A Professional NYC Nail Artist Dishes On the Hottest Fall Nail Trends

Spoiler alert: The French manicure to make a comeback this fall.

Your manicure can say a lot about who you are. Whether you choose to decorate your nails with dramatic embellishments or opt for a more minimalistic route, your nails are a true form of identity that are constantly on display. The COVID-19 pandemic, which may now feel like a lifetime ago, forced many of us to reevaluate how we did our nails. As a result, nail art has become a phenomenon that has taken over the beauty sphere. And although the days of rare departures from our home are over, the gravitation towards increasingly thoughtful and expressive nail art remains.

With the nail category continuing to flourish, and our ever-present eagerness for new nail inspiration, we sat down with nail artist Sydney Beggins to get the inside scoop on trend predictions for the coming months. Beggins has had a knack for nails her whole life. Her mother worked as a nail technician for more than 30 years so Beggins has grown up learning the tricks of the trade since childhood. “She would let me use her nail supplies and I had a small YouTube channel with my friend doing nails when we were probably 10 years old,” says Beggins. “We would paint cute campy nails like Mario Kart characters or loose leaf paper for back to school.”

Now, with a portfolio boasting New York Fashion Week runway shows (including Vivienne Tam) and having spent countless hours experimenting on friends, family and clients, Beggins knows a thing or two about a manicure, making her the ultimate source for up-to-date insight on the nail trends to get ahead of and try your hand at in the coming weeks.

All of the tried and true fall pigments, but muted. Think reds, oranges, and greens.

Shop: OPI Ochre the Moon, OPI Yank My Doodle, O.P.I. Have Your Panettone and Eat it Too

A gradient approach to the French manicure. This look incorporates two monochromatic colors that appear to seamlessly blend together, while still featuring the same defined tip that characterizes the classic French manicure.

Shop: O.P.I. El Mat-adoring You, O.P.I. Bare My Soul

Beggins says the classic French on short, natural nails is going to make a comeback, attributed to the rise of the hyper-feminine “Balletcore” fashion trends we have been seeing recently.

Shop: O.P.I. Natural Nail Base Coat, O.P.I. Alpine Snow, O.P.I. Baby Take a Bow

Much less permanent than a traditional tattoo, this design has been flooding Beggins's Pinterest boards and is one of her favorite styles at the moment.

Shop: O.P.I. Rust & Relaxation, O.P.I. Achievement Unlocked, O.P.I. Rich Girls & Po Boys

“When you meet someone, your nails say something about you before you even say a word,” she says. “These looks are all great because they can be tweaked and personalized for even more unique combinations. I see them hanging around at least until holiday nails come along.”

Sydney Beggins received her New York State Specialty Nail License from Christine Valmy Beauty School this spring, following her withdrawal from the Fashion Institute of Technology, to pursue her passion for nails professionally. You can check out Beggins’s work here.