This is the easiest Halloween manicure hack we've ever seen
Getting into the spirit of Halloween can sometimes feel like a mammoth task.
If you're not one for all the planning required for coordinated couples costumes, or a bit of D.I.Y, then we totally get it.
Which is why we've sought out the easiest Halloween nail hack. Seriously, it won't take you more than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Dreamed up by ingenious London-based nail artist Ella (AKA @aequoreus_nails), this bloody Carrie-esque manicure is the perfect gruesome accent to the Halloween season. Plus, you'll only need five products to recreate the look at home.
Can't wait to creep out all your squeamish friends and family members with a set of blood-splattered nails? Happy Halloween — here's the tutorial for the easiest Halloween nail tutorial ever.
Next, you'll need to apply a layer of cuticle oil to the stamper. Ella recommends keeping your layer of cuticle oil relatively thin to avoid your nail polish separating later on. Try to find a cuticle oil with a brush applicator so you have better control over product distribution. We rate the Essie Apricot Oil Cuticle Treatment ($8.99 from Priceline) or the OPI Nail & Cuticle Oil To Go ($18.95 from Oz Hair & Beauty) for the job.
Then, layer a coat of red nail polish over the cuticle oil and let it dry for three to five minutes (depending on how wet the polish formula you're using is). The combination of the two products should naturally look like blood splatter, but in Ella's opinion orange hue maroons look the most like blood. Personally, we're reaching for OPI Nail Lacquer in 'Got The Blues For Red' ($10.97 from Chemist Warehouse) and Essie Nail Polish in 'Bordeaux' ($7.99 from Chemist Warehouse) for a more vampy vibe.
While you're waiting for the stamper to dry, apply a base coat (try: OPI Infinite Shine Base Coat ($24.95 from Adore Beauty) to the nail and let it dry until it gets tacky — you don't want the nail to be completely dry or the nail polish won't transfer properly.
Once the stamper has dried for three to five minutes and your base coat is tacky, press and roll the stamper onto the nail to transfer the blood splatter design.
After you've transferred the design from the stamper to your nail all that's left to do is to add a top coat like the OPI Infinite Shine Gel-Like Top Coat ($25 from Sephora).
"I didn’t notice any issue with the cuticle oil interfering with my topcoat as the layer is that thin it kind of disappears," advises Ella. "But if you’re worried though you can just wash your hands before adding topcoat."
Let the top coat dry for 10 to 20 minutes to avoid any unsightly smudge marks, and voila, you've just successfully recreated the easiest Halloween nail art ever. Told you you could do it!
Main image credit: @jadethirlwall
Want a spooky makeup look to match your creepy manicure? This is how to recreate Doja Cat's spider lashes from Halloween last year.
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
