Goth Nail Designs: 5 Edgy, but Pretty Ideas for All the Darklings (with Tutorials!)

Calling all lovers of darkness, night owls and the unconventional! Is your heart singing for a manicure that is as bold and dramatic as your soul? Halloween nails certainly exude a gothic vibe, but you can’t rock it all year round, especially when there are so many dark-themed designs waiting to be explored. Ditch the orange pumpkins and embrace the allure of a truly gothic nail design.

Translucent Foundation: Apply a thin layer of clear or slightly translucent nail polish as a base for your stained-glass design. Allow to dry completely.

Color Mesh: Use a thin nail art brush to carefully paint a network of geometric shapes and lines on your nails. Experiment by trying different colors and creating sections of different sizes.

Metallic Accents (Optional): To make your stained glass look even more authentic, dip a dotting tool (or the tip of a thin brush) into the metallic polish and add small dots or outlines to the colored areas.

Filling the gap: Once you have completed the web of lines, use the color of your choice to fill in the sections you have created. Be patient and use thin layers for better control.

Enter into a contract: Once everything is dry, apply a generous layer of top coat to protect your artwork and add a beautiful shine.

Prep and Polish: Apply a base coat to clean, dry nails. Allow to dry completely and then apply two thin coats of deep red nail polish to create an opaque, luxurious base.

Insectarium window: Using black nail polish and a thin nail art brush, carefully paint a neat oval in the center of each nail. This will act as a “window” for your miniature insect display. Allow the black to dry completely.

Blank Canvas: Inside the black oval, use white nail polish to draw a small, neat rectangle or circle that will serve as the background for the insect.

Star of the show: Now comes the fun part! Use a thin nail art brush to carefully paint a tiny insect of your choice on a white background. For realistic details, you can get inspiration online or in an insect field guide.

Metallic Accents (Optional): For even more realism and dimension, dip a dotting tool (or the tip of a bobby pin) into gold nail polish. Carefully add tiny dots to details like the insect’s eyes or specks on its wings.

Enter into a contract: Once everything is completely dry, apply a generous coat of top coat to protect your miniature insectarium and add a beautiful glossy finish.

This next goth look has a medical, slightly aggressive yet romantic and beautiful vibe to it. I call it Joan of Arc nails and I love this look. I wish I had steady hands so I could recreate this design with a Sharpie.

Preparation and priming: Apply a base coat to clean, dry nails and let it dry completely – this will help the polish adhere better and prevent chipping.

Muted Majesty: Apply two thin coats of matte purple nail polish, evenly applying it for a smooth, opaque finish. Allow each layer of polish to dry completely before applying the next.

Knitting lace: Now comes the detailing part: Use a thin nail art brush to carefully paint a black lace-like design on each nail. You can create delicate florals, swirling vines, geometric shapes, or even get inspiration from actual lace patterns online.

Beginner tips: If you’re new to nail art or find it difficult to draw freehand, consider using a stamping kit. They offer nail stamping plates with intricate lace patterns that can be easily transferred to your nails using a stamper and scraper.

Level up your race (optional): For really detailed finishes, especially very intricate designs, you can utilize the detail brush, which allows you to achieve even finer lines and sharper details compared to regular nail art brushes.

Enter into a contract (optional): Because this look uses a matte purple base, it’s best to keep the overall finish matte, but if you want a bit of shine, apply a thin layer of top coat after everything has dried – this will also protect the intricate lace design.

Finally, for those who love the grace and drama of nature, we have nephrite and silver goth nails. This enchanting look is inspired by the beauty and mystique of nephrite jade, a stone prized in many cultures for its ethereal green hue and connection to the spirit world. You can incorporate delicate silver crucifixes, tiny sparkly “bling” (tiny rhinestones or studs), and even tiny raw nephrite chips for both a luxurious and raw, dark aesthetic.

Preparation and base: Apply a base coat, clean and allow to dry completely.

Milky Jade Canvas: Apply two thin coats of milky green nail polish to create an even, opaque, smooth base that resembles polished nephrite jade, allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next.

Swirling Veins: Use a thin nail art brush and white nail polish to carefully paint thin, fine lines on each nail. These lines can be swirly or relatively straight, resembling the veins or natural patterns in the stone. Perfect symmetry is not necessary here.

Silver Accents (Optional): If you want to incorporate silver crosses, dip a thin nail art brush into the silver polish and carefully paint small crosses on certain nails, or highlight the intersections of white veins with small silver dots.

Sparkling: Now comes the fun part: adding a gothic touch. Use tweezers to carefully pick up small silver rhinestones or studs and place them strategically on your nail. Play around with size and placement to create a unique look.

*Tips: For best adhesion, apply a small amount of top coat to the back of each rhinestone or stud before placement.

Raw Beauty (Optional): For an even more gothic look, and to create the appearance of natural gemstones, use tweezers to gently place a few small pieces of crushed nephrite onto your nail. Press lightly into the nail polish to ensure it adheres well.

Enter into a contract: Once everything is dry and in place, apply a generous layer of top coat to seal in the design and protect all of the decorations, which also gives you a beautiful, glossy finish.

Let’s summarise…

There you have it, darklings! Five amazing goth nail designs that are as bold and unexpectedly cute as you want them to be. With a little practice and the included tutorials, you’ll be able to transform your fingertips into mini goth art. Gothic art.