As a summer baby, I'm partial to the too-hot heat, the barely-there bikinis, and the overall bright and vibrant vibes that the June, July, and August months bring. Over the years, especially working in media and having to be up-to-date on different trends, the fall has held a special place in my heart and my Pinterest mood boards. Beyond the drop in temperature, the effortlessly chic OOTDs, and pumpkin spice-everything, I love a good fall trend list.
While "summertime fine" is most definitely a thing, nothing compares to a good fall trend. In the fall, our go-to manis will be more chic and calm, more mindful and demure. To discuss this and the other fall trends we can hope to see, we spoke with experts Imani J. Myers, celebrity nail artist and founder of Imanicurist, as well as Session Manicurist Joelle Rodriguez. Below they give us all the need-to-know deets about her top fall nail trend predictions. Keep reading for more.
Color Me Baddie
Keeping in line with her belief that fall will mean more muted nail colors, Myers predicts that the top nail colors will keep that same energy. Think "a deep wine red, chocolate brown, deep blues and of course the classiest, black," she tells xoNecole. As gravitating towards a more calm aesthetic becomes the vibe, opting for a solid, rich color is another fall 2024 nail trend. For color, Rodriguez is seeing green. "I think green, specifically a natural forest green, is going to have a moment," the manicurist envisions.
Run the Jewels
Just because fall may mean a more calm and muted aesthetic when it comes to our nails doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the bling. "There’s a bunch of holidays, and the last quarter of the year gets busy. I can predict major jewel designs for this holiday season," Myers says. Rodriguez is more than here for the bling. "The layered bling look has been around forever and comes back every winter. Now more than ever, it's more intricate and gorgeous!" she exclaims.
Almond Joy
In terms of the nail shape that will be the trendiest, Myers believes it will be all about the almond shape this fall in a variety of lengths. "I’ve noticed a lot of girls are leaning towards almond-shaped [nails], short to extra long. Such a timeless, dainty shape." Rodriguez sees almond and stiletto shapes as mainstays when it comes to manis but is also feeling square or oval shapes for the girls. "It's something fresh for the season, and she's a classic," Rodriguez emphasizes. "For my long-extension wearers, I think a traditional oval would be a cute shape to play around with."
Back in Matte
For the fall, Myers says matte is in order as a go-to finish for nail looks. "A lot of clients prefer the calmer designs, such as a solid rich color, for the colder months," she shares. "Matte top coat is a customer favorite. The finish is spotless and velvety." Rodriguez shares a similar sentiment, "I think glossy flat colors and metallics will be in, but I wouldn't be mad if matte made a debut. People do tend to skew away from it though because it can appear 'dirty' after some wear."
In Motion, In 3D
As far as emerging nail trends on her radar, Myers has one word: 3D. "Everything 3D," she says. "Products are changing daily, and new things [are being] introduced to make the work even cooler! 3D is taken over in the design portion of getting your nails done." Her personal favorite is the 3D flower nails that have been everywhere. Rodriguez seconds this forecast, adding, "Whether it's a single rhinestone or two, slightly 3D painted art, or extreme 3D with all the bells and whistles, I think the texture and having something to interact with on your nails is a nice way to bring the vibrancy of summer into the cold months." Noted.
Maximalist vs Minimalist
"While the maximalists of the world are leaning more toward colorful and heavily detailed nail art. The minimalists admire natural-looking and impeccably done manicures and extensions," Rodriguez shares. "For the minimal girls, I’m leaning towards a solid color, tortoise, chrome French tip, animal prints, and plaid. For my maximalist girlies, I’m leaning towards a lot of 3D and jewel work using darker/muted tones," says Myers.
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Featured image courtesy of Joelle Rodriguez/@joellesbosom
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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Featured image by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock