‘Toasted Nails’ Are Fall’s Hottest (and Simplest) Manicure Trend

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Fall beauty trends have taken a turn for the toasty. Suddenly, it seems like everyone’s wearing warm makeup, cozy hair colors, and “toasted nails.”

Celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik, whose regular clients include Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, and Margot Robbie, coined the name for the toasted manicure trend. From Gomez’s transitional pumpkin-spice set to Robbie’s elegant champagne shimmer, we’ve been dying to know how to get the look. Below, Bachik tells Glamour how the toasted manicure was born—and how to re-create it yourself.

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What is a toasted manicure?Rather than a statement color or a distinct design, Bachik says that the toasted manicure relies on a subtler nail effect. From a distance, it may read as a pure neutral, but its beauty is in its warm, dimensional finish. “Nail art in general has taken a more minimalistic stance,” Bachik says. “Effects are an easy way to give the simplest shades a little something without being over the top.”

According to Bachik, the perfect toasted mani combines a nude base with “golden-hour tones—like pink iridescence and glowy satin chrome effects.” A plain neutral manicure can feel too subtle, but Bachik says that “you can use these types of effects over any color to ‘toast’ your favorite fall shades.”

What inspired the toasted nail trend?“I often get inspired by makeup when creating [nail] looks,” Bachik says. He notes that while he has previously pulled manicure inspiration from dramatic eyes and bold lips, this subtler trend was influenced by sun-kissed cheeks. “My wife actually stumbled upon the ‘toasty’ makeup look and loved it,” he says.

Toasty makeup is characterized by warm, autumnal shades (think caramel, terra-cotta, and dusty rose) and soft, golden shimmer effects. The toasty makeup look enhances the natural surface of the skin rather than covering it up: It skips heavy foundation and instead leans on bronzer and blush placement to create a natural glow.

Toasted nails and makeup routines both demand a shimmering finish—whether a swipe of gold-toned highlighter or an opalescent topcoat. You can think of the toasted manicure “like makeup for your fingers,” Bachik says.

How can you get the look?The toasted manicure is all about illuminating the natural nail, and Bachik says that it works best with “sheer nudes” as a base. Because of this, nail prep is especially essential. To perfect the canvas, Bachik always starts with Tweezerman tools: “Tweezerman Rockhard Cuticle Nipper for meticulous cuticles, Stainless Steel Fingernail Clipper, and Professional Nail Files for a perfect shape.”

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To create Selena Gomez’s viral toasted nails, Bachik followed a simple formula: “Base coat, two coats of color (Essie’s Special Effects Liquid Sunrise), and a high-gloss topcoat to really make it shine.” For an even more subtle look, Bachik recommends the “sophisticated silk” manicure, which he created for Gomez at the Emmys.

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While you can re-create Bachik’s celebrity looks exactly, he emphasizes that the toasted manicure is more of a philosophy than a formula. It leaves plenty of room for experimentation with your favorite fall shades. “Think golden, bronzed, and toasted,” Bachik says. “Ask for or use pearlescents, iridescence, mirror chromes, even cat-eye effects to make any color toasted.”

What nail shape works best with a toasted manicure?While you can easily give any nail shape the toasted treatment, Bachik says that the recent surge in minimalistic, natural manicures inspired the trend. “Nail shapes are trending shorter and more square, which is interesting because normally, as we transition into fall and winter, nails get longer,” he says. “I think maybe with all the craziness happening in the world right now, minimalism in beauty feels like a nice balance. We still want to feel beautiful, but not in a ‘look at me’ sort of way.”

No matter your preference, the toasted nail trend is the perfect way to bring some elegant simplicity to your next manicure. Bring Bachik’s exact playbook to the salon, or tailor his method to create your own cozy vibe.

Grace McCarty is the associate beauty editor at Glamour.