30 Nearly-Black Dark Nail Polish Options for a Perfectly Punk Manicure

But deep red isn’t your only option for a moody manicure: Nuñez says midnight purple, inky navy, and deep espresso are all perpetual fall favorites. I’m also a fan of an super dark emerald, if you’re looking for something a little more unexpected. Regardless of the shade you gravitate toward, the key to nailing the classic-but-punk vibe is to look for something that reads as black on your first glance of the bottle. Another crucial step? Impeccable nail prep. Keep reading for Nuñez’s tips, plus 30 options for nearly-black polish.

How to prep your nails for dark polish

Nail prep is crucial for a good, long-lasting manicure regardless of what color polish you’re using, but Nuñez says it’s extra important if you’re going dark. “These types of shades can be super unforgiving,” she explains. You’ll want to thoroughly clean up the cuticle area and nail plate; I’m a big fan of using Sally Hansen’s Instant Cuticle Remover and a metal cuticle pusher to get as much cuticle off the nail as possible. You should also use clippers to trim any hangnails and can use a buffer to get rid of calluses around the nail. “Any excess waxy buildup on the nail fold or hangnails are the perfect place for the pigments to latch on to” if you go a little bit outside the lines, Nuñez says.

When you actually get to applying, stick to multiple thin coats rather than globbing it all on. “Thinner coats are always best so you have more control and you don't accidentally flood the surrounding skin,” Nuñez says. She also recommends keeping a clean up brush and small dish filled with polish remover handy for cleanup throughout the painting process. “This will also let you refine the cuticle area and side walls so you get a crispy, clean finish,” Nuñez says.

How to remove dark nail polish

One downside to super dark shades is that removal can be a pain in the butt, since these tend to stain more than other polish colors. “Rushing through the removal process and scrubbing the nail back and forth with your cotton round or lint-free wipe is one of the biggest mistakes you can do when removing dark nail polish,” Nuñez says. She likens this to wiping a paper towel around to try to clean up a spill—you’ll just spread the mess.

The key here is to have a little patience. “Soak the cotton round or lint-free wipe in remover, apply it over the nail, wait about 30 seconds to let the remover break down the polish so it softens up and then swipe it toward the free edge,” Nuñez says. And if you’re going to reuse the same wipe, make sure to flip it over so you don’t swipe all that freshly-removed polish all over your skin. Once you’ve gotten it almost all removed, Nuñez recommends dipping a spooling in nail polish remover and using it to scrub the cuticle area, side walls, and underneath the free edge of your nail to get rid of any residual color. (For my fellow visual learners, she’s posted a great video of the process.)

Almost-Black Dark Nail Polish Colors

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Kara McGrath is a contributing beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with over 15 years of experience covering the beauty space and an at-home nail art enthusiast. Both jobs include browsing and saving countless manicure ideas for research, plus chatting with professional artists for insight into current nail trends.