I’ll just come right out and say it: Skeleton makeup is kinda my favorite Halloween look. When done right, it’s the perfect balance of spooky and cute—and it’s also an excellent excuse to use those ultra-dark eyeshadows and eyeliners that are currently taking up space in your makeup bag. The best part? There’s a skeleton makeup look for every skill set, whether you’re a legit pro who uses face paint like a g’damn artist (teach me pls), or you’re a newb who waits until October 31 to put together a costume.
And to prove it to ya, I went ahead and rounded up the 10 best skeleton tutorials straight from YouTube, along with a few products you’ll definitely want to have on hand. Keep scrolling and prepare to absolutely crush it at your Halloween party this year.
If you’re looking for a more lowkey approach to skeleton makeup, you can’t go wrong with this half-face Halloween look from YouTuber Chrisspy. You still get all the creepy, intense details of a regular skeleton (I mean, can we just take a sec to admire the shading along the mouth?), but you finish it all off with a cute smokey eye and pretty brows. Don’t forget the face paint before giving this one a try:
It’s the pink face paint for me. This part-skeleton, part-ghost tutorial from Giulianna Maria is the perfect excuse to get super creative with your Halloween makeup. It’ll definitely take a decent amount of skill and patience to recreate, but you’re basically guaranteed to turn heads (which, IDK about you, is kinda always my goal on October 31). Pro tip: You want ultra-precise lines with this look, so pick up one of these angled brushes:
I get it: Sometimes it’s easier to pull together your Halloween makeup at the last minute (been there). When in doubt, this easy skeleton makeup from MsAaliyahJay is a v cute option that you can definitely recreate with makeup you already own (think: black eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner, and lashes). Throw on an all-black outfit, and you’ll be good to go.
Yup, skull makeup can look super glam—all it takes is a ton of highlighter, glitter, and this tutorial from Giulianna Maria. You’ll need a ton of black eyeshadow to recreate this thick smokey eye, so load up on one of these picks before you map out your Halloween look:
If you aren’t feeling the traditional skull colors (think: black, white, gray, the works), look towards this tutorial from Denitslava Makeup for an unexpected pop of color. The blue detailing in this skull look will really make your costume stand out among the rest—especially when you pair it with shimmery eyeshadow and glitter brows. What’s not to love?
Want to get even ~wilder~ with your skeleton makeup? The neon color palette in this look from Julia Salvia should do the trick. White eyeliner or face paint is nonnegotiable for this look, btw—it’ll create a nice contrast against the colors and really anchor your skeleton detailing. These are a few of my personal favorites:
Sure, anyone can show up to a Halloween party wearing skeleton makeup, but how many people are going to take it to the next-level with an abstract look like this one? Here, Brianna Fox adds glitter, highlighter, and white lashes to her skeleton makeup for a costume that’s straight-up cool. Need a white eyeliner restock? Glad you asked:
Another creative take on skeleton makeup, this one from Desi Perkins looks like it’s literally melting. Makeup newbs will probably want to skip this look, but if you’ve got a steady hand (and a lot of patience), you’ll love the end result. Bonus points for recreating her blue hair too (temporary dye = key for Halloween).
All you need is white face paint and a few basics (neutral eyeshadow palette, eyeliner, and a couple makeup brushes) to perfect this skeleton makeup from Mel Fidel. Follow along and you’ll see just how quickly this entire look comes together (meaning, yup, it’s another great option for a last-minute Halloween costume).
If you’ve been there done that with the whole skeleton makeup thing, you’ll love this cute take from Giulianna Maria. It lands somewhere between a pumpkin and a skull and the end result is beyond cool. Just don’t forget to place your Amazon order for orange face paint (and a few detailing brushes!) before you take a stab at this one, k?
