Brown Nails Are the New Neutral

By Red Dimaandal-Escamillas

Brown manicures are having a major moment right now–and not just a neutral fallback. Thanks to Pantone naming Mocha Mousse as its 2025 Color of the Year, warm coffee-inspired tones like mocha, cinnamon, and taupe are trending hard. These shades feel cozy yet elegant, offering a richer, more grounded alternative to classic nudes or black.

Nail artists are also playing with texture and design in fresh ways. Think tortoise-shell swirls, marble patterns combining brown and white, and even tiger’s eye finishes with cat-eye gel polish. There’s also been a resurgence of brown French tips–swapping out the traditional white for espresso or latte hues–and gradient designs that layer different brown shades together.

Brown French tips | Photo from Instagram/paintedby.lucy

Mismatched nails | Photos from Instagram/nailsxbellaluna

What makes this trend especially appealing is its versatility. Whether you prefer a glossy dark chocolate finish that feels polished and luxe or a soft, dusty chestnut in matte for an understated look, there’s a brown manicure for every style. Plus, pairing brown with unexpected accents like wine-red, blue, or metallic shimmer keeps the trend fresh and modern.

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Jasmine Curtis-Smith is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine right now, as she shares her thoughts on good storytelling in films, as she’s set to star in upcoming movies Open Night, a 2025 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival sapphic film entry; and Manila’s Finest, an upcoming 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) crime drama movie.

Read the Stylish Magazine September-October 2025 cover story here.

Our #StylishPodcast episode featuring our cover girl Jasmine Curtis-Smith is out. Watch it on Facebook and YouTube.


Stylish Magazine is “your source of self-love, style & inspiration” first introduced in June 2020. Our television series format, Stylish TV, once ranked one of the Top 50 Most Watched Multicultural Shows in the USA, can be streamed on iWantTFC and be watched on TFC (The Filipino Channel) in more than 50 countries. Watch it online here.

Style Visionary Network is a lifestyle-business online platform where #WeCreateVisionaries. Also introduced in June 2020, Style Visionary Network is also the digital home channel of media brands Stylish Magazine and Stylish TV.