With Halloween’s spooky nail art now wiped away, November is shaping up as a month of transition for manicures. As Vanity Fair Italia points out in its round-up of the month’s celebrity nails, the shades of the moment sit somewhere between the deep, cosy tones of autumn and the first rehearsals for the festive season. Burgundy and bright red lead the way, with a few touches of gold glitter already hinting at New Year’s Eve.
Gold dust and champagne shimmer
The look that set the tone came from Taylor Swift at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on 17 October. Paired with a pale blue Dior gown, she wore short, rounded nails in a warm, shimmering gold. ELLE called it “gold fairy dust”, while Zoya’s creative director Rebecca Isa described it to Grazia as “gilded champagne”. Neither the brand nor the exact shade has been named, so any “perfect match” sold online is guesswork. Vanity Fair Italia also highlights a champagne-coloured chrome finish from Sabrina Carpenter, a neutral that catches the light rather than shouting.
The appeal is easy to see: a soft metallic picks up the glow of jewellery and works as well with camel and navy as it does with a party dress. Gold nails beside a citrine ring or a stack of bracelets look deliberate rather than accidental.
Red, burgundy and the new black
Red remains the undisputed favourite, but in its liveliest versions. According to Vanity Fair Italia, Dakota Johnson chose a vivid poppy red, Demi Moore a fiery classic and Zendaya a coral that feels almost summery. Burgundy, the evergreen of the season, appeared on Naomi Watts and Charlotte Casiraghi, while Kendall Jenner settled on a polished shade somewhere between red and bordeaux. These deep berry tones sit beautifully next to garnet rings and ruby rings.
Black has also grown up. Once a rock-and-roll signature, a glossy all-black manicure now reads as polished and grown-up, worn by Charlize Theron and Hailey Bieber. For something less expected, the magazine notes Zara Tindall’s midnight-blue nails at British Champions Day at Ascot, a smart alternative to black that pairs naturally with sapphire rings. And for softer hands, Meghan’s milky pink “strawberry milk” finish shows that a sheer, rosy nail still has its place in the colder months.
The message for November is simple: choose one confident colour, keep the shape neat and let your rings do the rest. The festive season is closer than it looks.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia (1 November 2026); ELLE; Grazia USA; Allure.
