Fall fashions
Published
26th Jul 2012
Autumn nails will be awash with dark earthy hues, metallics, warm Indian summer shades and a few surprising statement colours, writes Suzanne Hinchliffe
Earthy chocolate tones will come to life this autumn, offering a darker edge to the sugary caramels we saw last year. Metallic shimmers will also be out in force to offer a bit of glamour and frosting to the darker, cooler evenings. Artistic Nail Design’s creative director, Alisha Rimando Botero, says: “Chocolate, gold, soft pinks, as well as crisp navy, are all representative of the catwalks this year and textures such as fur, velvet, suede, and metal are also big news on the fashion front.”
As summer neon shades move over to make way for a blaze of fiery reds and darker hues, brands are still offering some standout shades for the autumn season. Velvety creams are notable among the new launches to reflect a professional edge in collections such as Essie’s Stylenomics and a variety of green tones are coming to the fore, such as the dark lime Don’t Talk Bacht in OPI’s Berlin range.
However, the majority of colours fall within four seasonal trends; chocolate tones, midnight hues, Indian summer reds and metallics.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Metallic
One of the biggest trends to mirror the looks we saw on the autumn/winter catwalks is the use of metal. Mavala’s professional development manager Lynn Gray, says, “With metallics you can create sleek and sophisticated nails with stunning high-shine reflective finishes that will be perfect for brightening up the autumn/winter
months.” Mavala’s five-piece Heavy Metals collection is inspired by the exuberant metallics used in fashion.
Likewise, Bio Sculpture has recognised the metallic trend in its Rock and Crystal collection, which features five gel polishes set to launch in September. A palette of raw ore metals also inspires Spa Ritual’s Metal Winter collection launching in November.
 |
 |
 |
Metallic Romance
by Jenni Draper
1. Following a base coat, apply two coats of a metallic red such as Mavala’s Satin and leave to dry thoroughly
2. Place lace over the nail and use a make-up sponge to stipple a gold nail colour over the nails as a “wash”. Use more at the free edge and blend it into the red
3. Dip a dotting tool into a black polish and place four dots close together to form the flowers. Differ the size of the flowers and scatter them down the nail
4. While the polish is still tacky push a silver micro bead into the centre of
each flower
5. Apply a topcoat but be careful not to drag it over the design.
“This design is inspired by the autumn/winter collections from Christopher Kane and Dolce & Gabbana, which included a lot of texture, lace and metallics. The addition of flowers gives it a romantic edge” Jenni Draper, Professional Beauty Awards Nail Technician of the Year 2011
 |
 |
 |
 |
Chocolate
Chocolate earthy tones have also inspired the major nail brands this autumn. Spa Ritual has devised its Rock Autumn collection borrowing colours from the earth’s landscape. CND Shellac has also taken inspiration from tea-stained fabrics and chromatic finishes adding six new fall shades this November to its 42-strong Power Polish collection.
The new House of Gelish Just for You collection comprises seven velvety creams and a subtle frost. Meanwhile, Sothys’ new make-up collection launching in September features two nail lacquers in slate grey and taupe.
Artistic Colour Gloss has also picked up the chocolate, gold and copper trend with ten new shades that aim to reveal the true temperament of a woman through her nail colour.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Chocolate Tuxedo
by Elise Scholes Pilkington
1. Prep nails and apply PH bond all over, including under the free edge
2. Apply Foundation Gel sparingly and cure for five seconds using an LED lamp then dry brush the surface
3. Apply a fine layer of a tan colour such as Gelish’s Need a Tan and cure for 30 seconds, then dry brush. Next apply a darker chocolate such as Gelish’s Sweet Chocolate roughly where it needs to go but as evenly as possibly
4. Using a mini striper to tidy the edges, wipe out the central line and cure for 30 seconds
5. Using a tan colour and a striper brush add a defining line around the edges and cure for 30 seconds. Finally add top coat to seal the edges and cure for 30 seconds. Cleanse the surface thoroughly and apply Nourish Cuticle oil.
“I like all the different French styles showcased on the catwalks – including the halfmoon mani and two tone French, so the chocolate design is reflective of this trend” Elise Scholes-Pilkington, Professional Beauty Awards Nail Technician of the Year 2012
 |
 |
 |
 |
Indian summer
Many brands are setting their collections ablaze for the fall season with red and gold hues creating an Indian summer vibe.
Orly’s Fired Up collection showcases a haze of rich tones with six shades that include plum reds and smouldering golds.
Jessica’s Spicy Dream range features six new colours including cinnamon, ginger and crimson. Jessica Vartoughian, founder and chief executive of Jessica Cosmetics, says: “Jessica’s Spicy Dream collection is inspired by the rich warmth of exotic spices and the turning autumn leaves, bringing your clients warmth as the weather cools down.”
Meanwhile, Essie’s Stylenomics collection hopes to give women a professional edge with burgundies, plums and violets setting a more colourful tone this autumn.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tanished autumn
by Liza Smith
1. Apply an antique gold colour coat such as CND Shellac’s Iced Cappuccino
2. Using a small flat brush, apply a thin line of holographic black glitter around the sides and free edge of all nails
3. Clean the brush and apply copper glitter down both outside thirds of all nails
4. Clean the brush and apply holographic gold glitter just under the black edging of the free edge
5. Carefully apply top coat. If using enamel, allow time for the glitter to dry into the colour.
“Inspired by the autumn/winter collection from Felder Felder, the design reflects the burnished autumn colours with mineral inspired accents” Liza Smith, owner of Bodylines, Professional Beauty Awards Nail Salon of the Year 2012
 |
 |
 |
Midnight hues
Dark navy and space-inspired sparkles have also cropped up on the autumn/winter catwalks.
These colours feature heavily in Nubar’s fall collection, which is influenced by marbling effects and free-hand nail art. The range features seven blue hues including navy, indigo and peacock as well as sparkly lacquers.
OPI has also embraced runway trends with its 12-strong Berlin collection. While urban neutrals and quirky colours are also showcased, multiple shades of dark purple drive the night time trend.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The striking autumn looks in this feature were created by winners of the Professional Beauty Awards nail categories. Entries are now open for 2013. To grab yourself a slice of the glory, register your interest at www.professionalbeautyawards.co.uk
