A hand with bright coral nails resting on a cream linen tablecloth, a bottle beside it
A warm coral that wakes up the hand as soon as the first warm days arrive

My friend Camille sent me a photo the other day: ten nails painted a deep, almost chocolate brown. 'It makes my hands look dirty,' she wrote. Two days later, the same manicure was on her Stories and she was talking about it as if it were the most obvious choice in the world. Which just goes to show that a colour sometimes needs time to grow on you.

A hand with greige nails holds a small nail polish bottle above a pale wood desk
Greige, neither grey nor brown, for anyone avoiding the same old thing

For a long time, nail polish came down to two options: red or pink. Lovely, timeless, a little repetitive. Now the shades we didn't expect are taking over: brown, taupe, caramel, grey. Colours that dress the hand without shouting, and make your fingertips look anything but familiar.

A bottle of rose taupe nail polish on a marble shelf, black cap beside it
Rose taupe, the discreet shade that goes with everything, from your coat to your cup of tea

Brown, the shade that's here to stay

Let's be honest: brown is no longer a default choice. When Pantone named Mocha Mousse its Colour of the Year for 2025, the shade gained a new kind of prestige. Since then, latte and chocolate manicures have flooded social media, from creamy beige to the darkest praline.

The reason is simple, and you've probably noticed it on your own hands: a well-chosen brown doesn't make hands look dirty; it warms them up. The key is getting the depth right. A brown that's too grey can dull a fair complexion; one that's too red quickly turns burgundy. The benchmark? An opaque texture in two coats, with no milky transparency: the 'I can go straight into a meeting without thinking about it' effect.

A hand with deep brown nails resting on a brown leather notebook in warm light
Deep brown: it warms the hand without ever making it look dark

From taupe to grey, the neutrals that give shape

Taupe is the clever compromise between grey and brown. It suits almost everyone, goes with any outfit and forgives a slightly damaged nail. Its one flaw: it doesn't stand out much. If you want a sharper finish, lean towards grey.

Grey, meanwhile, has long had a bad reputation, linked with tired-looking nails. And yes, it can be, when it's badly chosen. But a slightly blue-toned grey, properly opaque, looks clean and almost graphic. It's the shade I recommend when you're unsure: it gives the hand structure without weighing it down.

A hand with opaque taupe nails on a pale stone surface near a small dish
Taupe forgives everything, even a slightly damaged nail

The routine that makes all the difference

Colour does half the job; application does the rest. Start with a smooth base coat: it protects the nail and blurs unevenness. Then two thin coats rather than one thick one: that's what prevents streaks and helps polish dry faster. Finally, a top coat, which adds a few days' wear and revives shine. This routine takes a few minutes and really does make a difference to the finished result.

Product image inspired by Vernis à ongles en bambou n° 660 / Aigue-marine - 8 ml
Product image inspired by Vernis à ongles en bambou n° 660 / Aigue-marine - 8 ml

As for texture, today's formulas are more fluid than they used to be and often dry faster, but they are still cosmetic products: ventilate the room and close the bottle tightly.

Want a cleaner option? Several French brands make so-called '10-free' or '12-free' formulas. These terms have no single regulatory definition: they vary from brand to brand. They often exclude certain controversial ingredients, including toluene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, and some phthalates; check the exact list on the bottle. I haven't tested all of these products over time, so treat this as a well-researched starting point, not a verdict. Kure Bazaar and Manucurist claim plant-derived bases; Zao Makeup offers refillable nail polishes with a bamboo cap (glass bottle). And always check the ingredients on the bottle: 'natural' is not a label, it's a marketing argument. Availability in the UK varies, so check stockists and delivery before you commit to a particular brand.

A hand with pearl grey nails holds a pen above an open notebook
A luminous grey, perfect for hands that write all day
A hand with blue-grey nails resting on the pages of an open book by a window
Blue-toned grey gives the hand a clean, almost graphic line
A hand with caramel nails emerging from the sleeve of a camel coat
Soft caramel, a shade that complements the skin without dulling it
A hand with greyish taupe nails resting on a sage green linen cushion
Greyish taupe: the shade that lasts from morning to night without fading
A hand with glittery silver nails resting on dove-grey satin
A glittery silver that catches the light at the slightest movement
A hand being given a thin coat of taupe polish, brush on the nail, bottles in the background
Two thin coats rather than one thick one: the step that makes polish last

Budget

Nail polish is still one of the cheapest beauty buys, as long as you know where to look. In supermarkets or own-brand ranges, expect to pay a few pounds a bottle. At chemists, beauty retailers or from 'clean' French brands, it's more likely to be around £10 to £20. At big names such as Chanel and Dior, expect £25 to £35.

In a salon, a classic manicure is around £15 to £40 depending on the treatment and the city; a semi-permanent or gel manicure can quickly cost more. What affects the price: the range, the formula (shine and wear), whether a refill is available and where you buy it. Online, prices are often lower than on the high street, but factor in delivery charges.

Sources

  • Pantone Color Institute, 'Color of the Year 2025: PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse' — pantone.com
  • Kure Bazaar, official site — kurebazaar.com
  • Manucurist, official site — manucurist.com
  • Zao Makeup, official site — zao-makeup.com
  • Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products — eur-lex.europa.eu (EU framework; UK cosmetics rules apply separately)

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