If You Only Ask for One Colour on Your Nails This Season, It Better Be This One

As someone who exclusively wears a milky nude on her nails and has done so for several years, I've been feeling somewhat uneasy about the fact that, in recent weeks, I've had an urge to pick a wild card every time I've sat in the salon chair. Up until recently, I have never paid much attention to the colourful wheels of nail polishes that my nail tech presents me with at the start of every appointment. "I'll just take the usual sheer, milky pink, please," I say. But a few weeks ago, something intrigued me about the spectrum of brights in front of me, and I found myself fawning over a particular group of purple hues.

From pretty, pastel lilac to deep, rich mahogany, I couldn't take my eyes off the purple polishes. While I, of course, opted for my usual, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the appeal of purple since. And I have noticed it isn't just me who's feeling it at the moment. In fact, a quick scroll of my Saved folder on Instagram just seems to prove that purple is the nail colour of the season. So to save me making any shade selection mistakes at my next appointment, I thought I'd round up the very best purple nail looks out there—you can thank me later.

1. Mauve

This dusty shade sits somewhere between rosy pink and purply mauve, and I'm in love. I particularly like the matte finish, which makes it perfectly suited to the colder autumn months.

I think this is a great way to dip your toe into the purple-nails trend. This pinky mauve feels like a natural transition in my journey into purple, away from my failsafe nude.

I am keeping this nail look firmly saved until the festive season begins. An iridescent, mauve shimmer polish? Don't mind if I do.

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2. Purple Rainbow

My favourite thing about the rainbow nail trend (which isn't going anywhere, by the way) is that you can make it work with any hue. This pastel-toned lilac rainbow is sparking a lot of joy.

I genuinely couldn't be more excited to take this to my nail tech. Way too complex for me to try myself at home, this ombré lilac situation is absolutely genius.

While lilac can often feel out of place in winter due to its springtime associations, pairing your lilac rainbow with white, black and shimmer is a surefire way to get your mani winter ready.

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3. Oxblood

A little bit red, a little bit purple and a little bit brown… I'm not sure it gets much chicer than a high-gloss oxblood mani like this one.

If you're partial to a bit of nail art, this understated design pairs oxblood with a complementary milky pink accent to create one of the coolest manicures I've seen in a long, long time.

No one does a high-shine manicure quite like Harriet Westmoreland, and this deep purple has me excited for thick winter jumpers and oodles of jewels. 

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4. Lilac Art

I have been obsessed with this nail look for weeks—I just can't seem to get it off my mind. With retro floral accents, it seems to be the perfect way to inject some fun into your manicure of choice.

Swirls have reigned supreme on the nail art scene for many moons now, and they're not going anywhere. These fine-line purple swirls pair perfectly with yellow to create a psychedelic retro look.

This look is giving me major Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine vibes, and I am here for it. I know it's worlds away from my boring comfort-zone mani of choice, but this one is definitely on my list of designs to try.

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5. Royal Purple

I simply adore deep, dark shades on nails, and I'd never considered opting for a purple hue until I saw this immaculate look.

Up the royal nod by adding some gem stickers to your royal purple nail look. With the help of some negative space, it's understated but brilliant at the same time.

Another festive corker, this shimmery purple polish is so gel-like and shiny that I find myself mesmerised every time I lay eyes on it.

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Next Up: 86 Nail Art Ideas We've Saved for Our Next Trip to the Salon