If you love a good nail art set, then you’re as excited as I am to dive deep into spooky season with a fierce, fresh new manicure. Do you need a cool halloween idea for nails? Don’t worry, you know I got you. Here’s a list of 35 (yes, 35!) cool nail designs for you to flaunt during All Hallows’ Eve season.
1. A Nightmare On Elm Street
Inspired by the iconic 1984 horror film, this nail set features the unforgettable colours of Freddy Kruger’s knitwear, Elm Street’s sign and lots, lots of gory details. Definitely not for the faint-hearted (but any good horror flicks’ lover will respect this cult nail set).
2. Minimal Halloween Mani
A simple black French manicure and small details in contrast (such as these cute little spider webs for example) are the perfect go-to nail set for those who’d like to keep it subtle and minimal, without missing out on adding a touch of Halloween to their nails. Cute!
3. Pretty Bloody
You can get a little hardcore by using red nail polish right. This minimal French features a bright red colour, mimicking dripping blood. If you’re hosting a Horror movie night with friends and family, this cute nail set will set the mood right.
4. Cute Ghostface Manicure
I’m not sure how Ghostface got romanticised over the years, but here we are - loving on his iconic costume. Or perhaps we’re just loving Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard. Who knows? Regardless, Ghostface from Scream is a popular choice - both for nail sets and scary movies marathons.
5. Pumpkin Faces
What does Halloween make you think of? Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkinheads… Well, surely pumpkins seem to be the symbol of this festivity, so why not choose pumpkins as the ultimate inspiration for your new nails?
6. Glow In The Dark Ghost
A glow-in-the-dark manicure set is a genius idea, especially if you’re planning on having fun and dancing the night away at a local Halloween party. Tiny creepy details and a spooky ghost on your claws will surely catch everyone’s attention.
7. Heart-Shaped Spider Web Nails
Well, who thought you’d want to try something romantic on a night such as Samhain’s? I am not one to judge - in all honesty, this manicure is both a little creepy and super duper cute. If that’s your aesthetic, go for it!
8. Stitched Together
Much like Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, these nails look stitched together - a simple yet cute and effective Halloween design, reminiscent of Frankenstein’s Monster classic features. The colour choice here is pumpkin-inspired, but you could go with whatever you like!
9. Full-Halloween Set
Pumpkins, spiders, and bats. Pretty much every iconic Halloween symbol is mixed into this manicure, featuring the use of matte and glossy finish for subtle black-on-black contrast. Absolutely adorable!
10. Pastel Ghosts Nail Design
If “cute but psycho” was a nail design, I would probably think of these adorable pastel ghosts screaming “boo” from an delicate nail set. If you’d like to keep it soft without missing out on the Halloween spirit, this is your go-to nail idea.
11. To The Bone
Spooky scary skeletons are all the rage during Halloween, and you can see people hanging fake ones around their houses or even on their cars. Go figure. But this badass nail set? So, so cool.
12. Stitched French Manicure
This is a simple, minimalistic approach to a Halloween design. The idea? A simple French manicure, with added details to give the impression of a “stitched-together” effect. No bright colours, no other symbols added. Simple and effective!
13. Matte-Contrast Spider Webs
Another simple and minimalistic choice, but a little bolder. Full matte base and glossy spider webs in contrast with the rest. This nail design is subtle as it’s black-on-black.
14. Mystical Design
What if you’re feeling a little more cosmic and witchy? Then this design is for you. Its use of negative space and bold, black nail polish is absolutely sublime. The choice of symbology? Third eyes, rising suns and half moons, paired with a simple black French manicure.
15. Bats On Negative Space
Black French manicure, black nail polish, and a clever use of negative space on the rest of your nude colour. This simple yet super cute Halloween nail design sees bats as the main characters. A trendy, minimalistic approach to your typical French manicure, in pure All Hallows’ Eve style.
16. Glitter Pumpkins
Black and orange are the colour-block choices for this dripping nail set. The cutest detail? The two little pumpkins peeking from the bottom of your nails, shining in glitter. A great way to brighten things up with a classy, sparkly detail.
17. Scary Jack O’Lantern Face
This pumpkin isn’t playing around! Imagine you’re walking in complete darkness, and you see this Jack O’Lantern glowing in the night. Pretty spooky, right? Using the idea for a nail set is scary cool, especially using a dark matte nail polish.
18. IT Nail Design Idea
Stephen King’s iconic creepy clown scared a whole generation, and gained so much popularity that they had to make a remake of it - and a sequel too. If IT is on your watchlist for this Halloween movie night, then getting a matching manicure isn’t too bad of an idea.
19. Vampire Fangs Nails
This design looks awesome, but might feel awkward. You may want to resort to press-ons for this one. But the concept is so, so cool! A simple white background with a little bit of red nail polish to get that bloody look will make your nails look like vampire fangs. Such a clever design!
20. Mummy Nail Set
Bandages and a pair of curious eyes are the main features of this cute, dark nail design. The idea behind it is simple and the approach is cartoonish, for a clumsy and adorable finish rather than a graphic one.
21. Goofy Skeleton
How cute is this black and white nail art, featuring a playful, goofy skeleton? Its poses and facial expressions lighten up the mood whilst keeping the vibe right, in line with Halloween’s aesthetic. Adorable!
22. Boo Dripping Letters
Perhaps your approach to Fright Night is edgier - in that case, black glossy claws with a high-contrast dripping message will do. This artist picked the word “boo”, universally recognised as ghost code.
23. Tarot Card Nails
Channelling your witchy vibe for Halloween is not only accepted, it’s almost required. Tarot cards, crystals and Ouija board inspired designs are an alternative take on the classic pumpkins-and-ghosts approach. Perfect if you’d like to stand out without going out of dress code!
24. Black Cats
Black cats aren’t bad luck at all - if anything, they are gorgeous and mysterious creatures to live with. They make the best life companions - and bring all the charm of felines, minus the chaotic energy of orange cats (I love you, orange cats). Historically, black cats have been often considered witches' companions - so why not make them the protagonist of your manicure idea?
25. Occult Symbology
Laughing moons, suns, and the Illuminati eye. What else could you possibly think of to add to your manicure set to scream “I am a fan of occult and mystery”? If you’re on the goth side of things, this black and white design could honestly work all-year-round.
26. Dr Frankenstein’s Alluring Monster
What if Frankenstein’s monster was a gorgeous gorgeous girl? Green shades, stitches nail art on your claws and a dash of glitter would definitely be the manicure I’d go for, once I escaped the doctor’s castle.
27. The Snake Charmer
Black nail polish, glitter and gloss, negative space and heavy symbology. Are these the elements you were thinking of when imagining your ideal Halloween nail set? If the answer is yes, you will absolutely love this snake-inspired, occult-like nail design.
28. Losing My Religion
How many symbols have been associated with witchcraft and horror movie culture over time? The answer is… A lot. From the ancient Egyptian ankh to half moons, five-pointed stars and reversed crosses, this nail design features the most prominent symbols often associated with demons and seances. For a truly scary Halloween night!
29. Shining Nail Set
Do you love a good old classic when talking horror movies? Then why not take inspiration from the cult movie, based on Stephen King’s work? The Shining’s “redruM” writing makes an iconic choice for a gory nail set.
30. Negative Space Spider Web
What if you like the idea of a cool spider web on your nails? Are you a fan of minimalistic nail designs, but at the same time you want to make good use of all that negative space on your mani? Then check out this design: the perfect balance between a simple black French manicure and spooky details.
31. Friday The 13th Nail Ideas
If you, like me, have never been much of a Freddy person, chances are you love Jason. Am I right? Mr. Voorhees’ hockey goalie mask makes an excellent choice for a Friday The 13th-inspired manicure. Check it out!
32. The Addams… And The Hand
Speaking of cult classics, the Addams family is another great artsy nail design idea! And, since the new Wednesday series is soon dropping on Netflix, it’s a great way to celebrate your favourite, creepiest, most adorable TV family.
33. American Horror Story Nail Art
If you love a good tv show with a bunch of horror elements, chances are you devoured the entire Ryan Murphy’s show. From Murder House to the latest NYC (debuted on October the 19th), the show features creepy storylines and an incredible cast. Why not pick these iconic designs for your nail set?
34. Cult Classics
Ghostface, Jason Voorhees and Billy The Puppet! If you love horror movies but can’t choose just one creepy subject for your nail set, mix and match! Scream, Friday the 13th and Saw are a good mix of slasher, retro cult and gore.
35. Minimal Ghosts
Last but not least, if you’d like to keep things cute and minimal but spider webs and bats are not your thing, what about this adorable manicure that keeps things basic but terribly cute? The little ghosts are the perfect addition to a simple, clean, white and neutral nail set.
36. Conclusion
A Scream marathon? A cult-classics-only movie night? A club? Or trick-or-treating with the kids around the streets of your neighbourhood? No matter what your style is, this year celebrate Halloween with the perfect nail design. Cliphair selected and approved!
