Halloween add-ons earn their place on a salon menu when they fit inside the appointment you already sell. That means one accent nail, a short run of fine linework, or a foil that goes on in a couple of steps.
This guide ranks 6 Halloween looks by the chair time they ask for, lists the Semilac kit for each, and shows how to rebook the client once the 31st has passed.
In this guide
- Choose by chair time
- Black lace foil accent
- Glow in the dark tips
- Fine web linework
- Blood drips
- Black cat eye
- Freehand ghosts and pumpkins
- Rebooking after Halloween
Plan the menu
Choose by chair time
Decide which looks you offer before the first booking. Time one of each on a practice tip, then quote the slot from your own result.
Shortest · Beginner
Black lace foil accent
Kit: Black Lace foil, Foil Glue
Short · Beginner
Glow in the dark tips
Kit: 442 or 443
Short · Intermediate
Fine web linework
Kit: 031, White Decor Gel, N01 brush
Medium · Intermediate
Blood drips
Kit: 592 or Spider Gel Gum Red
Medium · Intermediate
Black cat eye
Kit: 951 over 031, magnet
Longest · Advanced
Freehand ghosts and pumpkins
Kit: White Decor Gel, Multitool, One Stroke
01 · Shortest
Black lace foil accent
Transfer Foil Black Lace 06 puts a gothic lace pattern on the nail with no drawing. Black lace shows best over white, nude or grey, so Cover Base Pale Beige is the base here.
- Cure Cover Base Pale Beige as the base and colour.
- Apply a thin layer of Foil Glue for Transfer Foil to the accent nail and cure it in the lamp.
- Press the foil onto the cured glue with the less shiny side down, pressing gently, then peel the film away so the lace stays on the nail.
- Seal with Top Coat No Wipe for a high-gloss lace, or Top Mat Total No Wipe for a matte one. Neither needs cleansing afterwards. Cure.
02 · Short
Glow in the dark tips
442 Trick or Pink is a candy pink jelly with a semi-coverage formula. 443 Spooky Blue is a dense, full-coverage blue. Both glow in the dark.
Use them as French tips over a nude base or paint the full nail. Apply them over a cured base, never straight onto the nail plate, and seal with Top Coat No Wipe Real Colour, which keeps the shade true. Turn the lights off to show the client the glow.
The glow in the dark nails post has more design ideas to show clients.
03 · Short
Fine web linework
One web on one nail reads as Halloween without taking a whole set. Black gives the strongest contrast: 031 Black Diamond as the base, White Decor Gel for the lines.
- Apply 2 thin coats of 031 Black Diamond and cure each one.
- Draw 4 or 5 straight lines out from one corner with the Perfect Line N01 brush.
- Join them with 2 or 3 shallow curves that dip towards the corner. Cure.
- Top with Top Mat Total No Wipe.
Salon note
The Perfect Line N02 brush is the longer version of the N01, made for fine, precise lines. Reach for the N02 on the long spokes of a web.
04 · Medium
Blood drips
Drips read from across the room. There are two routes, and the choice sets the finish.
Jelly route. Paint the drips with 592 Jelly Cherry, a semi-transparent jelly red. Art gel route. Place them with Spider Gel Gum Red, which you can apply with a brush, a stick or the dotting end of a tool.
Drips on a nude base: finish every drip with a small round blob.
Salon note
Spider Gel Gum drips are thicker at the blob, so double the curing time: 60 seconds instead of 30 in a 24, 36 or 48W LED lamp.
05 · Medium
Black cat eye
Cat eye over black gives a silver line of light that suits a client who wants Halloween without any pattern. 951 Silver Magnetic is semi-transparent, so apply it over 031 Black Diamond for the strongest line.
The order of work: cure the black base, apply 951 in a thin, even coat, hold the magnet close to the wet polish without touching it, and cure as soon as the line forms. A second coat with the magnet in the same position deepens the line. Seal with Top Coat No Wipe. The full technique is in the cat eye guide.
For clients who already have a colour on, Silver Gloss T35 is a magnetic top coat that gives the glass effect over that colour. Use a Magnetic Tool 5in1 Semicopter: five tips for lines, waves and reflections.
06 · Longest
Freehand ghosts and pumpkins
Freehand sets need the longest slot, so keep them for clients who book the extra time.
Paint a ghost as a rounded white shape with a wavy bottom edge in White Decor Gel, then add two dots for eyes with the dotting end of the Multitool 2in1. For pumpkins, use Spider Gum Neon Orange as the colour and the One Stroke brush, a flat slanted brush made for one stroke work, for the ribs.
After the 31st
Rebooking after Halloween
The art goes on one or two accent nails, so the rest of the hand carries on as an autumn manicure. A dark base such as 404 Black Beans Muffin, 393 Sparkling Black Cherry or 959 Disco Black stays wearable into the colder months.
At the infill, offer to swap the accent nail for the next season's detail. The base stays; only the accent changes.
Clients who want ideas before they book can read our classy Halloween nails guide.
Reference
The kit in one list
- Transfer Foil Black Lace 06
- Foil Glue for Transfer Foil
- Cover Base Pale Beige
- Top Coat No Wipe
- Top Mat Total No Wipe
- 442 Trick or Pink
- 443 Spooky Blue
- Top Coat No Wipe Real Colour
- 031 Black Diamond
- White Decor Gel
- Perfect Line N01 brush
- Perfect Line N02 brush
- 592 Jelly Cherry
- Spider Gel Gum Red
- Multitool 2in1
- 951 Silver Magnetic
- Silver Gloss T35
- Magnetic Tool 5in1 Semicopter
- Spider Gum Neon Orange
- One Stroke brush
- 404 Black Beans Muffin
- 393 Sparkling Black Cherry
- 959 Disco Black
FAQ
Halloween nail art for salons: your questions
Which Halloween designs fit inside a normal infill slot?
The black lace foil accent, glow in the dark tips and a single web accent are the shortest.
How should I price Halloween add-ons?
Price by effort tier, using the list above: foil and glow at the lowest add-on, webs, drips and cat eye in the middle, freehand sets at the top. Base each tier on your own nail art add-on prices.
How do I stop fine web lines smudging?
Cure the linework fully before the top coat, and use a no-wipe top such as Top Mat Total No Wipe, so no cleanser pass crosses the art.
Do glow in the dark polishes need a special lamp?
No. 442 Trick or Pink and 443 Spooky Blue cure in a UV LED lamp like any Semilac colour. They glow in the dark once cured.
Can a client keep a Halloween set after Halloween?
Yes. Keep the dark base and swap the accent nail at the infill.
