Halloween is just around the corner… To complete your witchy look, nothing beats a spine-chilling manicure! From cat claws to hypnotic spirals, cool designs to ultra-trendy looks, we're sharing inspiration, easy DIY ideas, and our nail care recommendations for a unique, spellbinding manicure.
Spooky, playful designs
Cute cats
A mysterious black cat, a feline silhouette appearing at your fingertips: the perfect Halloween nail art for a touch of cuteness and spookiness all at once.
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: a coat of Hortencia pink nail polish. You can paint this design on every nail or wear it as an accent nail, alternating with color-blocked Licorice black polish.
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The design: using a fine brush and a dotting tool, start from the free edge of the nail and paint a black cat head with Licorice: two pointed ears and two almond-shaped eyes. For the eyes, use the white polish Snow or the silver polish Disco. Place a black dot in the center for the cat’s pupil.
Black & white ghosts
Hard to overlook that other great Halloween symbol: the ghost! As nail art, it's a winner: simple to recreate and always makes a statement.
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: use Licorice for the nails featuring ghosts, alternating with a glitter black polish such as Sparks.
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The design: use a nail art brush to paint the little white ghost with Snow and add two small, round black eyes with the dotting tool.
Cute yet creepy: black cats and little ghosts take over your nails.
(@catcreatesnails, @m.o.n.a.j)
Spider web
Delicate spiderwebs clinging to the corner of your nails—a dramatic, gothic effect for a classic Halloween design that always works!
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: apply a nude polish such as Pale Rose.
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The design: using a fine brush, draw graphic lines from the corner of the nail toward the center with Licorice, then paint arcs between each line to create the web.
Classic yet striking: the spider web mani lands on your fingertips.
(@m.o.n.a.j)
Hypnotic gradients
This ombré nail art lets you blend multiple shades, from darkest to brightest. For Halloween, start with a deep velvet-style red polish and transition into licorice black.
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: choose two or three colors with different intensities to create a gradient effect: for example Red Cherry, Dark Pansy, and Licorice.
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The design: apply a stripe of each shade onto a small sponge, arranged from darkest to lightest. Gently dab the sponge onto the nail with the darkest shade toward the nail tip and let the first layer dry. Repeat until you achieve a smooth blend between colors and flawless wear.
A gradient to blend Halloween shades into a spellbinding manicure.
(@m.o.n.a.j)
Ultra-trendy croc print
Another 2025 trend, this take on crocodile print creates a nail art look that is both chic and fierce. With a blend of lilac and deep purple, these purple crocodile nails are delightfully witchy!
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: apply Lisa Lilas nail polish.
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The design: create scale-like patterns with a dotting tool using Fizz polish.
With these purple scales, Halloween goes full witchy-glam.
(@m.o.n.a.j)
For Halloween queens
Blood drops
A realistic or stylized blood drop effect on a neutral base. The result? Chic, refined minimalist nail art, perfect for drama queens!
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: use a nude polish, such as Beige.
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The design: using a dotting tool and/or a fine brush, place a few drops of red polish (Bohème or Dark Pansy) near the free edge of the nail. Gently drag them down to create the dripping effect.
Poison French
A classic French manicure with a twist featuring a toxic-looking green polish and glitter, for a wickedly refined result.
🖌️ How to do it
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The base: apply a coat of Hortencia nail polish.
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The design: paint a bold French manicure with Poison, an intense dark green. Optional: add a touch of Cactus biodegradable glitter over the French tip for a look that's both sophisticated and toxic.
Blood drops and toxic French: chic nail art for drama queens.
(@look8thenails, @whatwomenwear_madrid)
How to master your Halloween nail art
Prepping your nails properly
Flawless nail art begins with careful nail prep in 4 steps:
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File your nails into your desired shape (square, round, or almond) with a natural nail file.
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Apply a few drops of emollient to soften the cuticles and push them back with a cuticle pusher so the nail contour is clean and neat.
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Next, lightly buff the surface with a prep file to remove any ridges and open the keratin scales, helping the polish adhere better.
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Finally, degrease with a degreaser or a gentle nail polish remover so nails are perfectly clean before application.
Even for Halloween, there’s no magic without proper nail prep.
The right tools for nail art
To nail your Halloween designs, your best allies are:
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A dotting tool to create flawless dots and polka dots, as well as fine details like blood drops.
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A fine-tipped nail art brush for designs that demand precision.
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A glitter brush to delicately apply glitter.
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A corrector pen is also handy for cleaning up small smudges around the cuticles, especially when working on aura and sponge ombré designs.
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Essential: the top coat to set the nail art and add shine and depth. Finish your nail art with a layer of Top Coat Sunshine if you used Green™ polish, or Top Coat Green Flash™ if you applied Green Flash™ LED polish.
Dotting tool, brushes, corrector pen, top coat… the right tools make all the difference.
You're ready to give your nails a thrill! Say goodbye to pastels and make way for bold, dramatic shades to celebrate Halloween. From mysterious black cat nail art to spooky ghosts and spellbinding aura nails, Halloween 2025 is the perfect chance to experiment with creative designs, playing with a mix of colors and textures. Take the time to prep your nails properly, grab your brushes, play with our iconic shades… and above all, have fun! Let the Halloween magic begin 👻
