24 Fall French Manicure Ideas For A Moody Twist On Classic Nail Art

If you're constantly changing your manicure based on the seasons, we are one and the same. Floral nail art might be your flirty spring go-to, summer calls for playful designs, and the colder months beg for something a bit edgier. But what if you want to take your favorite fun, warm-weather manicure — the French manicure, for instance — and make it trans-seasonal? 

Believe it or not, there are plenty of ways you can vary your French manicure to give it moody fall vibes. Stray away from the classic white tip and opt for muted fall colors — like orange, yellow, and red — if you want an easy twist on your favorite style. You can even give witchy vibes with a chevron French tip, or stay minimalist and utilize nude shades for your French manis. Whether you're more of a cozy fall personality or a spooky one, giving your French manicure some moody touches could be just what you need to get in the spirit of the season.

If you haven't yet tried the chrome French manicure trend on for size, fall is the perfect time to take this style for a spin. A chrome French manicure is a great way to add the slightest moody twist to the classic French. We love this look paired with a milky white or pink base (as in the photo above), but a nude base could achieve the same effect. 

One effortless way to take your French manicure into fall is by making it slightly bigger. Creating a thicker line on the tip of your nail (and even inverting it so that the crescent of the color aligns with the bed of your nail) adds a fun enough twist that your nails will no longer scream "French manicure." Use your favorite fall colors for the tips of the nails, and you've got yourself a fall French manicure you'll find yourself getting all season. 

Stuck on what color to use for your fall French manicure? If maroon, forest green, and burnt orange don't speak to you, try a dark shade of blue. Dark blue may not instantly bring fall to mind, but it still offers a way to get moody vibes for the season — especially if you pair them with some evil eye decals (like in the photo above).

Sure, it's somewhat of an obvious choice for the sought-after moody fall French manicure, but black is definitely one of our favorite color choices for this vibe. A black chevron French tip is a great way to add just a hint of mood to an otherwise elegant look. You can do a chevron design on a square nail, or if you're feeling a bit more daring, give a rounded chevron manicure a try with the kitty cat French manicure look.

If you're dreading giving up your white French tip nails even to accommodate the changing of the seasons, you'll be relieved to learn that you don't have to — just add some detail to your French mani. Use white to incorporate classic fall symbols into your manicure, like bats, leaves, or squiggly lines reminiscent of tree roots. 

You don't have to embrace dark colors to give your French manicure moody fall vibes. Instead, try doing each tip in a different fall color. Muted shades of green, orange, yellow, red, gold, or brown exude fall vibes without compromising the playfulness you love in a manicure. 

If you want to start dipping your toes into the fall season but are loath to leave summer behind completely, try transitioning between seasons with a warm, muted shade of orange. A light pumpkin color exudes fall vibes, and though we love it paired with a nude base, we think it would also look stunning as a French tip on a black or dark gray base. 

Maybe you don't consider yourself moody, per se, but you still want to tone your French manicure down to fit the season's vibes. If this sounds like you, consider incorporating a glitter gray polish into your French manicure. It can make for an understated moody sentiment on its own, or you can pair it with white if the occasion calls for some elegance. 

Is your favorite part of fall the gorgeous foliage? Pay homage to fall's golden leaves by getting a French manicure to match. Opt for a glitter gold polish if glitz and glam are more your vibe, or a classic gold polish if you're feeling more muted and mellow. 

We think you can't go wrong with a red nail on pretty much any occasion, but we especially love to utilize the color in fall when it gets some extra moody connotations. A blood-red manicure calls to mind all of our favorite villainesses. Use deep red in your French manicure this fall if you want your vibes to be powerful, sexy — and even a little bit deadly.

When in doubt, go for neutrals — they'll almost never steer you wrong. If you want to be subtle, shades of cream and beige that are nearly nude would make stunning moody French manicures. Or when you feel like standing out from the crowd, try a combo of black and beige to create a moody French tip.

If you've never tried the double corner French manicure, it's high time you hopped on the bandwagon and tried out the trend. And, luckily, this typically playful manicure design can be toned down a bit to fit the season, as long as you choose your colors carefully. Darker neutrals, like the shades of brown used in the above manicure, are perfect for taking your favorite playful French manicure variation down a couple notches this fall. 

Are spooky vibes what you're after? We hardly blame you. We know, we know — French manicures aren't very spooky in and of themselves. But you can add some spook factor by painting a cobweb or two on each nail. Painting a black cobweb on a black French manicure gives a not-so-subtle nod to the season's darker vibes, and we particularly love to see this look around Halloween. 

Maybe you want to eschew the classic French manicure entirely this fall. If that's what you're feeling, go for it, but not before considering a reverse French manicure. This mani paints the French tip toward the base of your nail instead of the tip, and we love the edgy feel it can give to a fall nail design, even when done with more playful polish shades. 

So you don't want your vibes to be too dark, and you need to show some class, but you still want to give your French mani a hint of mood. If this sounds like you, try pairing a dark neutral — like brown or black — with gold flakes. This can tone down your favorite manicure design without compromising its classic elegance. 

Or, maybe you don't want to hold anything back when it comes to your fall French mani, and you're ready to go all in with the spooky, moody vibes. Why not go the extra mile and make the French tip look like drips of blood? This fun look is one of our favorite twists on the classic, and we hope we see it more than once this season. 

Green is another great color to utilize in your fall French manicure when you're not ready to give up summer. To start easing into the fall mood, just make sure to opt for darker shades, like an emerald or forest green. Consider adding brown or gold into the mix if you want to bring fall foliage to mind, but stay away from pairing it with only red, as that gives instant Christmas vibes. 

Just because it's fall, that doesn't mean you have to stop all your favorite summer activities completely. Go on chilly picnic dates, and give yourself some black checkered French tips to match your moody picnic blanket. If black isn't your color, an orange checkered design would have similar fall picnic appeal. 

If anything screams mood, it's the emo-core color combos of the early '00s — namely, black and pink. This fall, why not capitalize on nostalgia with a moody French manicure? Relive that part of your childhood you never thought you'd go back to, and get a black and pink French manicure this season. 

Okay, we get it, you don't want to give up your white French manicure for anything. Would you at least consider adding some black into the equation? Even something as simple as thin black lines can completely change the vibe of the classic white French mani, making it a perfect choice for those who want to incorporate a hint of darkness this season. 

You don't have to combine white with black. You could use any other fall color on your French manicure to easily make it suitable for the season. A muted orange, red, yellow, or green base design with a white French tip offers an easy way to keep your French mani while giving it some additional fall elements. 

Of course, nothing is more reminiscent of fall than pumpkins. If you love cozy, playful Halloweens and fall crafts are your favorite pastime, you may have fun giving your French manicure some pumpkin essence. Make the French tip look like the pumpkin's mouth, like in the above photo, or simply use orange and black as your French manicure colors. 

If you don't love pumpkins, maybe cats are more your speed. Luckily for you, it turns out that a cat's face works perfectly as a French tip. Paint eyes, ears, and a few whiskers on a black cat on the tip of your nail for another playful look that we love to see around Halloween (and, personally, we'd love to see this look combined with the pumpkin French tip above). 

You're ready to opt for dark neutrals this season, but you're worried about them being boring. They don't have to be as long as you find a polish with a bit of shimmer. A brown shimmer polish is a great option to make a fall French manicure moody while still maintaining some visual interest, and we love the touch of elegance it adds, as well.