NOTD: Halloween Manicures

Halloween nail creations

Here are four simple options to get your nails in the Halloween spirit too.  I wanted to be a little unconventional and try something other than a black base, but still keep it cheap and simple.  I’m trying to learn the guitar, so I had to chop my nails down, so I know that they aren’t in the best shape at the moment, but you can still get the idea.

Sinful Colors "Snow Me White", Sally Hansen HD "Lite", and L.A. Colors "Tahiti Sunsrise"

This mani is inspired  by candy corn with the traditional white, yellow, and orange stripes.  I free-handed the stripes (which is why they are crooked) but you can get neat straight lines by taping off your nails for each layer.  Just make sure that the polish is completely dry before you tape them off, or the tape will pull up the polish underneath.  First I laid down Sinful Colors “Snow Me White” for my white color base.  Then a third of the way up the nail, I carefully laid down my yellow of choice, Sally Hansen HD “Lite”.  When that layer was dry, I finished off the last third with L.A.Colors Color Craze BCC 589, which I *think* is “Tahitian Sunrise”.  Please pardon the messy cuticles!  I didn’t realize that they were that bad until I saw this picture.

Ulta "Tail of Two Cities" under Sally Hansen Crackle Topcoat in "Ink Splatter"

I went a little different with the traditional orange and black mani here.  My “orange” is actually a glitter polish that is a peachy salmon color.  It’s Ulta’s “Tail of Two Cities” from the Under the Sea collection.  I topped it off with Sally Hansen’s black crackle polish which gave my nails an almost animal print look.  I really liked the way it came out.

Sally Hansen HD "Lite" under Rite-Aid Pumkin polish black and orange bar glitter

Next, I wanted to spotlight my Rite-Aid pumpkin polish with the black and orange bar glitter.  I didn’t want to put it over black or orange polish because the glitter would disappear, so I chose yellow.  I opted for Sally Hansen “Lite” again because it’s the only bright yellow that I own, but I think the pumkin polish would look better over a less holographic color.  This glitter was a pain to work with, so be warned.

Sinful Colors "Snow Me White" under Rite-Aid Pumkin polish orange glitter

I really like this other Rite-Aid Pumpkin polish.  There is just scores of glitter in the polish, so you don’t have to paint a million coats to get the effect.  I put it over black when I first got it and it looked fantastic, but that’s not hard to imagine.  I wanted to see how it looked over white, so I grabbed my Sinful Colors “Snow Me White” and got to work.  I think the white gives the glitter a softer look without the sharp contrast that a black polish would provide.  After seeing how good the glitter looks over white, I want to try it over a bunch of other colors.  Maybe I’ll try purple next.

I wanted to spotlight some Halloween color alternatives for people who don’t like super dark polishes.  You can enjoy glitter or fun patterns without having to use black.  Purple or green are also great Halloween colors, and of course there’s always a nice vampy red.  Do you have any ideas for fun Halloween manicures?  Let me know in the comments below.