The "Gingerbread" Nail Trend Puts a Holiday Twist on Fall's Most Popular Shade

As we head into winter, a new nail trend cycle is set to emerge, and you can likely expect festive shades and nail art on the lineup. We'll admit it: However cutesy, holiday nail art can feel a little on the nose (and difficult to re-create), especially up against luxurious neutral shades that were so popular throughout fall. That said, the newest manicure color trend set to take over is equal parts festive and chic (and good enough to eat). Enter: "Gingerbread" nails.

The latest take on the chocolate brown nail trend that has taken over throughout the cooler months, gingerbread nails look just as scrumptious as they sound. The warm, cinnamon-spiced color is the perfect neutral for everyday (no nail art skills required), that still promotes some much needed holiday cheer—the best part? You can still wear it well into January. Ahead, everything you need to know about gingerbread nails, and how to get the look.

The Trend

In early October, creator Jacquie Alexander posted a TikTok of her new manicure, soft-launching the trend in the process. The video now has nearly half a million views, with the creator naming them her "gingerbread nails" after the soft brown color she created in the salon. Rather than opting for a true chocolate brown shade, Alexander's custom shade started with a warm pinky base that was covered with another amber-toned polish, and finished with a chrome top coat. The result? A spiced-brown shade that looked just like the color of gingerbread cookies.

Although Alexander may have coined the term, iterations of brown nails have been everywhere (literally, everywhere) throughout fall. Selena Gomez tried on a lighter, "toffee" color, Hailey Bieber co-signed chocolate caramel shades and amber hues, and "Moscow Mule" nails put a copper twist on the shade. It was only right that it evolved into a specific trend for the holiday season, and the warm-toned gingerbread shade is perfect—it still feels new without reinventing the wheel, and is super wearable and versatile.

How to Get the Look

Although Alexander didn't reveal exactly which colors she asked for in the salon, in the video it looks as though her manicurist mixed a custom brown color. However, the highlight of this trend is there's no specific formula—simply opt for lighter, warmer shades of brown with orange tones for the most realistic gingerbread color. Like any other trending shade, it stands on its own or can be used in a handful of classic styles, like a French manicure or abstract swirls. Manicurist Tiffany Minifie combined the shade into a French style with milky white swirls that just screams milk and cookies. You can even top it with chrome like Alexander, or any type of shimmery top coat for some extra shine.

As for polish recommendations: Peacci's polish in Woody offers a pretty warm brown as does Chanel's Les Vernis shade in Spirituelle. OPI's My Italian Is a Little Rusty is also a great option.