WindsOF CHANGE

CLASSIC NUDES

From barely-there creams to dusty pinks and super slick caramels, beautiful nudes were staples on the Ryan LO, APUJAN and Mark Fast AW17 runways, showcased on pointed almond and short and square nails.

Although the simplicity of nude tones always comes back around for autumn/winter, the pro brands have breathed new life into the trend by bringing in more advanced textures and greater depth of colour.

Artistic’s Fueled & Furious Fall range is “a collection of creamy shades that has something for everyone”, says the brand’s creative director Alisha Rimando, with dusty rose and rich smoky grey hues, and our personal favourite She’s A Spark Plug, a gorgeous soft beige shimmer.

OPI has opted for understated dove beige in both lacquer and gel form in Icelanded a Bottle of OPI, from the brand’s Iceland collection, with each colour inspired by the country’s natural, rich and unspoiled terrain.

For clients who want something with a soft gleam, look no further than Orly’s shimmery pink Silken Quartz from the sultry Velvet Dream collection, or Salon System’s Gellux pearlised Pretty Young Thing from the Wild at Heart range for a stunning evening look.

DARK DAYS

As the winter chill sets in, it’s no surprise that our nails will also go through an autumnal transformation, moving towards more dramatic hues. This year, the focus is on vampy reds, decadent aubergines, royal blues and the blackest of blacks, worn on all nail shapes.

“This fall, black is the new black,” says Suzi Weiss- Fischmann, OPI co-founder and brand ambassador. “Expect to see lots of varied hues of this classic shade, with sophisticated undertones of brown and grey.”

On the catwalks, there were no embellishments or art detail to be seen, just the colour painted in a sharp block, as seen on models at the Paul Costelloe, Éthologie and Sabinna AW17 shows.

This season, Gelish and Morgan Taylor are channelling the trend by taking clients on a journey to the sophisticated colours and culture of Spain in the Matadora range, which includes a variety of rich fall tones in the likes of deep reds and navy blues. We think clients are going to love the vampy purple crème Danced and Sang-ria.

In its Velvet Dream collection, Orly has opted for bitter reds, suede blues and warm plum, as seen in Black Cherry, a one-to-watch colour in the line. The brand says the collection features “new takes on classics that reflect our multi-dimensional impassioned spirits”.

IBD has also amped up the glamour in its Love Lola collection, which sports the stunning midnight blue Cantina Hopping. Faby’s Ego collection is much edgier with seriously intense shades, from the bold brown of Unconscious and smoky grey of i.d., to the deep burgundy of Vertigo.

Jessica’s moody Street Style collection features the bang-on-trend Deliciously Distressed, a concrete blue-grey crème, and the subtle dark purple Haute Hoodie.

WINTER BRIGHTS

Although an unexpected trend for the season, bright candy colours on neat nails is tipped to be big, after models rocked the look on the Emilio Pucci, Eden Loweth and Osman AW17 catwalks.

The winter brights look is a simple one – rich-looking textures and bold formulations that add a pop to any winter ensemble, with almost every medium-dark hue imaginable given a bright makeover.

Experts believe the trend will be popular with clients who aren’t ready to wave goodbye to the sharper pinks, blues and mustard shades enjoyed in the summer.

The Christmas-themed Holiday Hangover collection from Artistic features enigmatic, super shiny gel polishes, including the sweet green of What The Elf and standout shimmer in the dark blue Bah Humbug. IBD’s love-letter-inspired Love Lola fall collection includes gel polishes in fiery tones, our favourite being the standout red of Mu-Cha-Cha-Cha.

Others tipped to make a colourful statement include Bio Sculpture’s Canada Collection, with breathtaking colours including the deep blue Margaux; Aurora Berry-Alis from OPI’s Iceland line, which beautifully channels the pink hue of the Northern Lights; and #Outfitoftheday, a dusty rosewood crème from Jessica’s longwear Phenom #Instastyle collection.

Meanwhile, CND’s Nightspell range includes vibrant cerise Berry Boudoir and dark green Viridian Veil. “This season revolves around spellbinding beauty,” says Jan Arnold, CND co-founder and style director. “It’s about sophistication and refinement.”

SHINING ARMOUR

With party season just around the corner, it’s natural to look to sequins and glitter for nail art inspiration. Although recent years have been all about the textured metallics, this season’s collections are subtler and focus on dimensional shimmers which ooze sophisticated glam.

Gone are the traditional full or ombre glitter nails, making way for simpler designs to take centre stage. At Sophia Webster, models channelled their winter goddess with natural nails that had silver glitter French tips, while the look at Mark Fast was a gentle chrome shimmer on oval nails that made the models look otherworldly.

Faby’s E-Gold has a fine glittery gold finish, or for something bolder, Alter Ego has a subtle golden bronze; both shades are from the brand’s Ego AW17 collection. Meanwhile, Salon System’s Gellux Tweet Me, from the Wild at Heart range, is better suited to those who want a metallic sheen without the glitter.

Artistic’s This Girl Sleighs, from the Holiday Collection, also has a low-key gold shimmer for those who want to channel that glam look.

For a magical sheen with colour, look no further than the dusky mauve of OPI’s Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots, inspired by the city’s “distinctively individual style”, explains Weiss-Fischmann.

CND’s Mercurial and IBD’s Playing With Fuego scream party season, with both having more of a multidimensional feel, while Morgan Taylor and Gelish’s I’m Drawing a Blanco, from the Matadora collection, embodies an ice goddess look with a simplistic white shimmer.