Reverse Nail Stamping Tutorial for Super Cute Halloween Ghost Nails

Welcome to this fun tutorial on reverse nail stamping!

Today, I’ll show you how to create stunning purple and green Halloween nails featuring adorable Halloween ghost designs.

Whether you're looking for creative Halloween nail designs or tips for nail stamping Halloween, this step-by-step guide will help you achieve a cute and spooky look. Let’s get started!

Tools and materials: 

• Base coat
• Dip base brush
• Masking tape or nail tape
• Nail art palette
• Fine nail art brush
• Flexible file
• Stiff nail brush
• Lint roller
• Scraper 
• Stampers
• Clean up tool
• Dip powder 
• Top coat
• Nail art barrier
• 100% pure acetone

1. Prepare your base

Start with a dip manicure as your base. Apply a base coat and then pour the powders on over the top. I’m using green and purple, which are perfect for a Halloween theme.

2. Create a color blocking design

On my middle nail, I’m creating a color-blocking design with one half green and the other half purple.

When I color-block over a peel base, I first put a layer of dip base over the whole nail and let it dry completely.

This step is important because it makes sure that when I put tape down for the color blocking, I won’t accidentally lift off the peel base underneath.

3. Apply clear dip powder

To protect your colors, I recommend applying a clear dip powder layer as the final step.

This clear layer protects your colors when you buff and shape your nails.

If you skip this step, you risk damaging your beautifully applied colors during buffing.

4. Brush off the excess powder

After applying the clear, brush off any excess powder with a stiff nail brush before activating your nails. 

5. Activate your nails

Now, proceed to activate your nails - the activator is what hardens the dip powder.

6. Buff your nails

Once your nails are activated and hardened, use a file to buff them. I prefer a flexible file because it helps me maintain the natural curve of my nails and reach all the tricky areas easily.

7. Clean your stamping plate and stampers

Now, let’s get into stamping!

First, clean your stamping plate with 100% pure acetone to remove any residues for optimal image pickup.

Then, roll your stampers over a lint roller to eliminate any oils or debris that could affect their performance.

8. Pick up the image

When picking up an image for reverse stamping, it's important to get the entire design, as it will cover your entire nail.

Apply enough stamping polish to cover the image completely, but be careful not to flood the plate. Use your scraper to firmly and quickly scrape at a 45-degree angle.

9. Create a ghost design

For my middle finger, I wanted a half black, half white ghost design. I applied black polish on one side and white on the other, then scraped down carefully to achieve the black-and-white effect. 

10. Fill in the colors

Using a fine nail art brush, I’m filling in some of the designs with orange nail polish.

11. Apply nail art barrier

Next, I apply a nail art barrier around my skin to catch any excess polish or dip products. Once the design is dry, I can easily peel it away to keep my skin clean. I also use a clean-up tool around my cuticles for a neat finish.

12. Top coat application

Once you’ve placed all your stamped images, cover everything with a smudge-free top coat. It’s important to let this dry for about five to ten minutes before you apply your dip top coat.

After the smudge-free top coat has dried, you can apply your dip top coat as usual. This helps the stamped image last much longer and seals it in nicely.