Wuthering Heights-Inspired Nails As Gothic & Gorgeous As The Classic Novel

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you're a fan of the novel, "Wuthering Heights," there's a good chance you're counting down the days until Emerald Fennell's version hits theaters. Fennell's previous works, like "Promising Young Women" and "Saltburn," have proven that she certainly prefers to do things differently, making the anticipation of her take on Emily Brontë's classic Gothic novel extra palpable. It also helps that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have been cast as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, respectively, because when it comes to on-fire actors of the moment, it doesn't get much hotter than these two.

Published under Brontë's pseudonym, Ellis Bell, in 1847, "Wuthering Heights" is a dark story about love, lust, revenge, religion, and a social commentary on the class system of the early 1800s. It's also one of those controversial books that's absolutely worth your time. "I wanted to make something that made me feel like I felt when I first read it, which means that it's an emotional response to something. It's, like, primal, sexual," Fennell, who first read the book at 14, told the BBC in September 2025. "It's completely singular. It's so sexy. It's so horrible. It's so devastating," she continued.

In preparation for the release of Fennell's "Wuthering Heights," it's time to start thinking about your nails and all the beautifully haunting imagery they can display. After all, you can't roll into the theater without "Wuthering Heights"-inspired nails that are as gorgeous as they are Gothic. If you're not sure where to begin, we have plenty of ideas to get you started.

Gothic architecture is both beautiful and a bit unsettling. From the flying buttresses to the massive windows, it's all so striking and, when you first see it in real life, a bit overwhelming too. A set of Gothic window-inspired nails is the perfect subtle nod to the Wuthering Heights farmhouse. Although a pearl base is a fantastic choice, you can really use any color, because the most important details are the black windowpanes that can be created with a very thin nail tool. Atrdone Nail Art Brushes feature 31 tools of varied sizes, which will help you bring your Gothic windows to life.

While Gothic cybersigilism is relatively new — after all, cybersigilism is the tattoo trend for the tech age — when it's done in a way that honors Gothic literature, it takes on a whole new look. The key to making a Gothic cybersigilism manicure work is sticking to dark, haunting colors, then letting your creativity take hold as you paint this imagery on your nails. Keep your base neutral, then take the blackest black you can find, like OPI's Nail Lacquer in Black Onyx, to paint your imagery. Lastly, finish your manicure with a high-gloss topcoat.

Red is traditionally a color of love and lust — both very prominent themes in "Wuthering Heights." If you want to steer clear of dark polishes and shades of gray, then red is absolutely the way to go. For a red that's both dramatic and show-stopping, Born Pretty Red Cat Magnetic Eye gel polish contains reflective holographic flecks and lots of glitter, making it the ideal shade. It's also one of our favorite ways to put a twist on classic red nails, because it's so darn sexy and femme-fatale-esque.

In "Wuthering Heights," you're transported to a time and place that feel heavy with darkness. Because there's so much beauty and nuance to the complicated sides of humanity, going dark, moody, and even a bit dreary is perfectly apropos. If you don't have what it takes to paint climbing vines freehand — not many of us do — this is where nail stamps come into play. The Biutee Nail Stamping Plates provide plenty of stamps to choose from, including vines and similar images.

Chrome elevates manicures to a whole new level, due to its serious shine, and because it's thick enough to create a 3D effect. The heart imagery and color combination of a red and black manicure with chrome details absolutely hit the spot of what we can expect from Emerald Fennell's version of "Wuthering Heights." When looking for the right chrome nail polish, make sure it has a high mirror shine to it, like the Imtiti Metallic Gel Nail polish. Then use one of your nail art tools to create the exact look you want.

If your personality is a bit more playful, a cute ghost manicure is another way to rock "Wuthering Heights"-inspired nails. In the book, there's a lot of haunting going on and suggestions of possible ghost sightings. For this manicure, start with a neutral base, then reach for a stark-white polish like OPI's Nail Lacquer in Kyoto Pearl to create the ghosts. Next, you just need a black polish and nail art tool to give these adorable little buddies some eyes.

Although Gothic novels have a dark and dingy feel to them, that doesn't mean you can't take that energy and turn it into something sophisticated, like a dark, dimensional manicure. The most important part of this mani is finding that black pearl shade, and we recommend OPI's Infinite Shine in Stay & Night. Next up is taking a silver chrome polish and nail art tools to build the imagery you want. Lock it all in with a high-shine topcoat that won't just preserve your manicure — it'll make it impossible to ignore.

Want to get in on the "Wuthering Heights" nail action, but need to be demure about it? That's when you should reach for Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Pumping Iron. Its color and shimmer stick to the theme, but it's still low-key enough for those who don't want to be too showy with their manicure or simply can't be over-the-top because of their job. If you find that you need something a little extra, remember that you can still have fun with short nails, and adding an accent nail is an easy way to do that.