Summer To Fall Transition Nail Art

We’ve had a couple of rainy days that caught me off-guard with bright neon summery nails. I was facing a serious dilemma: leave them be to remind me of summer or take them off to match the sorrowed weather…

They lasted for one day. The next I had not one but two summer-to-fall transition manicures ready! I know, I’m rushing things a bit, it’s still august and summer isn’t going anywhere for at least a couple of weeks, but, seriously, don’t you want to be ready just in case? I have an all-season and a fall-ish nail art to show you, scroll down and choose!

It all started with me thinking about rain… water and… rust popped in my head. Rust was the turning point in this nail art story. I have a fierce passion for copper, gold/copper nail polish. I still haven’t found the right copper shade, but I’m still searching, I’m sure I’ll find it eventually (if you have any copper nail polish tips, do share in the comments below, I’m serious about my copper obsession).

My base color is OPI’s Don’t Bossa Nova me Around, a lovely grey-blush neutral (it doesn’t show, I know, but it’s more lavender than blush) which is a nightmare to apply if I’m not generous in my two coats (it’s maybe just my bottle, but I find it very clumpy and in need of constant thinner, regardless of how many drops I add). Why, but Don’t Bossa Nova me Around isn’t matte – I hear you say – I must’ve been fooled when buying that – well, no, of course I had to top it with mattifying topcoat, you know I’m addicted to it!

See also: How to DIY step-by-step summer flowers negative nail art!

So for the easy abstract nail art I went with a lovely gold/copper from OPI I brushed here and there on the tips of the nails, mostly. Just a brush stroke, not to cover the edges or half the nail. It was as far as I’ve had pre-planned for this mani. Looking down at my fingers, though, something was missing so I added a couple of stripes with a copper glitter.

And still something was missing – a pop of color! What better than a glittery Zoya London dot here and there? Matte topcoat followed and that’s was a wrap for this one – 2 minutes tops! It takes longer to open and close the polish bottles than it takes to actually paint the nails!

Now for my rust nails (for fall and more) I played around with the gold&copper and with two China Glaze colors I love blending – Isle See You Later and Keeping it Teal. A gradient waterfall with the two at the base of the nail resulted in a splendid shade, just I like where I wanted my rust to pop up! The best part of this gradient is that it doesn’t have to be perfectly blended – irregular is best for rust-purposes!

Towards the middle, I added the copper glitter stripes, moving upward but not getting to the tips of the nail which need to still show the base color. I repeated these for all four nails save for the ring fingernail I covered in gold and then dipped in loose copper glitter. All drenched in topcoat to finish and ta-daaah! Perfectly rusty, perfectly transitional, summer-to-fall nails in all their splendor! (and while I’m at it, why not paint a pebble stone with polish?)

See more: Nail polish crafts & french manicure on the double!