Like any theme dressing, creating a Halloween look is only ‘lame’ if you cheat and resort to a last-minute Amazon order. It’s the creativity that counts. And no one has more vision than nail artist Betina Goldstein. Stumbling into nail artistry while working in fashion production, the LA-based creative quickly built up a devoted following for her ultra-chic nail designs despite being largely self-taught, building a dedicated roster of clients including singer Rosé and actresses Julia Garner and Simone Ashley.
It wasn’t exactly a departure then, when she turned her steady hands from painting nails to creating what can only be described as wearable art. “Honestly, I was starting to get a little bored,” says Goldstein, who began experimenting by painting eyes, inspired by the fact that after her father passed away, she saw his eyes every time she closed her own. “It opened up a whole new creative direction for me, and I became fascinated with pushing the realism further and further.”
Each tooth was sculpted individually and placed into the ‘gums’, with careful shading to give each one a realistic appearance. It’s one of those designs where the tiny details might not be immediately noticeable, but make it come to life.
Nail art, of course, is not a new concept. There are many creatives working in the space whose work taps into true craftsmanship. But Goldstein has sculpted her own niche, quite literally. “I really enjoy exploring ways to make the art work with the nail itself—using its shape, contours, and dimensions as part of the design, rather than simply placing a large 3D element on top,” she explains.
And whilst sometimes that niche involves using real human hair to create a set of plaited nails or painstakingly creating a Tiger Cowrie shell, every October Goldstein’s most inventive ideas manifest as part of her love of Halloween costume creativity. “Sometimes I create them for brand collaborations and other times just for fun when an idea comes to me. I’ve also created custom nail sets for celebrity clients to complement a costume,” she says.
“This set took the longest. I created it before I started using sculpting gel. I just layered and layered regular gel to create the dimensions and details; it was a labour of love.,”
Her own costumes often give a nod to her profession, such as a particularly memorable ‘Death Becomes Her’ outing in 2021, where Goldstein used “a manicure mannequin hand coming out of my stomach, holding a real candelabra with remote-controlled, functional candles. The hand was attached to a piece of wood, which was then secured to my body using a waist-trainer corset. It definitely made a big impact at the party.”
Whitney Peak wore a version of these hand-sculpted designs at the 2025 Met Gala.
The majority of the artist’s creations can be described as a “labour of love”, with Goldstein regularly spending up to 30 hours on just one set of 10 nails. But for those of us without her level of skill—or patience—she recommends starting with her OG favourite, cartoon eyeballs. “They’re super easy to make,” she promises, “just use dotting tools.”
Speaking of tools, what does she use to create her designs? “I paint with my own line of brushes called Doublemoss Arte, and for sculpting I use clay sculpting tools from a craft shop.” And the products in her kit all would-be nail pros should invest in? Navy Pro Tools manicure tools, CND Vinylux Gel-Like Effect top coat and Chanel Sublimage L’Extrait serum all get Goldstein’s polished thumbs up.
Goldstein created these hand-painted serial killer nails specifically for Horror Night at Universal Studios.
“To give the worms the realistic ridges in their flesh, I used Orly cuticle pushers and then painted them using a mix of sheer gels.”
Goldstein paired these hand-painted mouths on her thumbs with ultra-delicate flower designs on the rest of her fingers.