Telling You Rn, Everyone Will Be Wearing These October Nail Designs

Want your nails to whisper Halloween, but not totally go there with ghouls and goblins and jack-o-lanterns? This design feels a lil spooky, thanks to the black and red gradient, but doesn’t veer into costume territory. To achieve the ómbre effect at home, try the makeup sponge technique by painting on the shades you want on your nails, then dab it onto each nail, and finish with top coat to blend it out once each nail is dry.

Ever since I saw this nail look on the Christian Cowan spring/summer ’25 runway, I knew it would be perfect to recreate for October. The whole vibe of the show was a crew of models at a party when someone is murdered—and if that doesn’t scream Halloween, idk what does. Nail artist Julie Kandalec and her team handmade these stunning cut-out star nails that feel perfectly over the top. Unless you’re a pro, don’t try these at home—but you can get a similar-ish effect by playing with negative space in your mani. Pop on a star decal, paint your nails black, then remove the star once your manicure is fully dry.

Wanna edge up your French manicure for fall? Skip the eggshell or bright-white and opt for a shiny, opaque black nail polish. Then, sporadically place bb studs over your nail (to make them stay, place them on with soft gel, then cure under a UV nail lamp).

If your idea of October is finally pulling out your cashmere sweaters and scarves, perhaps you should try a plaid mani. It’ll require a steady hand (watch this tutorial, and try a thin nail brush to help draw on the lines), but it looks sooo cozy.

According to me, Cosmo‘s beauty editor and resident nail expert, a dark mani is the way to go for October 2024. One of the chicest colors I saw on runways was an ultra-deep red, merlot-esque shade, as shown above. To make sure it’s as dark as can be, layer two to three coats of polish for full opacity.

The navy, beige, and maroon tones in this marble design innately feel cold-weather appropriate. Try the water marble technique to do them yourself: Just drip your desired colors into a cup or bowl of water, swirl them together with a toothpick, then dip your nail in one by one to get the marbled look. To blend it all together, just finish with a top coat.

One thing’s for sure this fall: Animal print is going to be everywhere. Including on your nails! If you don’t wanna commit to a full set, though, opt for an accent nail surrounded by a mismatched mani with other designs. Feel free to incorporate other animal print designs, like zebra or snakeskin, as well as other cutie motifs, like the cherries and eight ball shown here.

There is literally no better time to have black nails than in October. I am typing this with a Black gel manicure on rn. Bonus points if yours is extra glossy like the look above. Achieve it with a high-shine top-coat (my favorite is ILNP and CND).

I am once again reminding you that you simply don’t have to ever choose a fall nail color—just wear ’em all!! Wanna make them even ~spicier~? Opt for metallic and shimmery shades, like the above example.

Turn your go-to spring and summer floral manicures into an autumnal dream by switching up the colors. Go for earthy neutrals instead of pastels, or try deep jewel-tone shades.

I’ve personally been planning my Halloween nails for the last month, and I keep coming back to these adorable pumpkins. It’s just a simple accent nail (and can be DIYed with a nail decal), but still feels like an ode to spooky szn.

These multichrome nails basically look like a crystal ball, making them legit fantastic for October. All it takes is layering a bunch of shimmery shades together to create the effect (or opt for a multichrome magnetic polish, like the ones from Cirque Colors, to really take it to the next level).

Vanessa Hudgens, pictured above, got the memo that spooky nails are the vibe. But if you’re not into the webs, just ditch ’em and opt for a matte-black look with glossy French tips instead for a minimalistic vibe. They’re equally as October-approriate.

This abstract, squiggly design is much less on the nose for fall and Halloween. But with the muted color-scheme, it still feels autumnal.

Looking for more cute than creepy? Try these lil ghosts, which can be shockingly easy to recreate, even if you’re not a master with DIY nail art. All it takes is a nail art brush to draw on a blob on one or two nails, then add black dots for eyes (use a dotting tool and save yourself the headache) and a teeny smile to make ’em friendly.

Nail artist Jinsoon Choi created these for the Jason Wu fall/winter runway show earlier this year as an ode to gothcore. Unlike other ombré looks, this one is more imperfect, opting to highlight your bare nails as part of the gradient. Idea: Make it even edgier by painting on a matte top coat.

Bombastic side eye. 👀 But make it nail art?! There is simply no better time to try this adorable mini-eye nail design for Halloween. You can achieve the look with decals, buuuut a pro will be able to customize the eyes to your liking (i.e. make them more googly, ofc).

Martini nails are one of the biggest trends this fall, so why not combine it with another trend and make them jelly? The sheer, glossy finish really takes it to the next level.

Scorpio season should absolutely be celebrated on your nails, ideally with these astro-themed nails. Just grab a bunch of nail stickers and a top coat to do them yourself.

Nothing wrong with keeping things ~minimal~ for October. Gold French tips will perfectly pair with all of your gold accessories and won’t clash with all the leather jackets, scarves, and boots you’re layering on too.