12 Thanksgiving Nail Polish Ideas That Don’t Involve A Single Turkey Motif

For some, Thanksgiving is a holiday meant for fellowship, food, and thoughtful reflection on the year's blessings. For others, it's the one time of year where you have to step your game up and stunt on your hometown classmates who made fun of you in high school, or your nosy relatives just waiting to bombard you with uncomfortable questions. (I'm totally not speaking from experience here, btw). More than likely, you've already got your perfect comfy-meets-chic outfit planned, with stretchy pants included. But every Thanksgiving outfit needs glamorous Thanksgiving nail polish to compliment it... preferably, one that doesn't involve candy corn nail art. Or leaves. Or a cornucopia, either.

So with that in mind, we asked three nail artists for major brands including Essie, Zoya, and Flora 1761 to give us a little bit of inspo before turkey day. And instead of gobbling birds, they're suggesting cool browns, golds, deep ruby reds, and subtle glitter. After all, forkfuls of mom's famous green bean casserole or grandma's pecan pie deserve to be grasped with only the finest polishes. Plus, once everyone spots your mani, they'll be too distracted to ask you about any of your exes. That's reason enough to celebrate!

We only include products that have been independently selected by The Zoe Report's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Holly Falcone for Zoya, @hollyfalconenails

"I love a deep fall color. Kateri is a deep creamy brown and is the perfect answer to something rich that isn’t a gem tone. Astrid is a beautiful foil gold that looks great alone or on top of another color. I love a gold because it feels neutral since it pairs great with anything, but the finish makes it unique!"

Jini Lim for Essie, @thenailmom

"A nail polish that would work for Thanksgiving is Hear Me Aurora. It reminds me of warmth from a fire place on a cold night! And Million Miles Hues has this deep yellow gold tone to it that instantly catches my eye, because it reminds me of the changing colors of the leaves. I think they are both great fall colors because they are inspired by the beautiful foliage colors you can find in nature. Anyone who sees these colors will be reminded of fall in Central Park right away. They are fun and festive, and can be a great conversation starter when you gather around for a family dinner. Let's save the ugly sweaters for Christmas and sport chic nail art on Thanksgiving!"

Kelly Hanna Thompson, Nail Artist at Paintbox NYC

“A polish with a coppery metal finish is great this time of year. Flora 1761’s Chocolate Cosmos is a rich, metallic brown color that flatters every skin tone and looks festive without looking like Christmas.

"Another popular style this time of year is glitter polish. A rose gold glitter nail lacquer, such as is CAI Cosmetics All That Glitters, is a universal color that can be worn on top of your existing manicure to give some glam, alone for a subtle shimmer or multiple layers to get a glittery effect. A perfect understated look for Thanksgiving.”