Celebrity manicurist Robbie Tomkins built Olivia Colman's "salted caramel apple" manicure from exactly two Bio Sculpture gel shades, applied with a metal dotting tool, for the Wicker screening at the 70th BFI London Film Festival at BFI Southbank.

The result is a high-shine, shimmery take on the brown nail trend. It carries the warmth and texture of a glossy caramel apple. It also nods to the film itself: the woven design echoes Wicker's signature rattan themes, including Alexander Skarsgård's handwoven wicker suit made by Wētā Workshop.

How was the manicure made?

Tomkins worked with a short ingredient list.

• Bio Sculpture Gel in Sunset Boulevard, applied with a metal dotting tool to create a woven, wicker-like effect.
• Bio Sculpture EVO Michelle, a sheer jelly yellow shade, layered on top for depth and dimension.

The technique is not a beginner copy. The source is blunt on this point: re-creating the look yourself is "no small feat." The warm jelly gloss effect, however, is achievable inspiration for anyone who wants amber hues without an opaque brown manicure.

Why does the shade work for autumn?

Fall nail trends usually run dark — toasted espresso shades and expensive-looking burgundy hues dominate October rotations. That warmth is tricky for minimalists and fans of soft polish shades. Salted caramel apple nails split the difference. They flatter everyone, per the source, without making the bold statement of an opaque brown manicure.

The timing fits. Colman wore the look during a festival premiere season that gives her nail artist a rare canvas, and the warm amber palette is built to last through the season rather than a single red carpet.

What does the manicurist say?

Tomkins explained the thinking behind the design and his collaboration with Colman.

"Olivia adores fun, creative nail art that shows off her amazing personality," says Tomkins. "She's usually filming roles that don't call for it, so red carpets and premieres are our chance to do something beautiful and a little bit crazy."

He also ties each look to the film being promoted. "I always think about the tone of the film. Elsinore is heartfelt, so we kept the nails elegant and refined. Wicker is playful, so we went a bit off the wall."

What should beauty watchers take from it?

The formula is the story: one event, one film reference, two named gel shades, one dotting tool. Expect jelly-gloss amber and woven-texture nail art to appear in salon menus as the season deepens, since the look translates the year's brown-nail trend into a softer, minimal-friendly register.

By Olivia Hart