While the whimsy girls are hard at work bedazzling every beauty product, phone case and tchotchke in sight, a slew of “cool-girl”-coded celebrities are swapping their own sparkly, summertime mystique for one spooky shade emerging among fall nail trends: black.
Internet “It” girls Ashtin Earle and Victoria Villarroel have favored glossy, square-cut black nails in pursuit of an early 2000s, indie sleaze aesthetic, pairing the look with blacked-out bug-eye shades, rockstud gladiator sandals, tube tops and vintage Tom Ford. Other A-listers such as Gracie Abrams, Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner have also been spotted with black manicures recently, putting the reign of OPI’s “Bubble Bath” on notice.
Indeed, the trending hue is nothing new. Black nails for fall? “Revolutionary.” That said, unlike the butter yellow, turquoise and rhinestone-embellished looks that ruled summer — all styles that can feel like they come with an invisible age cap — the dark aesthetic appeals to the masses, offering a sophisticated and approachable alternative to the trusty soft pink shade.
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Yes, Earle, Villarroel, Jenner and other Gen Z celebrities are powering the fad now, but the color is ageless. Many in the over-40 age bracket, such as Isabelle Huppert and Kerry Washington, have sported the sleek shade for years and worn it year-round. In fact, Sandra Bullock just wore black nails on the carpet outside the premiere of “Practical Magic 2” in London, pairing the witchy beauty detail with a cheetah print Givenchy fall 2026 ready-to-wear gown, a burnt orange smoky eye, flushed cheeks, brown shadow in her waterline and pale lips.
Bullock’s decision to rock the moody shade, and the wider rise of black nails, makes sense, considering the coming months are typically associated with darker nail hues, mainly navy blue, burgundy and blood red. Midnight blue, a heavier shade, has also come up in recent years, in addition to charcoal and murky green. At the same time, jelly and cat-eye nails have made a splash. Hailey Bieber kicked her penchant for glazed everything earlier this year, opting instead for the iridescent technique over brown tips.
