As classic colours go, pillar-box red is right up there. We’ve seen pops of the shade everywhere in recent seasons, from socks to silk scarves to jumpers thrown nonchalantly over the shoulders. But fashion trends are often fleeting. When it comes to beauty, though, red is perhaps the most enduring manicure colour of all. And this autumn, a specific variation on the staple shade looks poised to take over: orange-red.

How do we know? The fashion crowd – and our favourite celebrities – are already wearing it. At the recent MTV VMAs, both Dakota Johnson and Julia Garner’s manicures hovered somewhere between fire-engine red and tangerine – a warm hue but with something fresh about it. Meanwhile, in Paris, multiple street stylers made a case for the punchy colour, proving it works with everything from busy floral prints to pared-back tailoring.

They aren’t the ones embracing tomato red for autumn. If Instagram’s top nail artists are anything to go by, countless clients are requesting the in-between shade. And happily, it suits all skin tones.

Session manicurist Ami Streets says there are a few reasons why orange-red feels particularly of the moment: “Beauty has been moving towards warmer, more complex versions of familiar colours,” she tells , “and orange-red fits into that mood.” That warmth, says Streets, is what makes it feel contemporary: “It has less of the formal or retro association that a very traditional blue-red can sometimes have.”

Daisy Kalnina, founder and CEO of The GelBottle Inc, adds that orange-red shades look a little more natural against the skin. “It’s also part of a bigger shift in beauty towards colour that looks lived-in and joyful,” she says. It transcends seasons, too. “It feels sunny in summer but works so well in autumn and winter,” says Kalnina.

With that in mind, Streets says that orange-red nails complement a minimalist fashion aesthetic – think white tees and relaxed jeans – perfectly. “It adds a strong pop of colour without requiring the rest of the look to be complicated,” she says.

Kalnina notes that there’s an orange-red to suit everyone; you just have to get the depth and brightness right. Streets says, “On fair or cool skin, I’d look for a red that is slightly less orange, perhaps closer to a watermelon or bright tomato shade.”

Kalnina adds that on medium and olive skin tones, a punchy orange-red, like the GelBottle’s Ketchup or Candy, brings out warmth in the skin. Both Kalnina and Streets agree that deeper skin tones can carry much more saturated tones, like chilli red or vermillion, as seen here on manicurist Julia Diogo, otherwise known as @paintedbyjools.

If you’re painting your nails at home, Streets recommends Chanel’s Le Vernis in Incendiaire, which is the exact shade nail artist Betina Goldstein used on Garner. She also loves Essie Nail Lacquer in Fifth Avenue, Manucurist Nail Polish in Lava and Kure Bazaar Nail Polish in Juicy. A high-shine top coat will make the colour sing.

Green Natural Nail Polish in Lava

Whichever shade you settle on, wear it boldly. “A great red should make you want to look at your hands all day,” says Kalnina.

Below, even more orange-red manicure inspiration for your next nail appointment.