Everyone's wearing dark red nails for fall—here are 5 of the best designs for a luxe look this season

Fall is all about luxe dark red nail designs...

close up of woman's hand wearing dark red nails
(Image credit: Instagram: gel.bymegan)

These signature dark red nail designs are having a major moment for fall, thanks to their simplicity and uber-chic vibe—ideal for pairing with the rest of your autumnal capsule wardrobe.

When we say 'dark red' we're referring to a few, rich crimson and maroon shades—a prime example being Chanel's "Rouge Noir" nail polish. And while it might seem like a daunting hue, it's actually very wearable and beyond elegant. 

So, while we have been loving our green nail era, these dark red manicures are already inching their way up our list of favorite 'Quiet Luxury' nail looks...

Our 5 fave dark red nail designs for fall

While fall is often attributed with orange and brown hues, this year we're all about vibrant reds and merlot-like maroons.

Shape-wise, minimal square and almond styles seem to be the most popular, which when combined with a dark red, creates the most stylish of manicures! But don't just take our word for it...

1. Wine red short nails

Right now, short dark red nails are all over our social feeds, particularly the above square shape.

This simple but statement mani just oozes fall vibes and is so easy to recreate. Simply shape your nail to a short or mid-length rectangle and apply a few coats of a dark red wine-esque polish—either with a purple or brownish undertone—like Essie's Bordeaux shade. Ideal for pairing with a 'Red Wine' makeup look...

2. Crimson almond nails

If you prefer a longer nail length, this classic, dark red oval manicure is perfectly elegant and will add a pop of color to any of your fall fashion fits!

3. Chanel Rouge Noir nails

The iconic Chanel "Rouge Noir" polish has never been more on-trend than right now! This shade delivers the ultimate dark red/maroon look, with very minimal effort involved.

For this rich hue, we'd recommend opting for that popular short and squared nail style. 

4. Signature scarlet

Like with red dresses, red nails are set to be huge this season, so any shade you go for will be very on-trend, but if you're a lover of statement nails, a scarlet or cherry crimson is a good way to go.

For this vibrant, primary red, we'd suggest opting for an equally classic almond shape. We'd also suggest a glossy top coat for an uber-polished look.

5. Plum nails

If dark red is not quite your vibe, a purple grape or plum shade is equally as fall-ready. You can also try a mauve shade, for a chic but slightly more subtle effect.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.

Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.