20 Halloween Nail Art Ideas You’ll Want To Wear Right Now
With Halloween on the horizon, no one will question nail art that involves ghosts, dark and gritty hues, or far-fetched color combos.
There’s no holiday like Halloween to get your creative juices flowing: From unique costumes to bold, artfully applied Halloween makeup, you can go as subtle or as out-there as your heart desires. And when it comes to dressing up for the holiday, you’d be remiss not to include your nails. This year has seen its share of nail trends, including blush nails and chrome nails, but the nice thing about Halloween nails is that anything goes.
With All Hallows’ Eve just around the corner, no one will question nail art that involves ghosts, dark and gritty hues, or far-fetched color combos, which makes Halloween nails even more fun. Of course, if you’re attending a Halloween party or going trick-or-treating, you can coordinate your nails to your costume. But if you just want some nail art or hues that get you in the Halloween spirit, look no further than this list. Scroll on for 20 Halloween nail ideas for 2023 that are total treat for your tips—plus a few tricks on how to pull them off, too.
Related article: 9 Halloween Nail Art Trends You Have To Try This Year
A solid white mani with drips of blood combines two classic manicure hues in a gruesome way.
A spooky take on a French manicure, this sheer nail features a stripe of black in place of white, plus ghost art that’s easy to freestyle with a small brush.
This mani combines graphic-looking blocks of sheer pink, terra-cotta orange, and earthy yellow. For the stitches, use a black nail art pen like this one from Sally Hansen.
Looking for a mani that will last into November? Try a mix of pumpkin and earth tones, then two sheer neutral bases dotted with falling leaves.
Go the artistic route with painterly splatters of rich browns, oranges, and deep eggplants, accented with metallic hues.
The black-and-white checkered look grounds the playful nail art featured in this unique mani.
Use a dotting tool to paint on stars, moons, and sugar skulls against alternating cream and suede backgrounds.
Draw color and shape inspiration from the iconic Halloween candy, but make it subtle for a cooler effect.
Paint four nails on each hand with a rich, oxblood red like Dior Vernis in Nuit 1947. For the remaining nail, swipe on some white paint to create the perfect canvas for a bloody hand.
Terra-cotta nails are the perfect backdrop for spider-inspired designs. Finish with a matte top coat like Essie’s Gel Couture Matte.
The orange swirls at the tops of the nails add interest to this negative-space mani. Top it off with black Halloween designs of your choosing.
This beautiful, intricate-looking web design is actually simple to re-create with a nail polish pen.
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with these hot-pink tips sprinkled with sugar skulls and bones.
Who says Halloween nails have to be dark and moody? This manicure uses a rainbow of hues to make the kitschy pumpkin nail art pop.
The juxtaposition of bright pinks and oranges plus black ghosts, bats, and stars is equal parts vibrant and spooky.
Varying patterns, colors, and textures like this adds interest—and is the best conversation starter at Halloween parties.
For an elegant take on Halloween nails, try a glossy black mani with a chunky gold glitter accent nail. Focus the glitter at the base of the cuticle and thin it out toward the center of the nail for a diffused effect. Try Essie’s Summit of Style.
Devil horns and pitchforks wrapped around the tips of nails feel extra naughty. For the fiery red, opt for OPI nail lacquer in Kiss My Aries.
Even bats look cute against a milky lavender nail. For a similar look, swipe on Chanel Le Vernis in 135 Immortelle, then slick on some bat wings with black nail polish and a toothpick or thin brush.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US.