Spooky season is here, and we’re booking an appointment at the nail salon for claws as bewitching as our costumes. If you’re seeking something more unique than the usual Pinterest picks, you’re in the right place. Below, discover Vogue Scandinavia's curated selection brimming with eerie inspiration, and devilish details for the best Halloween nail designs
Photo: @thenaillologist
Mummified mani
Shiny, sweet, and just the right amount of spooky, these chrome mummy nails are your must-have Halloween mani. A modern twist on a classic creepy-yet-cute design, they strike the perfect for your October polish.
Photo: @beautyconciergeph
Subtle spook
If you're a minimalist, there are still plenty of nail designs help you add some subtle spook in honour of Halloween. Take these ghoulish but great black and white nails, for example. Bone-rattling and understated.
Photo: @nailsbymets
Dripping Dracula tips
A bloody great design to do for Halloween, these simple nails with a vampiric twist are dripping with sanguine details from the tip. We can safely say that gory never looked so good.
Photo: @trinails10
Tears of a clown
Equal parts whimsical and artfully kitsch, this clown-inspired design is sure to spark a smile (or a scream) this Halloween – especially with those show-stopping 3D details.
Photo: @betina_goldstein
Bugging out
The ghost with the most, Beetlejuice is a fan favourite when it comes to the spooky season. In fact, we're so enamoured that we found ourselves singing "Day-o" while adding 3D insects to our nails. Black and white stripes optional.
Photo: @polished_yogi
Frankenstein's nails
These Franken-fine tips will have your friends in a stitch this Halloween. Shockingly chic, we're pairing ours with some electrifying silver studs.
Photo: @clawsbyclayre
Written in the cards
Is it The Empress that calls to you – or perhaps The Lovers, reversed? Whatever the cards may have in store this Halloween, face your fate in style with this mind-reading manicure. After all, fortune favours the bold.
Photo: @betina_goldstein
Cow print
Don't have a cow if you're surrounded by bovine looks this Halloween. Considering this print has been picking up sartorial steam quicker than we can chug a glass of milk, we're looking forward to some udder-ly ridiculous costumes on October 31. With moo-tiful manicures to match, naturally.
Photo: @naildesignbykayla
Something witchy this way comes
Whether it be Wicked, The Blair Witch Project, or Hocus Pocus you'll be comfort-watching this season, show your love for the witching hour with this captivating design, sure to cast a spell on everyone who crosses your path.
Photo: @evahallnails
Frightfully friendly
Who said Halloween nail designs have to be scary? These cute ghosts are frightfully friendly, especially for late-night trick or treating.
Photo: @evahallnails
White webs
Arguably the most demure Halloween nail design on this list, sleek spider web tips are a great way to spook-up your office style without raising too many eyebrows.
Related: The scariest Scandinavian horror films: movies like 'Midsommar' to make you scream this Halloween
Photo: @nailsbymets
Back to black
If you're ever in doubt, you can always go back to black. We prefer ours with a high-impact vinyl shine.
Photo: @jupitersnailzzz
Cross my heart and hope to die
Be still, our beating hearts. This design is not as overtly Halloween as some of our other options, but it evokes the haunting sacrilege of movies like The Nun and Immaculate. The Sacred Heart motif brings an air of reverence and mystery, the perfect touch for those seeking something dark, yet refined.
Photo: @nailfie_ph
Thicker than water
Jelly nails may seem like a trend of yore, but this blood-red version brings them back with a hauntingly chic twist – just in time for Halloween.
Photo: @thenaillologist
Pumpkin-spice
Few things are as synonymous with Halloween and autumn as a pumpkin. Whether in pie, a latte, or now on your nails, it’s the perfect emblem of the season’s shift. This design will carry you through the cooler months, not just the spooky season.
Photo: @thatglosssauce
Pick your poison
Halloween nails don’t have to be complicated to make an impact. Poison green nails, complete with a mesmerising cat eye finish, are perfect for those who prefer solid-coloured claws, but still want to incorporate a spooky detail.
Photo: @heygreatnails
Bloody chrome
Cool-girl chrome nails get a ghoulish treatment this season with oozing red tips. Simple yet effective, it’s a Halloween nail design that goes with just about any costume.
Photo: @basecoatstories
Madame Butterfly
Channelling something more delicate and feminine this spooky season? May we suggest these enchanting butterfly Halloween nails to bring a touch of whimsy to your look.
Photo: @paddienails
Scream, but make it coquette
Pink and black make an unbeatable combo, even on Halloween nails. These Scream-inspired claws strike the perfect balance between cute and chilling.
Photo: @starlightnails.mt
Bejewelled ghosts
Of course, the Internet’s obsession with bejewelling everything would extend to Halloween nails as well. These colourful-stone-encrusted ghosts, combined with sleek French tips, are a playful way to tap into the trend.
Photo: @heygreatnails
Gothic chic
Sick of ghosts, spiders, pumpkins and bats? These glossy, gothic nails, finished with a shimmering cat-eye effect are a stylish way to embrace the spooky spirit.
Photo: @vanityprojects
Black cat aura
Aura nails have been trending for some time now, and these black and red, dark magic Halloween nails conceal a whiskered surprise. Subtle, yet bewitching. Meow!