When we need nail inspo, we scroll through Instagram. We do a deep dive into the accounts of celebrities, influencers, and most importantly, professional nail artists. And lately, as we’ve been scrolling through the aforementioned accounts, we’ve noticed a trend—that is, people are opting for a very specific and very surprising shade of nail polish: brown.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a standard solid-colored manicure or a detailed, designer set; we’ve been seeing brown nail polish everywhere. It seems that these shades—which range from light cappuccino colors to rich dark chocolate hues—are the color du jour. And after seeing it enough, we totally understand why. After all, brown nail polish is neutral, so it pairs well with everything (we’re talking about every color, outfit, and situation). Plus, it’s surprisingly sophisticated. Need some proof before you commit? No worries. Ahead, find our 18 favorite brown nail designs on Instagram.
Animal print nails are nothing new, but these ones prove they can be modern and sophisticated.
Tortoiseshell nails are a classic, and for good reason. They’re so sophisticated.
For a more modern take on tortoiseshell nails, opt for a negative space design.
Another half-and-half manicure, this one is animal print instead of tortoiseshell.
If you’re looking for a DIY-friendly design, this is it. It’s simple yet effective.
This lattice design is stunning. It gets bonus points for the individual nail gems.
You can’t go wrong with a simple design and a classic combo of brown and black.
We don’t know what we love more—the groovy design or the one black nail.
Yes, double ombré nails exist, and yes, they’re making us want to run to the salon.
Who knew a dripping chocolate manicure could look so good?
Can you tell we have a thing for split manicures? They’re so cool and unexpected.
We love these minimalist brown and white ripples.
Brown nail polish and smiley faces–a winning combination.
We like this monochromatic design that combines varying shades of brown.
Chocolate brown and baby blue make the prettiest color combo.
The same goes for chocolate brown and baby pink.
Why choose one design when you can choose five? And all animal print no less.
This color combo (and negative space French manicure) are so sophisticated.
This rich chocolate brown will never go out of style.
The same goes for this lighter brick-brown color.
Dark and bold—the same way we like our espresso.
Some of our favorite nail polishes are from J. Hannah.
We like the slight orange undertone of this brown shade.
