is alive and well when it comes to glitzed digits. And, if full-coverage flash seems too sparkle-heavy, manicurist Dawn Sterling offered this advice: "Wear a clear or neutral base color and swipe glitter polish across the tips of your nails. This is a more simple yet eye-catching way to wear your glitter."

Go, Go Glitter! Micro

JINsoon Nail Polish in Obsidian, $18; jinsoon.com

Deborah Lippmann in Fake It Til You Make It, $17; deborahlippmann.com

NCLA Los Angeles Nail Lacquer in Dead-End Gorgeous, $16; shopncla.com

Matte About You

Almost every other fall runway fixated on shine-free fingertips. And it's no wonder why. Neutrals, like creams and mushrooms, feel more modern with a matte finish, while jewel tones dressed in matte appear velvety-smooth. "Matte adds body to nail color," Sterling said. "It takes the finish from being shiny like candy to having tons of character, as well as some toughness." Case in point: At Badgley Mischka, Lippmann debuted her Silk "matteens" (available November 2013), which retain a subdued luster that reads both luxurious and edgy. While you can opt for nail colors with built-in mattifiers, new clear matte top coats will zero out the shine on any of your polish hues. For Tibi's fall show (pictured here), manicurist Jin Soon Choi topped lacquer with her new Matte Maker Quick Dry Matte Topcoat, explaining the choice made the manicure appear more "editorial and high-fashion." Just steer clear of formulas that dry streaky or chalky, which will only serve to make your manicure too flat.

The New Neutrals

There's no denying that skin-flattering nudes sleeken fingers. On the fall runways, manicurists spun nude hues into something fresh and new. Butter London global colour ambassador Katie Hughes added a black half-moon to mannequin nails at La Perla, while CND education manager Roxanne Valinoti heathered ombré beige tips into timeworn masterpieces at Alexander Wang (pictured here). Warm buff and taupe aren't the only neutrals to gain favor this fall; cooler mushroom and soft gray provide a welcome respite from the flood of super darks that are everywhere this season. Sterling explained that part of neutral shades' allure is their classic, timeless appeal. "Neutrals are great because they'll always be beautiful no matter which range you select—warm or cool! They're clean; they're chic. I love this look all year-round."