10 Halloween Trends to Match Your Nails
written by: Justin Crossland
With autumn in full swing, leaves are beginning to fall and there’s a deafening chill in the air. That can only mean one thing: Halloween is right around the corner. So I have just one question for you:
How are you going to do your nails?
You may be trying to find the costume you want to wear this year or planning a party. The release of another Beetlejuice movie and a strong 90s trend have sent vintage Halloween seekers into a frenzy. But you have others looking for more modern ideas, too. The likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Inside Out 2, and Marvel Comics are all trending for costume ideas. Murder mystery is another trend that you can experiment with, with the costume ideas being so broad.
In this article, I’m going to give you 10 nail ideas to match your costume or party theme. Ready? Let’s go!
1. Heavy On The Reds And Blacks
An absolute staple color scheme for any Halloween, a red and black theme is perfect for a ton of costumes on the market. Of course, you don’t have to do them together.
Some cherry red nails would be perfect for a Sabrina Carpenter costume, Jessica Rabbit, or a nurse. Keep in mind that brighter reds stick out, so they may not go with a darker themed costume, but a deeper red will.
Black polish will go with pretty much anything. Whether it’s a duo tone, has flakes, or iridescent, black polish will work.
2. Murder Mystery: Hiding In Plain Sight
Depending on the type of murder mystery you’re going for, this can be a tough one to figure out. There are lots of directions you can go with a murder mystery: 1920s noir, doctors, private detective, even cozies; there’s a lot to pick from. So, what do you do?
This is the perfect time to practice your nail art skills. You can match your nails to the mystery type. For example, if you’re theme is noir, you can stamp some art deco designs on your nails. Gold or black would be a good choice for the background.
A solid crème is another good choice for a murder mystery. It’s subtle but can still make an impact.
3. The 90s Makes Comeback
The time has come to bring back the vivid colors of a 90s Halloween. Back then, the colors were more expressive and lively; there were colors that seemed like they were exclusively for Halloween. These are the colors we should bring back.
With a 90s themed party or a classic costume, colors like a slime green, saturated violet purple, and an almost neon orange, you can achieve that vintage look in no time.
I personally love these colors so much, I made a collection around them for Halloween 2024.
You can check all 6 colors out here.
4. Toppers: The Shimmer And Shine
Toppers are important for a number of reasons, but for our point here, they can add a little something extra to an already awesome costume.
You can have a topper that has pigmented flakes, mica-based toppers for a nice shine and glimmer of light, or a heavy glitter topper that will make your nails shine like diamond. Some toppers even have a slight hue to them that give off the hint of a tint.
On top of these attributes, toppers help protect your nails from scratches, pokes, peeling, and more. They will make any polish under it last longer. Whatever way you go with your nails this Halloween, wearing a topper is always a good choice.
5. Jelly Nail Polish: For The Spookiest Nails
Jelly polish and lacquers are transparent, even through multiple coats. With this type of polish you can use a jelly polish and a topper inbetween on the same nail to make a jelly sandwich.
While you can do this with any color jelly nail polish, for Halloween a red, black, green, or blue will work. Here are some suggestions on how you can use those colors:
- Red will give a fresh blood effect.
- A single layer of black will make your nails look dirty, or like you just crawled out of the grave.
- Green, specifically a lime green, looks like goo or something radioactive.
- Blue is an awesome choice for the haunted look.
6. Fantasy Nails
Fantasy fiction has had a big year in 2024 If you’re a fiction lover, then doing your nails in the color scheme of your favorite character is an awesome option. If they don’t have a known color scheme, imagine what they would wear.
Are they royal? A ranger? How about an fairy that’s, let’s say, more in the grey area. Whoever (or whatever) it is you want to imitate, there is a way to go about making it happen. Use fan art or book illustrations for some solid inspiration.
7. Fall Vibes
Don’t feel like dressing up or going out, but still want to be festive? You can do this by using simple fall colors. By simple, I mean a pastel or matte color scheme that you typically see on fall décor.
Typically they’re a deeper orange, brown, taupe, apple red, and white. Nothing vivid, but beautiful nonetheless. Think pumpkin patches, apple picking, and falling leaves. These colors can be worn throughout all of fall, or whenever the mood hits.
8. French Tips: Break Out The Claws
French tips are able to be used in any of the ideas on this list, so I want to give you a few specific ideas where french tips are the star or the show.
Cat claws: Shorter tips that have more a point, colored with a black jelly, you can go the extra mile with a cat costume.
Evil witch: For a witch, using longer tips is a great option. Use a flat green or black here to help give more punch to the look.
Bloody nails: Typical length french tips, clear topper, thick red polish on the tips shaped into drips. These bloody nails are quick to do and look killer.
9. Accents: Accessorize Your Nails
What do you do if you want to do more than plain old nail polish on your nails? Easy! You accent them. This is an easy and fun way for your nails to have more body to them.
Items like eyes, guts, spiders, and much more can be put on help give more flare to your costume. Have fun accenting your nails by adding some creativity and making them into a whole story.
10. White As a Ghost
Like black, white polish can go with a lot of costumes. It can be worn on its own, used in pinstripes, or swirled with another color. The possibilities run deep.
Some ideas for using white with your costume are:
- Ghost (full white nails)
- Beetlejuice theme (black and white pinstripes)
- Skeleton
- Spider webs
- Haunted house
Some Final Tips
Wear Base And Top Coat
Use a base coat to ensure your nails are ready to take the polish. When you’re done putting on colors, use a top coat to protect the nails from damage.
File Your Nails
Get rid of jagged edges with a nail file. Filing your nails helps eliminate the chance of the nail polish peeling up. It also makes your nails grow at an even rate.
Use Cuticle Oil
Applying cuticle oil keeps your nails healthy and strong. You can apply it wear the skin meets the nail, preventing cuticles tears.
Shop shades mentioned in the blog here.
Want a custom nail polish? Check out how you can get your own polish here.
Written by: Justin Crossland
