Courtesy of @oshababyrosalba, @geminailsbybeca, @stephb.nails Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story This season, our favorite cocktail garnish is inspiring manicures so elevated, we can’t help but raise a glass. The olive nail trend is back, whether as an all-over coat of deep, slightly yellow-green polish or in nail art that looks like it should be stirring an extra-dirty martini .
According to Spate, a trend-forecasting company, interest in "olive nails" and "olive green nails" is up year-over-year by 19.7% and 50.3%, respectively, across Google, TikTok, and Instagram. Meagan Good and Lili Reinhart were recently spotted wearing the trend. Good wore a solid olive-green manicure, while Reinhart's had chrome embellishments and 3D olives, a nod to her character in the film The Love Hypothesis . The color also appeared on runways with Bottega Veneta, Valentino, and Ferragamo incorporating it into their fall/winter 2026 collections.
The experts we interviewed for our fall nail trend reports predicted that olive would make its return. “It’s a warm autumn color we naturally gravitate toward as the weather gets cooler,” Andrea Forero, a Barcelona-based manicurist, previously told Allure . Miss Pop, a New York City nail artist, adds it’s the perfect manicure for the festivities that come with the end of the year. “We're going into holiday party season. Why not have martini nails?!”
Los Angeles-based nail artist Bana Jajour says that the appeal of the olive trend has to do with its overall vibe. It exudes that feeling you get when you’re sitting in the back of a candlelit bar, cheersing with your best friend. “You picture a girl with oval nails and olive color,” says Jarjour. “She's holding her martini glass, posing cute, and posting her pictures.” It’s the ultimate, highly photogenic, cold-weather accessory.
A nail shape can make or (literally) break your look. The one you choose is your personal preference, of course, but our nail experts unanimously agree that an oval shape works best with this trend. But Sarah Chue, a Los Angeles manicurist, adds that the richness and depth of olive polish can also flatter square or stiletto nails.
The easiest way to join in on the trend is by sweeping on a solid coat of olive-green polish. (Just look at how Selena Gomez wore it back in 2022.) Jajour has six in her kit, noting that polishes that complement your skin’s undertone keep your skin from looking flat and tired.
Jajour recommends The GelBottle Inc. in Khaki for those with light and medium complexions that have cool undertones; Gel by Essie in Totally Plaid works best for warm undertones. For deeper complexions with cooler undertones, she suggests OPI Nail Lacquer in Suzi First Lady of Nails , and The GelBottle in Mini Bar if you have warm undertones.
Whether you’re into sleek, simple manicures or designs with more flair, there’s no shortage of olive nail inspiration on the internet. The motif is often combined with trending looks like cat-eye nails and French manicures. For a simple take on nail art, might we suggest a lone red rhinestone atop a solid coat of olive polish. Miss Pop advises you to use a rhinestone-friendly adhesive and topcoat (like the Vettsy 5-1 Top Coat ) to prolong the life of this manicure.
If you’re a nail art enthusiast who loves a challenge, try hand-painting the garnish’s fine details. Miss Pop has some pro tips: Have nail-dotting tools or bobby pins on hand. To make the base of your ol…