Photos: Courtesy of @sauce.nailco, @ghoulish.nails, @nailsbyheather.erringtonSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

Halloween costumes come with various levels of commitment: There are the planners who start working 11 months out with detailed mood boards, the crafters who get to work two months ahead of time, and those who leave the planning to 10 minutes before they leave the house. But did you know about the other group that's filled with Halloween spirit? They are your nail-obsessed friends.

You might think a full costume takes more planning than Halloween nails, but after you see this collection of intricate and beautiful designs, you'll realize they are each a work of art in their own right.

Although the nail canvas is small, these designs totally capture the eerie magic of October 31, with enchanting cat-eye effects, edgy chrome embellishments, and more. For 2026, we’ve rounded up the 33 best Halloween manicures for you here.

Vintage apparitions

Courtesy of @bymiaf

Who says ghosts have to be scary? Mia Farelli, the manicurist behind this look, certainly doesn’t think so. Using a gold chrome powder is a charming way to create vintage frames and add whimsy to spooky designs. Many of these details require a steady hand, so we recommend booking an appointment to see your nail tech to achieve them.

Sparkling spiders

Courtesy of @sauce.nailco

If you’re on team “spiders can be cute,” this sparkling manicure is one to consider this season. Use a tiny liner brush to draw “legs” around colorful rhinestones. Lauren Horner, who created this look, used Swarovski crystals from Crystal Chaos—but we love the brighter colored gems in the Melody Susie Rhinestone Kit.

Jack and Sally

Courtesy of @ghoulish.nails

This isn't a Halloween nail story without an homage to The Nightmare Before Christmas. The attention to detail in the hand-drawn characters is truly a masterpiece, right down to the tiny white-shadow detailing on the spiral hills.

Starry ghosts

Courtesy of @nailsbyheather.errington

We love how this cute, ghost-themed manicure almost looks like a mimic of a French tip with a milky pink base. This design can be achieved with a tiny nail art brush, dotting tool, chrome powder, and a whole lot of patience. Or you can use these cute press-on nails.

Beetlejuice

Courtesy of @handittoheather

You’ll have to resist asking for this manicure three times. For the base, Heather Buzzell used black cat-eye polish with a silvery tone running through it, giving it that dark, spooky effect. Then, to create the drip and cobweb details, she used Luxapolish green and purple chrome.

Velvet slime

Courtesy of @mabelandrowe

If hand-painted icons or nail decals aren’t your thing but you still want a special set for the holiday, this velvet green look is for you. Ask your nail artist for a cat-eye manicure, which involves moving the iron particles in a special nail polish with a magnet to create the illusion of texture.

Not-so-frightening French tips

Courtesy of @overglowedit

We honestly didn’t know a themed Halloween manicure could get as chic as this one by content creator Melanie Graves. This is a look to try at home with nail stickers. For this design, Graves used Deco Beauty nail art stickers and carefully placed them over the top of her black-and-white French tips.

Pumpkin French tips

Courtsy of @chicaartistanails

Bet you never thought you could love pumpkins quite so much on a nail look. To try this design at home, start with a neutral-toned base, and then choose five other autumnal hues that will form your pumpkin, like the gorgeous shades in Olive & June’s Fall Mani System.

Begin creating a rounded tip (where your classic French tip would go) with those shades, making sure to create a small indent to form that pumpkin shape. Then, using a detailing brush, go in with a black polish and outline those pumpkins, adding personality with stalks.

Chrome green wet look

Courtesy of @califreenails

This chrome green set created by LA-based Michelle Won is both simple and bold, and proves that not all Halloween manicures need to be intricate to be incredible. Sometimes you just need a long canvas to work on, an epic chrome powder, and some super-realistic water droplets.

Black-and-white bats

Courtesy of @nailss.by.gracie

At first glance, this manicure by Welsh nail artist Grace Andrew looks like bubbly, abstract shapes on a sheer pink base. Upon closer inspection, though, you'll find that it features a spooky scene: a bat in flight against the clouds on a starry night. You can try this at home using a fine nail art brush with black and white polish, or you can add some spooky-themed decals.

Cute chrome mummies

Courtesy of @nailartbyjen

This adorable manicure by California-based nail art content creator Jeanette Flores is simultaneously subtle and fully committed to the bit. From a distance it might seem like a regular white-chrome manicure with a little texture, but up close, you can tell there's a mummy peeking at you from every nail. We love how Flores used Daily Charme Chrome Effect Gel to create the look of three-dimensional bandages.

Negative-space spookiness

Courtesy of @witchofbunnywoods

Take the edgy simplicity of a black French manicure and turn up the Halloween spirit with this negative-space concept by UK-based nail art creator Alana Lawson. The black tips fully border the almond shape, leaving an open area for little illustrations, like a Jack-o'-lantern, bats, and spiderwebs, also painted in black for a sleek presentation.

We all scream for ice cream

Courtesy of @jbepolished

Still can’t let go of summer? Try this “summerween” manicure. You can feel the SoCal vibes in California nail artist Jazmine's spine-tingling yet mouth-watering manicure, which features Halloween-inspired ice cream treats in vibrant colors atop a multicolored chrome base. The idea requires a pretty ample canvas, so it's not surprising that she opted for Apres Nails Gel-X Long Stiletto tips.

Iridescent ghosts

Courtesy of @nailnymphs

Bust out a chrome powder (like Daily Charme’s Magic White Chrome Powder, which has a true silvery shift) and pink gel polish (like CND’s long-lasting Shellac Strawberry Smoothie) to re-create this set by Gabi De la Cruz. The creepy-but-cute ghosts wearing witch hats might take some artistry, but they’re totally drawable using a fine-tip nail art brush.

Spooky soulmates

Courtesy of @caval.studio

For lovers of both Halloween and Valentine’s Day, we have this hauntingly romantic manicure by Charlotte Bradwell of Caval Studio in Sheffield, UK. Bradwell swept on a sheer pink base (Essie Nail Lacquer in Vanity Fairest is perfect for this) before meticulously painting tiny, lovestruck creatures above it.

Cosmic creamsicle

Courtesy of @nail.brat

Sure, this manicure uses cream-colored polish, but it doesn’t make the look any less eerie. Its snakes, evil eyes, and crescent moons create a sinister set that skips the dark hues. For a similar cream-and-orange combo, try OPI Nail Lacquer in My Vampire Is Buff and China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Orange Knockout.

Muted mischief

Courtesy of @baileebailsnails

When Halloween and minimalism intersect, the result is this look by Bailee Tabag. Its matte topcoat and autumnal colors give the Jack-o’-lanterns, spiderwebs, and ghosts style and finesse. For a spooky mani with a similar finish, reach for Manucurist Green Natural Nail Polish Matte Top Coat.

Eerie oozing

Courtesy of @amyle.nails

The first step to creating this mesmerizing gel mani by LA-based manicurist Amy Le is carefully forming the drip effect using black nail polish, a dotting tool, and a nail art brush. Next, smear chrome powder over the top of each nail to create this oil-slick effect. Finally, add some small, cute spiders to give it a Halloween-esque finish, and seal the look with a high-shine topcoat.

A little bit bloody

Courtsy of @lolo.nailedit

California-based content creator Lauren proved that the look of dripping blood can make a hell of a stylish manicure. She combined a milky base (like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Sheer Happiness) with an accent nail featuring delicately placed drips of blood (we love a deep, dark red like Zoya Professional Lacquer in Courtney for this step). It’s a bloody Halloween-themed manicure, but without going over the top, if that isn’t your vibe.

Tiny skeleton bones

Courtesy of @kuypernailart

You don’t need to dress up as a skeleton to get into the Halloween spirit. Designs that look as good as this one, by content creator Kristin Kuyper, enable you to wear the theme on your nails instead.

This look requires some patience and a steady hand. To re-create it, start with a jet-black allover nail color. Then, carefully paint the bones in a white polish. (For a stark contrast, KBShimmer Nail Polish in White Here White Now over Jinsoon Nail Lacquer in Absolute Black.) If you aren’t a keen nail artist, take this inspiration to the salon with you.

Slime and stripes

Courtesy of @nails_by_syd

If you want to partake in spooky-season festivities without being completely obvious, take this design as inspiration. The matte-black hues, monochrome stripes, and lime green slime scream Halloween, but only to those who are looking close enough. For a green that is as chic as it is slimy, reach forManucuris Green Natural Nail polish in Lime.

Witchy negative-space tips

Courtesy of @thuybnguyen

These negative-space tips with a starry-night pattern, created by LA-based manicurist Thuy Nguyen, are the witch glam we didn’t know we needed. For this look, head to the salon and ask for a reverse French manicure with clear, free-edge tips, a true black base, and some delicate black stars to embellish the set.

Matte black bats

Courtesy of @nails_by_syd

Playing around with matte and shiny topcoats on a black nail-polish shade is a supercool way to spook-ify a traditional Halloween look. Take this set by Minnesota-based nail artist Sydney, who painted high-shine spooky bat designs atop a matte-black base.

Itsy-bitsy spiders

Courtesy of @nailslpc.xo

Have you ever seen a French manicure made of cobwebs? Neither have we. But you can ask your nail tech to swap out the regular French tip for a spiderweb design before adding teeny spiders, then finish the look with a matte topcoat.

Shimmery Halloween scene

Courtesy of @heygreatnails

Level up any Halloween manicure with a shimmering cat-eye base, like the one in this design by content creator Aistė Plechaviciute. We cannot get enough of this velvet look with orange accents to create a night-sky scene with tiny bats and stars for a magical holiday effect.

Spotty sorcery

Courtesy of @spellboundxnails

Orange-and-black manicures are quintessential for Halloween, but you can add so much more personality to the colors with graphics like in this look by UK-based nail artist Aimee White. The flawless orange ombré is topped with witchy illustrations in matte black and white, including a snake, a moon, and potions. Little dots and stars keep it looking more cute than creepy.

Petrified pastels

Courtesy of @ceirrasnails

From a distance, this pastel masterpiece by Orlando-area nail artist Ceirra Carlini-Smith looks like a sweet, springtime, tie-dye-inspired manicure. Look a little closer, however, and you realize the graphics are straight out of the movie Scream—but with a bit of a flower-child twist. We love this as a supercute way to wear your enthusiasm for Halloween without in-your-face obviousness.

Ghoulish galaxy

Courtesy of @sassynailsss

This mystical manicure by California nail artist Sabrina Fagundes is a whimsically witchy way to celebrate Halloween. And it proves that any color you're in the mood for—like this dusty periwinkle—can work for a spooky manicure when you enhance it with details like eyes, snakes, and a starry sky.

Cherry skulls

Courtesy of @thecosmostudio

Chances are you've seen many iterations of this French-tipped manicure featuring tiny cherry details. An artist at Cosmo Studio in Los Angeles brings an original Halloween twist to this deep French look by replacing the cherries with itty-bitty black skulls.

Haunted hands

Courtesy of @nailsandstuff_here

There are few moments in horror movies more chilling than when the hands of the undead start emerging from the ground. Nail artist Amy captured that spooky scene in nail art using a stamping plate, multiple green nail polish shades (we like Lights Lacquer Swamp Girl and Tranquila y Tropical for a fun clash), and one black polish.

Glam glitter and ghosts

Courtesy of @nailbruja

Miami-based nail technician Laysa found yet another genius way to incorporate the ghost motif into a manicure. These nails were made with hand-sculpted acrylic, which she infused with a chunky orange glitter base. If you look closely, you'll see a few teeny ghost- and bat-shaped glitter pieces in there too.

Shimmery spiderweb

Courtesy of @nailsbyyeya

Combine the classic appeal of a French manicure with a Halloween motif like spiderwebs for something that's equally eerie and elegant. California-based nail artist ​​Mireya amps up the creep factor with color-shifting purple and gunmetal gray base shades.

Itty-bitty eyeballs

Courtesy of Betina Goldstein

Eyes as part of someone's face? Pretty. Eyeballs anywhere else? Pretty creepy. Betina Goldstein used Essie nail polishes to paint bloodshot blue eyes at the base of neutral nails: Blushing Bride for the base, Blanc for the eyeballs, Strut Your Stuff for the irises, Licorice for the pupils, and Geranium for the veins.

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