21 Easy Halloween Makeup Ideas For Last-Minute Costumes
Halloween has never been so effortless.
getty What better way to celebrate the spooky season than by experimenting with your beauty routine? And October 31st celebrations aren't complete without the details — a bold hair color, daring nails, or creepy jewelry.
To bring your costume together and save you time, applying easy Halloween makeup will complete your look!
Depending on what costume you choose to wear, there's usually an extra effort needed to complete Halloween makeup. Luckily, both the prettiest and most shocking looks are rather easy to master.
Scary Halloween Makeup
1. Creepy Doll Makeup
"To create a frightfully fun 'Possessed Doll' look, you will need four products: Kryolan’s Aquacolor Wet Makeup in the color TV White, Eye Shadow Trio Set in Smokey Grey, Lip Stain in the color Jazz, and Dual-sided Contour Pencil,” says Jordan Plath, Professional MUA and Head of Education at Kryolan USA.
Step one: Using a makeup sponge, wet the surface of Kryolan’s Aquacolor and apply a thin layer to the entire face, neck, and any exposed area of the body. Use a buffing motion to blend to a smooth finish.
Step two: Using an eyeshadow blending brush, apply the color Stone from the Eye Shadow Trio Set to the hollows of the cheeks, a little to the hairline and to the eyelids. Next, use the color Black Star G and blend into the eyelid crease.
Step three: With your finger, apply a light layer of Lip Stain to the center point of the apples of the cheek. Use a tapping motion to blend slightly outward in all directions. With the Lip Stain applicator, apply a layer to the lips, exaggerating the bow for an especially doll-like effect.
Step four: Use the Black end of the Contour Pencil to draw small fractures and cracks on various parts of the face and body. Keep the lines straight and angular for added realism. Continue by lining the eyes, making sure to draw below the actual bottom lid to make the eyes round and doll-like.
Create doll-like lashes drawing lines downward from the false bottom eye line, and up and outward on the top eye line. Use the Brown side of the pencil to draw arched eyebrows.
What you'll need:
- Kryolan Aquacolor Wet Makeup in 'TV White'
- Kryolan Eye Shadow Trio Set in 'Smokey Beige'
- Kryolan Lip Stain in 'Jazz'
- Kryolan Dual-Sided Contour Pencil
2. Ursula Makeup
Everyone's favorite Disney villain, Ursula, makes a great last-minute Halloween costume. This look is all about the face paint, so all you need is a black dress, a white wig, and a whole lot of hairspray to complete this look.
What you'll need:
3. Zombie Bride Makeup
Haunt your exes with the ultimate "abandoned at the altar" zombie look.
Use a foundation base that is a couple of shades lighter than your skin tone to give yourself a pale, undead look. Then. you can easily dramatize the makeup with dark eyeshadow and fake blood. Don't forget the veil!
What you'll need:
- Bride to Be Veil & Sparkle Tiara
- It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation
- Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Purple Eye Shadow Quad
- Hyde & EEK! Boutique Fake Blood
4. Vampire Makeup
To channel your inner Dracula, you need to look like you haven’t slept in centuries... and only feast on blood. Layer your eyes with dark eyeshadow and seep some bloodstains around your lips.
What you'll need:
- Maybelline New York Lipstick in 'On Fire' Red
- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
- Makeup Obsession 'Black is the New Black' Eyeshadow Palette
Pretty Halloween Makeup
5. Butterfly Makeup
This tutorial makes use of stunning fall colors that look amazing on any Halloween look.
The makeup really does the talking with this one, so you don't even need a costume. All you need is an orange and red eyeshadow, a black eyeliner, and, of course, some fluttery lashes.
What you'll need:
- Color Story Pressed Pigments Eyeshadow Palette
- Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Eyeliner
- EmbeLashes EyeLash Adhesive Glue
- 3D & 4D Mink Fur False Eyelashes
6. Unicorn Makeup
Kayleigh Noelle has kept things really simple in this tutorial by basing the whole look around one pink color.
It's super-girly and glamourous, and doesn't require crazy special effects skills. Using various shades of the Urban Decay Naked Cherry palette adds a lot of depth to this pink look.
What you'll need:
- Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette
- Dreamgirl Long Wavy Pink Wig
- Leg Avenue Rainbow Unicorn Headband
7. Black Swan Makeup
Black Swan makeup is all in the liner.
“My go-to is MAC’s Blacktrack Longwear Fluidline paired with a Morphe M250-1 Detail Liner Brush. The combo of the brush and the liner can help get those defined outer liners and a smudged look underneath, making the process of getting the look that much easier,” says makeup artist, Celisse Garcia.
What you'll need:
8. Mermaid Makeup
How beautiful is this mystical mermaid look? Making use of fishnet tights to create iridescent scales is such a creative twist. The 'Sea You Later' palette from Violet Voss is the perfect kit for this look.
What you'll need:
Cute Halloween Makeup
9. Leopard Makeup
A leopard can't change his spots, but you can! Some brown eyeshadow and a black liner pen should do the trick.
“To make things look really realistic, use a double-ended eyeliner so you can easily vary the size and weight of the spots, dots, lines, and whiskers you’re drawing. The '2 The Point' Double-Ended Eyeliner from Doll 10 is a great option that’s long-wearing and has intense pigmentation,” recommends Julia Dalton-Brush, makeup artist and founder of B3 Balm.
When it comes to the eyeshadow, the Huda Beauty Obsessions palette has an amazing mix of matte and shimmery browns and golds to complete this look.
What you'll need:
10. Clown Makeup
A colorful makeup kit is incredibly important for this clown-inspired look, making the Violet Voss Rainbow Palette the perfect arsenal to become a pastel clown.
These vibrant colors are super-pigmented and can easily be layered to make a dramatic look. The Urban Decay Glide-On Pencil in purple can be used to create shimmery dots on the tips of your eye makeup, as well as for lining your lashes.
What you'll need:
11. Deer Face Paint
A clever hack for completing this look would be to use the deer filter on Snapchat to line up where you want your makeup to be.
This look requires various shades of creamy brown, so instead of constantly switching between shadows and foundations, you could use a cream contour kit so you have a shade for each step.
What you'll need:
12. Pikachu Makeup
No prizes for guessing what colors you'll need to dress up as everyone's favorite Pokémon! Simply covering yourself in yellowface paint with rosy red cheeks and memorizing your Pikachu catchphrase will prep you for this Halloween look.
What you'll need:
Go Create 12 Color Primary Face Paint
13. Bear Makeup
Dress up as a cuddly teddy bear by putting your brown eyeshadows and liner to good use.
Making thick, fluffy brown brows using a brown eyeshadow and liner pencil will give you a cute, bear-like feature around the eyes. Top off your look with a brown button nose and maybe even a jar of honey. And, of course, after putting in all the effort to recreate this look, you're going to want it to stay.
“My number one tip for making sure any face makeup stays on the whole night is to apply translucent powder before and after the application. Cover FX translucent powder is awesome at preventing streaks and drips, while also reducing flashback from the camera,” says Garcia.
What you'll need:
- Smashbox Cover Shot Eye Shadow Palette
- Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner
- Cover FX Translucent Powder
Simple Halloween Makeup
14. Cat Face Makeup
A gel eyeliner really helps make precise lines for kitty whiskers. Pair the liner with a dramatic, dark eyeshadow, and you've got yourself a look that Catwoman herself would be envious of.
What you'll need:
15. Easy Zombie Makeup
The Matte Bar Palette from Maybelline has an amazing mix of reds and darker shades to emulate the hollowed eyes and bloody veins of a zombie. This tutorial uses bandages to create the look of open wounds, but you could also add bloody veins.
“I like to dip sewing thread into my red lipsticks and use the thread to create trees of veins for that extra touch creating zombie look,” suggests Noreen Taylor, founder and creator of Donore Cosmetics.
What you'll need:
16. Pirate Makeup
The Too Faced Amor Caliente Palette has a bunch of dark, red, burnt orange, and shimmery gold colors to really copy Captain Jack Sparrow and set you up on your quest for treasure. For this look, the messier the better, so feel free to smudge your liner and shadows as you go.
What you'll need:
17. Devil Makeup
For this colorful look, you will need to expand your color options and get a bit artistic. Use C'Est Moi Visionary Makeup Crayons in vibrant, perfect-for-Halloween shades: Tangerine Orange, Dove White and Night Black.
Create a statement eye or a unique design over a white face paint base.
What you'll need:
18. Witch Makeup
Going as a witch for Halloween is always a safe bet. It's an easy last-minute costume that you can customize and it never goes out of style.
This tutorial uses amazing green eyeshadows that are giving off serious Wicked vibes. An ombre lip is also a great way to add more of a gothic twist to your costume.
“When costumes call for colored lips, I use chapstick along with eyeshadow colors and blend on my lips with a lip brush. Going darker in the corners of my mouth and lighter to the cupid's bow,” Taylor says.
The e.l.f Earth and Ocean palette has just the right mix of shimmery and matte olive tones to recreate this look, and also features some dark shadows that can be mixed into an ombre lip.
What you'll need:
Celebrity Halloween Makeup
19. Amy Winehouse
“You can't do a Winehouse costume justice without the iconic thick black winged liner,” suggests makeup and brow specialist, Tedrick Lamar.
To get that look, try the Kat Von D Ink Well Long-Wear Matte Eyeliner. Apart from her amazing voice, Amy was known for her iconic look which you can easily pay tribute to as a dress-up costume.
What you'll need:
20. David Bowie
There's no better time to pay tribute to the father of men's glam. Try Ben Nye Media PRO Ultimate F/X Palette.
Says Lamar, “This palette is perfect for achieving this opaque, sharp design. Remember to use your favorite blush all over your face and concealer will be your best friend!”
What you'll need:
21. Marilyn Monroe
If you've made it this far without being Marilyn for Halloween, it's time! “We absolutely love this timeless, sexy look. The key is all in the beauty mark and the glossy ruby red liner and gloss combo,” suggests Lamar.
What you'll need:
Removing Halloween Makeup
After the night is over and your look made you stand out, removing your makeup can become a process.
"It can take multiple washes and different makeup remover wipes, leaving us with stained faces and irritated skin. The best type of makeup remover is an oil-based one. I recommend Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil. It glides the makeup right off with little to no effort, and leaves your skin stain-free,” adds Garcia.
What you'll need:
Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer who focuses on health, wellness, and relationships. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her.
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