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A-List Celebrity Brown Nail Ideas to Try Right Now

Written by: Ellie Simmons

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Time to read 8 min

We love a good brown-toned mani. From cool undertones to rich chocolatey browns, there are so many totally wearable and versatile shades. Not to mention, brown nails are perfect for autumn!


And it seems we're not the only ones jumping on the brown nails bandwagon.

We've also noticed our favourite A-listers showing off their latest brown manicures for the season.


If you're looking for ideas for your next fresh set, brown nails are definitely the way to go (it's certainly what we're doing!).

As Seen On: Our 5 Favourite Celeb Brown Nail Designs

From Hailey Bieber's iconic chocolate glazed doughnut nails to more subtle looks, we've rounded up some of our favourite celeb brown nail designs you can easily recreate at home.

Scroll down for your daily dose of mani inspo!

Isabela Merced's Cool-Toned Brown Nails

Isabela Merced
Instagram: isabelamerced

Isabela Merced's cool-toned brown nails are the perfect way to achieve a subtle yet stylish nail look.


Spotted wearing this mani at the Armarni Summerhouse event, we can't help but admire how Isabela perfectly pulled off this look. The shade of brown is an ideal hue for any skin tone and complements the autumn season.


What you can't see from this photo is the shimmery gold undertip of her nails, creating a bronzed goddess-inspired mani.

Jenna Ortega's Brown Swirl Nails

Jenna Ortega
Instagram: thuybnguyen

The Wednesday star Jenna Ortega was spotted rocking these brown swirly nails back at the Golden Globe Awards – but we haven't stopped thinking about them since.


Created by nail artist Thuy Nguyen, this set of nails is simply beautiful.

Hailey Bieber's Chocolate Glazed Doughnut Nails

@haileybieber I know we’re tired of my constant color switch up but… the chocolate glazed donut nails are really hitting for me for fall 🤤🤎🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩 @zolaganzorigt ♬ original sound - jex

Of course, we couldn't do a rundown of our favourite brown nails and not include Hailey Bieber's iconic chocolate-glazed doughnut nails.


There's not really much to say about these nails other than that they're darn sweet. We love the mix of brown polish and a chrome finish.

Jessica Wang's Hot Chocolate Nails

You can never go wrong with a classic chocolate brown nail colour, and Jessica Wang proves that with this stunning mani.


It's bold, elegant and simply chic.

Winnie Harlow's Caramel Ombre French Mani

Winnie Harlow
Instagram: winnieharlow

If we can count on anyone to rock remarkable nails, it's Winnie Harlow.


The model wore this caramel ombre French mani that has us dreaming of sweet treats.

Brown Nail Ideas to Recreate At Home

On top of all the celeb inspo we've given you, we have some brown nail ideas of our own!


Our team have been busy crafting some beautiful brown manis using our favourite Mylee gel polishes. We'll take you through a step-by-step guide so you can recreate these stunning looks at home.

Brown French Tips

A French mani is perfect for any time of year, so we thought we'd give it a little twist with this brown French tip look.


We've created an ombre style by using different brown and 'nude' tones on each nail tip, and we love how it's turned out!

What You Need & How to Do It

You'll need:
 

Step 1) After perfectly prepping your nails, start by applying a layer of Base Coat to your nails, and cure underneath your Mylee LED Lamp for 30-60 seconds.


Step 2) Then, you can either go in with a skin-toned gel polish or go ahead and paint the French tips on your natural nails.


Find Your Perfect Nude Gel Polish!


Step 3) Start with your pinky fingernail – apply a swipe of Ice Queen onto your silicone stamper and press the tip of your nail into the polish at a 45-degree angle, making sure to cover the whole nail tip.


Step 4) Clean the stamper using a lint-free wipe in Prep & Wipe, then repeat the process using the rest of your gel polish colours, working from lightest to darkest along your fingers.


Step 5) Once you're happy with your brown tips, cure underneath your Mylee lamp for 30-60 seconds.


Step 6) Apply a final coat of No Wipe Top Coat, curing again.


Step 7) Nourish your cuticles with Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil.

Brown Tortoiseshell Nail Art

Tortoiseshell nails are always a classic at this time of year, and this mani combines speckled tortoiseshell-inspired accent nails with edgy black gel nail polish.


The darker tones make the design look more sophisticated and polished, perfect for absolutely any occasion.

What You Need & How to Do It

You'll need:
 

Step 1) Once your nails are prepped for polish, start by applying a layer of Base Coat. Cure underneath your Mylee LED Lamp for 30-60 seconds.


Step 2) Take your Stalker Gel Polish and paint your thumb, index and pinky fingers. Cure under your lamp again for the same time. Apply a 2 to 3 coats to make the polish pop, but remember to cure after each layer.


Step 3) Now for the tortie accent nails. Apply a 1 coat of Rust Gel Polish and use Mother Nature to create tortoiseshell-style speckles or blobs into the wet layer. This will cause the darker polish to spread out and give that tortie look. Cure under your lamp.


Step 4) Mix some of your Rust colour with a base coat on a mixing palette to make a super sheer shade. Use this to paint another layer, doing more blobs when the polish wet so it spreads before curing. This gives the layered look.


Step 5) Finish by applying a coat of No Wipe Top Coat to protect your mani and give it a glossy shine. Cure once more for the same time.


Step 6) Massage Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil into your cuticles and admire your finished brown mani!

Brown Wavy French Tips

This wavy French mani is a trendy twist on the classic French style.


Rather than creating sharp chocolate tips, you can create beautiful waves to keep your nails looking totally unique. And the monochromatic pinky accent nail adds a cute touch of contrast which helps to tie the whole look together.

What You Need & How to Do It

You'll need:
 

 

Step 1) Following your nail prep, apply the Light Pink Builder Gel onto your nails to give a flush of pink and scult your perfect nail shape. Cure underneath your Mylee LED Lamp for 60 seconds. (You can apply an optional base coat before this if desired).


Step 2) Next, take Never Fully Dressed and apply a coat of polish to your entire pinky nail. Cure under your lamp. You can apply 2 to 3 coats to build up the opacity – just make sure to cure in between each layer.


Step 3) Next, using Never Fully Dressed again, create the wavy French tips. You can use the brush from the gel polish bottle, or use one of our nail art brushes for more precise curved lines.


Step 4) Once happy with your brown nail design, cure under your Mylee lamp for 30-60 seconds again.


Step 5) Finish with a layer of No Wipe Top Coat, curing for the last time.


Step 6) Hydrate your nails and cuticles by applying our Sweet Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil.

Brown Nails are Definitely Here to Stay

Brown nail designs are always incredibly popular around autumn, but they're the perfect shade to wear all year round – especially transitioning into winter.


Celeb mani artist Vanessa Sanchez McCullough even says that she thinks “brown is the new black" – and we couldn't agree more!


There are so many different shades of brown that can complement any and every skin tone, personality, style...It might just be one of the most versatile nail colours out there.

Match, Enhance & Contrast Using the Bare Elements Collection

You can use brown-toned nudes to match, enhance and contrast your natural nails and skin tone for a subtle, chic look – and our Bare Elements collection is the perfect palette to pick from.


There are 40 shades in the collection with an array of brown tones that range from deep chocolate to sheer ashy browns, so you'll have no problem finding the perfect shade for your next set of nude nails.


Mix and match shades to create a monochromatic mani, or experiment with other colours in our range for a fun autumnal look.


As with all our gel polishes, our Bare Elements collection will give you a salon-worthy finish that'll last up to 3 weeks with no chips or nicks.

Stay on Trend this Season With Mylee

Take inspiration from our favourite celeb nail looks or have a play at recreating our very own brown nail ideas. Whatever you decide, you're sure to stay on trend and showcase your unique style this season with Mylee.


If you recreate any of our looks, make sure you tag us on Instagram using #NailedItMyself – you might even be lucky enough to get featured on our Story!

FAQs

Are Brown Nails In Style?

Brown nails are always trendy. Even though they're particularly popular in autumn and winter, they look gorgeous all year round!

What Brown Nail Polish Colour Will Suit My Skin Tone?

To match your brown polish to your skin tone, look at the pigment of your skin. Also consider the undertone of your skin by looking at the veins in your wrist (blue veins = cool undertones, green veins = warm, a mix of both = neutral). Choose a brown shade that matches or complements these factors.

Is Brown A Winter Nail Colour?

Brown is a beautiful colour to wear all year round, especially in winter. Brown nails with a warm undertone will give off an aura of cosiness, and cool-toned browns will keep your nails looking fresh.

What Are Hot Chocolate Nails?

Hot chocolate nails are a combination of dark milk-chocolaty hues that embrace the richness and warmth of our favourite winter drink. We're expecting to see these nails everywhere this autumn and winter.

What Are Chocolate Glazed Donut Nails?

Chocolate glazed donut nails are a sweet spin on Hailey Bieber's infamous glazed donut mani. It combines chocolate brown tones with a chrome sheen to create a delicious nail delight. Try out Mylee's Iridescent Top Coat over your fave chocolate brown gel polish shade to achieve the glazed chocolate look yourself.

Ellie Simmons

Ellie is the Brand Manager at Mylee, where she immerses herself in all things gel nails. 


Alongside being a skilled and certified nail technician, Ellie's expertise extends to gel manicures and nail extensions. Her heart and soul are devoted to all things nail-related, and she loves flaunting her own long, natural nails with captivating nail art. 

Ellie's ultimate favourites are iridescent and sparkly designs

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