It really never stops being exhilarating, picking out a new nail colour each time our chipped previous polish gets a little too worse-for-wear to acceptably walk around with (and let’s face it, in a feat of sheer laziness we’ll often tack an extra week or two onto that length of time where possible). Walk into any local nail salon or peruse any brick-and-mortar polish purveyor and you’ll be overwhelmed by colour choices, finishes and nail art options – and who really has the time or energy to scour all of them these days? There are probably 600 near-identical cherry reds to sort through and half the time, not one of them feels quite ‘like us’ anyway.

At the end of the day, we just want something that looks damn good, wears beautifully and garners the odd compliment or two (who doesn’t?). And heading into the colder months, we’re looking to shed the bright pinks and neon hues for something a little softer, a little more understated. We’re leaning into muted mossy greens, calming grey-blues and sultry sparkling crimsons, as well as sheer, pearlescent finishes and high-shine blacks this winter – favouring nail lacquers and enamels that feel just a pinch more sophisticated, but that don’t lose that air of fun and playfulness that we embraced over the hot summer months.

Below, see our colour picks from some of our favourite nail polish brands. Consider it our guide to some unique winter nail colours that will hopefully help to minimise the anxiety of colour selection. You’re welcome.