From Pumpkin Spice to Midnight Black – 19 Halloween Nail Ideas That Are All Treat, No Trick
Main image – @hangedit/Instagram
If you’ve ever wanted to go full on Hocus Pocus, Donnie Darko or Casper the Friendly Ghost with your manicure but have- literally- been scared off by unsophisticated, gimmicky designs, you might be pleased to hear that Halloween nails have had an upgrade.
Gone are the days of committing to garish orange and slime green nails – finally, less trick, more treat.
From subtle spiders and ghostly French tips to hidden aura faces and peekaboo cats, here are the 19 ideas that I think prove that spooky season nails can be fun and sophisticated.
1. Nude acrylic nails with simple black nail art
Image – @dais_does_nails/Instagram
Not a fan of the usual pumpkin/ghost Halloween look? A black slithery snake and some devilish moons and stars are just as ominous. Keep your nails long to squeeze it all in.
2. Pumpkin orange French tips on almond nails
Image – @by_ezana/Instagram
Not a fan of nail art? This pumpkin orange isn’t garish and provides a really good compromise between giving Halloween a nod and keeping your nails stylish and on-trend.
3. Pride red, white and blue ghost oval nails
Image – @the_gelologist/Instagram
This is one way of banishing stereotypical Halloween colours and styles whilst embracing Pride. But add a cheeky ghost on your middle finger and it totally passes as a Halloween mani.
4. Black short nails with peekaboo cat nail design
Image – @hangedit/Instagram
I love this fun take on block black nail polish, using OPI – ask your nail artist to add some fun, nosy cats on a few fingers for a bit of variety. Boo!
5. French tips with matte white ghosts
Image – @thehangedit/Instagram
For those who don’t want to go too dark with their Halloween mani, these nude nails with matte ghost tips are the perfect spooky compromise. Any nail length works with this design.
6. Aura spooky faces on black glossy short nails
Image – @nonadoesnails/Instagram
These nails remind me of the illusion of a face at the window. All it takes is a black aura effect finish, teamed with some unnerving, dotted eyes where the light catches.
7. Black Halloween nails with a creepy green-eyed spider
Image – @thehangedit/Instagram
If you love a classic black manicure but fancy something a little more sinister for Halloween, how about a creepy green-eyed spider?
I love how the single accent nail makes such a statement without taking away from the simplicity of the rest of the look. Spooky, but still surprisingly chic.
8. High gloss burgundy cat eye nails with spiders
I’m not sure what I love more – the cat eye burgundy, the high shine, or the slightly secretive spiders and webs, hiding in plain sight amongst the burgundy. Most effective on long, round nails.
9. Purple hocus pocus short nails with gold stars
Image – @emilygilmour.nails/Instagram
It’s not all about white ghosts and black cats, painting your nails a gorgeous cat eye purple like this Icegel Gem Gel – Star Galaxy in ‘Amethyst 1869’ and applying some reflective gold stars screams Halloween season too.
10. Short 3D pumpkin latte nails
Image – @hangedit/Instagram
Because who doesn’t want the most perfectly sculpted 3D pumpkin, complete with spiced whipped cream and chocolate flake on their nails? Now to find the perfect nail artist.
11. Glossy black short nails with chic ghosts
Image – @nonadoesnails/Instagram
I love how classy these gold framed ghosts look. Choose one finger per hand to keep block black and ask your nail artist to vary each ghost’s personality. I am particularly fond of the devil horns.
12. Monotone skeleton stiletto nails
Image – @emilygilmour.nails/Instagram
For those who rock a long, stiletto nail, these skeletons are the perfect choice – there’s lots of space to play with on a long nail and your technician can give each little guy its own personality. The dripping blood effect is a fab addition too.
13. Glittery pink and black spooky square nails
Image – @junegilbert_nailartist/Instagram
Who said pink wasn’t suited to Halloween? I love the sparkly pink and black combination here, with spooky nail art. Keep nails short and square to recreate the look.
14. Day of the Dead skull nails with colourful flowers
Image – @nailsbytammy___/Instagram
Who says autumn nails have to be all ghosts and cobwebs? These colourful sugar skulls take inspiration from Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, with their beautiful floral details and vibrant colours.
I love the contrast between the dark purple base and the bright, intricate artwork. A joyful, eye-catching manicure that’s anything but ordinary.
15. Simple black micro-French tips
Image – @hicarmelina/Instagram
If nail art just isn’t your vibe (or you need to stay office-friendly) but you want to give your usual manicure style an edge, scale back with black micro-French tip like this for a subtle Halloween feel. Gorgeous on short, well-groomed nails.
16. Peekaboo ghosts on green and purple stripy, gem nails
Image – @emilygilmour.nails/Instagram
The stripes on these long round nails remind me of a pair of witch’s tights, the ghosts are super cheeky and the gems are random and fun. What’s not to love?
17. Smoke effect bats on short square nails
Image – @emilygilmour.nails/Instagram
How clever is this spooky, smoky scene? Ask for your nails to be filed down into a short, square shape then go for a marble effect black-grey shade, finished off with some adorable white bats.
18. Purple squoval nails with ghosts, bats and pumpkins
Image – @junegilbert_nailartist/Instagram
I love the way this Magpie Beauty manicure fits as many Halloween symbols onto it, including gold metallic moon and stars, whilst staying pretty. You could substitute the purple for a midnight navy to make it look even scarier.
19. 3D spiders on nude, square nails
Image – @jark.nails/Instagram
Sometimes, a simple singular spider will do but make yours 3D to be extra realistic. This one uses HD Professional Art Gel in Jet and is the perfect compromise for those who like nude nails but want to give a nod to Halloween.
The takeaway
Don’t you dare make me choose my favourite out of all of these because I simply cannot. Ok, let’s compromise – I’ll pick three.
The first one that springs to mind is the 3D spiced pumpkin latte (no.10), very closely followed by the aura spooky faces (no.6) and the smoky bats (no.17). Why? Because they’re genius, that’s why. Despite Halloween nails sometimes getting a bad rap for looking tacky, these three in particular prove that spooky-themed manis aren’t as scary as you might think.
