30 Halloween Nail Ideas For 2024

Whether you’ve mapped out your Halloween costume or not, you might want to include some easy Halloween nail designs in your look. Although Halloween is one night a year, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with your manicure all month long. Thanks to the plethora of Halloween nail ideas on Instagram, you can add a touch of spookiness to your look for the entire month leading up to Oct. 31. After all, who said the spooky season can’t start in fall and carry through till the holidays?

“Halloween nail art for me is a chance to embody whatever character or object I’m dressed up as, down to the fingertips,” editorial manicurist Miss Pop tells PS. “With costuming, it’s all in the details.” There are easy Halloween nails to suit every style and costume — go subtle with moody nail colors or all out with jack-o’-lantern or candy corn designs. No matter which route you decide to take, there’s a Halloween nail art option for you.

As for whether or not to go for long-wear gel, traditional polish, nail stickers, or Halloween press-on nails, it’s all up to you. “Gel is a much better choice if you’re looking for something extra like a 3D look, gems, or a chrome finish,” Miss Pop says. “Although, I really love lacquer because I like the opportunity to switch my nail look every week.”

Whatever you choose, you’ll need some ideas if you’re heading to the salon. “Even the most creative nail artist would like to see your inspo to get a better sense of what you’d like to wear,” Miss Pop says. “You don’t have to do a bunch of research or bring Halloween-nail-art pics with you, but just a couple of images of things you like — anything from cartoons to art to an article of clothing — is perfect.”

Ahead, we’ve done some of the legwork for you by compiling a list of simple Halloween nails — from PG-approved designs like ghosts to gory styles inspired by your favorite horror-movie villains.

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Miss Pop is an editorial manicurist.