A Black Manicure Always Looks Polished—15 Nail Designs I'm Saving for My Next Salon Trip

Black nails are absolutely timeless. In fact, I can't even remember a time when this chic, sophisticated nail colour wasn't in style. Not only is the deep, glossy shade perfect for autumn, but it will go with everything in your wardrobe and I guarantee that your manicure will always look polished when opting for this hue.

However, whenever I talk about my love for this nail colour, a lot of people ask me if there are different ways to wear the trend. As much as I love a simple black mani, we've all become a lot more experimental with our manicures over the past year, so I totally understand why people want to take their black nail polish to the next level.

Luckily for us, there are so many different ways to wear the trending nail colour this season. From black French tips to minimal nail art and even floral designs, I've spent the last few days looking at some of my favourite nail accounts on Instagram and I've rounded up some of the chicest black nail designs to wear this autumn. Interested? I thought so. Keep on scrolling and don't forget to screenshot your favourite looks for your next trip to the salon...

15 Black Nail Designs to Try This Autumn

1. Black French Tips

@raelondonnails black French tip nails

(Image credit: @raelondonnails)

French tip nails always look chic, but for a fun, autumnal take on the classic nail design, why not opt for a black French tip instead?

2. Minimal Black Nail Art

@imarninails black nail art

(Image credit: @imarninails)

Minimal nail art is great for those of you who don't want to go all out with your manicure but still want something fun and eye-catching.

3. Glossy Black Nails

@paintedbyjools glossy black nails

(Image credit: @paintedbyjools)

You simply can't go wrong with a glossy black finish.

4. Black Negative Space Nails

@nailartbyqueenie black nail art

(Image credit: @nailartbyqueenie)

How cool is this negative space design?

5. Black Florals

@betina_goldstein black floral nail art

(Image credit: @betina_goldstein)

Black florals for autumn get a big yes from me.

6. Black Micro French Tips

@harrietwestmoreland black French tip nails

(Image credit: @harrietwestmoreland)

Micro French tips look so stylish.

7. Black Hearts

@iramshelton black heart nail art

(Image credit: @iramshelton)

This cute nail design is understated yet chic.

8. Embellishment

@pink_oblivion black nail art

(Image credit: @pink_oblivion)

If you want to add some embellishment to your black manicure, this design looks so elegant.

9. Short Black Nails

@paintedbyjools short black manicure

(Image credit: @paintedbyjools)

This nail colour looks super sophisticated on shorter nail shapes.

10. Reverse Glittery French

@imarninails glittery black nail art

(Image credit: @imarninails)

A reverse French manicure is fun, but a glittery reverse French is even better.

11. Black Polka Dots

@betina_goldstein black nail art

(Image credit: @betina_goldstein)

Another understated yet super chic manicure idea.

12. Black and Silver

@iramshelton black and silver manicure

(Image credit: @iramshelton)

Perfect for party season.

13. Tuxedo Nails

@betina_goldstein black and white nail art

(Image credit: @betina_goldstein)

I love the tuxedo nail trend.

14. Half and Half

@betina_goldstein brown and black manicure

(Image credit: @betina_goldstein)

This black and brown nail design just screams autumn to me.

15. Black Stars

@nailartbyqueenie black star nail art

(Image credit: @nailartbyqueenie)

So fun!

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Grace Lindsay
Junior Beauty Editor

Grace Lindsay is the junior beauty editor at Who What Wear UK. At the age of 18 she decided to train as a makeup artist before going on to study english and media at Goldsmiths University. It was during that time that she explored her love for journalism by interning at a small beauty start-up based in Shoreditch. Since then, she has worked at a number of publications including Marie Claire and Hello!, where her love for all things beauty continued to grow.

As Who What Wear UK's junior beauty editor, she covers everything from the latest hair trends to the stand-out makeup products of the season.