Autumn Colours: Four Mini Colour Shades for the New Season

33 Las Vegas is the second red in the Autumn four, alongside Bordeaux. Mavala files it with its red Mini Colours. With any red, start with a base coat: it helps the colour last and stops the red pigment staining the natural nail.

Mavala describes 69 Bordeaux as a deep wine red and the classic choice when you want a deep, vampy red. Rich, dark reds are a perennial autumn and winter favourite that keeps coming back, and they read as more sophisticated than a bright red. Mavala calls Bordeaux a must-have of the season for a deep, ultra-refined finish. It is one of the reds Mavala suggests for fair skin, where it gives a rich contrast, and for deep skin, where it looks luxurious.

477 Panama is a warm pinkish beige from Mavala's Neo Nudes, six shades built to flatter the full range of skin tones. Mavala UK suggests it for medium skin, and for fair skin when you want a touch more warmth. A good nude is the hardest-working polish in your collection, the one that goes with everything.

480 Durban, also a Neo Nude, is a deep warm brown. Mavala names it, with Djibouti, as one of the most flattering nudes for deep skin. It is also the base of one of Mavala's own layering recipes: for a chocolate-cherry tone, top Durban with a thin coat of 703 Nile. Nile is a Mini Bio Colour and not one of the four Autumn shades, so the AUTUMN4 offer does not cover it.

Mavala suggests a discreet but refined autumn manicure that combines classic autumn colours such as caramel, brown and bordeaux. Layering two shades for a colour of your own is a trend Mavala UK flagged for 2026. If you are choosing one, go by your skin tone rather than the runway, and pick the trend that flatters you. And if you keep your nails short, Mavala says all colours look great on short nails.

Mavala's own method for Mini Colours has three steps.

1. Start with a Mavala protective base coat on clean, oil-free nails.
2. Apply two thin coats of Mini Colour for vibrant, even coverage.
3. Seal your manicure with a Mavala top coat for long-lasting shine and protection.

Wipe bare nails with polish remover first, and save hand cream and cuticle oil for afterwards. 002 Base + Silicium forms a barrier between the nail and the pigments in polish, helps prevent yellowing and improves adhesion. Let each coat dry properly, and run the brush lightly along the tip of the nail with every coat so the polish wraps over the edge. To finish, Colorfix forms a shiny, flexible film that protects polish from chipping, and Gel Finish Top Coat gives a gel look without a UV lamp. Reapply a thin layer of top coat every couple of days. Mavadry gets polish touch-dry in about a minute, but touch-dry is not fully hardened, so give it longer than you think. With the reds, wear gloves for washing up, as hot water and detergent dull red fastest.

Mavala created the Mini Colour in 1962, and its gold cap was inspired by the pleated mini skirt. Thanks to its compact size, you no longer need to worry about polish drying out before you finish the bottle. Mavala describes the Mini Colour formula as vegan, with long-lasting hold and shine. Mavala is an independent, family-owned Swiss company, based in Geneva since 1959, and makes its formulas in Switzerland.

Mavala lists chocolate browns, bordeaux reds, nudes and deep greens, with metallic and more natural shades fitting the season too.

Mavala UK's nail expert suggests 69 Bordeaux for fair and deep skin, 477 Panama for fair to medium skin, and 480 Durban for deep skin.

Paint a base of 480 Durban and top it with a thin coat of 703 Nile.

Yes. Mavala calls a base coat essential for dark and bright shades, which stain.

Add four Autumn shades to your basket and use code AUTUMN4 at checkout to get the fourth free. The offer runs until Sunday 1 November 2026, on mavala.co.uk only, and applies to 33 Las Vegas, 69 Bordeaux, 477 Panama and 480 Durban.

See all four Autumn shades together, with the AUTUMN4 offer, on the Autumn Colours page.