Lifestyle Beauty & Style Celebrity Nails The Best Halloween Nail Art Ideas for 2023 Whether you're looking for a haunted design or a simple seasonal manicure, find all of your Halloween nails inspiration here By Taylor Lane Taylor Lane Taylor is an experienced writer who was previously the Ecommerce writer for InStyle. Skilled in photoshoot assisting, magazine writing, scheduling, and market work, Taylor covers beauty, skincare, shopping, and the best time-saving tips and tricks. Her work appears InStyle, Shape, Real Simple, PEOPLE, and more. In addition to her writing career, Taylor is also a certified barre teacher. She graduated from LIM College with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 23, 2023 01:42PM EDT Photo: bvchkim/Instagram There's no better time to ditch your traditional manicure shade in favor of bolder, more creative nail art than Halloween. Of course, black-and-orange options are at the top of the list when it comes to spooky season nails, but the seasonal manicure possibilities don't end there. All October long, play around with Halloween motifs (think ghouls, goblins, spiders and more), neon tones and embellishments. You can even ask your nail artist to paint scenes or characters from your favorite horror movie or try to DIY it yourself with a gel nail kit. When it comes time to wear your costume on Oct. 31, don't forget to paint a nail design to match. Going as a cat? Try an animal print manicure. Wearing a witch hat? We found styles even the Sanderson Sisters would approve of. From jack-o'-lanterns to ghosts, spider webs to skulls, keep reading for our 25 favorite Halloween nails ideas. 01 of 25 Friendly Ghosts JINsoon/Instagram Need some non-spooky inspiration? Opt for this nail design that features cute and friendly ghosts. This specific design was crafted from a combination of JINsoon shades: Hope, Absolute White, Absolute Black and Auspicious. 02 of 25 A Very Groovy Halloween noellefuyunails/Noelle Fuyu Miller/Instagram Nothing screams Halloween like a good '70s costume. Grab your favorite bell bottoms and bodysuit, and pair them with this flower-inspired art. The colors are bright and fun, which is quite unexpected for the season. 03 of 25 Mummy-Inspired Stripes JINsoon/Instagram This minimal nail design will match any costume if you're dressing as a mummy this season. The crisp white base coat is bold and bright, while the black stripes give the art an edge. 04 of 25 Glow in the Dark sohotrightnail/Instagram For an extra dose of spooky, add glow-in-the-dark polish to your design of choice. These neon jack-o'-lanterns will be the talk at any party you attend. 05 of 25 Slithering Snakes luxnailsvancouver/Instagram Make your nails come to life with this Halloween-inspired design. Featuring slithering snakes, cobwebs and dripping black blood, this manicure is a fun way to embrace the spooky season. 06 of 25 Cute Skeletons shawniedoesnails/Instagram You don't have to lean into scary nails to be on trend this season. Instead, give these friendly skeletons a try. You can even add skeleton designs to all your nails — not just two as shown above. Besides, can you really resist the cute heart symbols? 07 of 25 Mix 'n Match shawniedoesnails/Instagram If you can't decide which nail art you like better, you can always opt for different designs on each hand. We love the contrast between the bright orange jack-o'-lanterns and the spider web designs. The mix-and-match look is fun and creative, and it also adds a sense of playfulness to a traditional Halloween look. 08 of 25 Alien Invasion audreyfaithartistry/Instagram Ghost stories are cool, but alien invasion sightings and firsthand accounts are better. If you're team alien, ask your nail artist to create a fun alien and UFO scene across your nails. Bonus points if you wear a space-inspired costume! 09 of 25 Monochrome Halloween bvchkim/Instagram It's hard to break the habit of trying new colors when you get a manicure. If you can't bring yourself to steer away from your favorite monochromatic scheme, the good news is that it is easy to dress up for Halloween. Just add some ghosts and other spooky characters in your favorite shades. 10 of 25 3D Skulls nail3dofficial/Instagram Looking to elevate your nail art? This 3D design is the way to do it. It features gold-encompassed skulls with tons of dimension and life-like qualities. But if this look feels too elaborate for your style, you can modify the design by painting simple black-and-gold skulls on each nail. 11 of 25 Barbed Wire Hearts jadenails.me/Instagram Hearts and Halloween don't typically go together, but this design proves otherwise. Lay down a base of any color and paint barbed wire hearts on a few of your nails for a creepy twist. 12 of 25 Nightmare Before Christmas thenaildetails/Instagram This intricate nail design is what horror fan dreams are made of. Each nail features scenes from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. Just don't forget to give your nail artist advance notice if you plan to ask for these detailed Halloween nails. 13 of 25 Cheetah thenaildetails/Instagram These spotted print nails are perfect for a cat costume. They're not too loud or intricate, but they look chic for any holiday party. 14 of 25 Anchors Away audreyfaithartistry/Instagram "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me" — isn't that how the saying goes? Grab your pirate hat this Halloween for an at-sea costume. These nails make commanding your ship extra spooky thanks to the dark, unknown sea creatures. 15 of 25 "I Really Like Corn" caitlyn.nails/Instagram If the corn song has ever landed on your FYP on TikTok, chances are it's been stuck in your head ever since. (Or maybe you’re a fan of Tony Award-winning Shucked…) If so, grab a comedic costume and this quirky manicure, too. Fall is corn season after all! 16 of 25 Greenish Ghouls sauvagebyfri/Instagram Want a manicure that surely won't be missed? Try a vibrant design like these neon ghouls. The bright green tint really makes the creepy characters pop. 17 of 25 Trick or Treat nailsby_niki94/Instagram These Halloween nails get straight to the point. Combine classic spooky season motifs like bats, spiders and the phrase "trick or treat" using the colors black, orange and white for a manicure that celebrates the holiday all October long. 18 of 25 Creepy Clip Art python_nails/Instagram Stiletto tips and clip art-inspired designs have a way of adding a retro spin to Halloween designs. If you like to think outside of the box, then ditch your pumpkin manicure and find a nail artist that can recreate this monster-approved design. 19 of 25 Flying Spirits nailperfectionbynatalie/Instagram This understated manicure definitely lightens the mood of the dark holiday. If you want to keep the good vibes going, pair flying ghosts with a few shimmery gold abstract shapes and lines for a playful look. 20 of 25 Hello Creepy katscalwz_/Instagram Give Hello Kitty a spooky Halloween makeover with this unique manicure. This creepy twist on the beloved character is a cute (yet frightening) design to add to your nail inspiration this season. 21 of 25 Spooky Disney nailedbyrebeka/Instagram Disney lovers have a way of incorporating the brand's most loved characters into everyday life and Halloween is no exception. Paint black Mickey Mouse silhouettes over an orange base and add Mickey ears to pumpkins and ghosts for a unique, Disney-approved look. 22 of 25 Cow Ghoul _casanovanails/Instagram Calling all cowpokes! Combine Western fashion with Halloween designs for a playful manicure. Don't forget to write "Yeehaw" on a nail or two! 23 of 25 Saw-Inspired trickortreatnails/Instagram Regardless of what Jigsaw says, the game is far from over with a faux-bloody manicure in homage to the popular body horror franchise. 24 of 25 Pumpkin-Tipped trickortreatnails/Instagram Autumn colors abound with these tastefully tipped nails, each painted like a plump pumpkin. 25 of 25 "Elvira Vibes" trickortreatnails/Instagram Channel the Mistress of the Dark with a shiny black manicure that features delicate silver cobwebs lining the cuticles. Close