Call me biased, but I think any Halloween costume that doesn’t have a matching makeup look is a major missed opportunity. Scratch that—I’m willing to take that a step even further and argue that if your makeup look is right, you don’t even need one of those cheap Halloween costumes in a bag (that are also somehow still expensive? Why?!).
If you consider yourself a beauty beginner and can’t even trust yourself with a tube of liquid eyeliner, DIYing your own Halloween makeup look might terrify you more than your scary costume. But I promise you that with these 23 easy Halloween makeup ideas and videos (for all you visual learners) below and our product suggestions, you (yes, even you, person who normally wears no makeup) can pull together a convincing costume makeup look, no prob. And hey, if I’m wrong, you have plenty of time between now and Oct. 31 to practice it before the big day. So let’s get into it…
First, put down the overpriced, bad-quality Halloween makeup kit! You don’t need it. With a few household ingredients, like flour, petroleum jelly, and honey, you can easily DIY all the special-effects makeup of your dreams (nightmares?), like fake scars, cuts, and blood. And as for those cute, non-gory Halloween costumes, all you need is your regular makeup bag. So bring out that eyeshadow palette full of shades you never wear because now is its time to shine, and follow along to these 23 tutorials for quick, easy Halloween makeup ideas to wear with your costume.
Wait, real quick: If you join Cosmo Unlocked rn, you’ll get access to all of our makeup ideas and inspo.
If you’re one of those people who doesn’t need a theme for costume other than blood, guts, and gore, here’s an easy tutorial for making fake skin for scars and realistic-looking blood for your pretend wounds. For the skin, mix together flour, petroleum jelly, and a full-coverage foundation that matches your skin to create a tinted wax that you can use to sculpt however you want on your body. Then, jump to 5:14 and learn how to whip up a batch of blood with food coloring, cocoa powder, and honey.
If you, too, have been binge-watching Dexter for the millionth time, here’s a spooky Halloween eye makeup look for ya. To create this believable blood splatter, start with white eyeliner all over your eyelid, then set with white or translucent setting powder. Trick: Create a shield for the rest of your face out of a piece of paper towel with a hole cut out around your eye. Then, mix a little water into a red pigment (but not too much water because, ironically enough, you don’t want the blood to bleed) with a small eyeshadow brush and flick the wet red mixture onto the area.
Possibly the only person who wears more black than I do, Wednesday Addams is classic (and really, truly easy!) Halloween costume idea. All you need is a matte lipstick and eyeshadow in gray tones.
Use this villain makeup tutorial and find someone to dress up with you as a Dalmation for the perfect Disney couple costume. Pair your green eyeshadow with some red lipstick, and you’re set. Bonus points if you also add a black-and-white wig to complete your look with a Halloween hairstyle.
If you’re one of the many who watched Wandavision this year, channel the superhero with this red-hair Halloween costume and easy Halloween makeup look that’s truly as simple as it gets. Apply minimal, everyday eye makeup and a red lip, and you’re ready to fight some crime or something (IDK I didn’t watch it).
Maleficent’s cheekbones, tho!! For this look, you’re gonna need all your contour kits and finally learn how to contour so you can sculpt some chiseled features worthy of the evil fairy.
Your animal ears you wear every year are fine and all, but what if you paired that with a matching, exaggerated cat eye and cute kitten nose, like the look here? Purrrrrfect.
Here’s the trick for old-age makeup that looks scary-real: Scrunch your face and fake some static wrinkles with a small makeup brush and matte taupe eyeshadow. Be sure to use a lot of powder foundation to make your skin look extra old and crepe-y. Maybe this will be the thing to finally convince you to start wearing sunscreen?!
Was the Joker from Suicide Squad the best Joker? Arguably, no, but the smokey eye, face tattoo, and overdrawn lips make for an amazing (and surprisingly easy) Halloween makeup idea. To really sell it though, grab some bright green temporary hair dye, too.
The most underrated Halloween movie makes for a pretty understated Halloween makeup idea. To copy this Megan Fox look, start with soft, pretty everyday makeup, and top it with drips of blood around your mouth and neck. And, of course, don’t forget the lighter from *that* iconic scene.
For this doll makeup look (or any doll makeup, really) you need super-dramatic false eyelashes and loads of lip liner, lipstick, and lip gloss to exaggerate your features.
Everything from the Y2K era is now cool again, so if you lived through it back then, bust out those Hollister tiered skirts and tube tops from back in the day, and follow this tutorial inspired by early 2000s makeup trends for the frostiest, shimmeriest, easiest Halloween makeup idea ever.
Barbie loves pink, and that is an understatement. Scour through your makeup bag for pink lipstick, pink eyeshadow—anything and everything glittery, shiny, and pink, and you’re ready to follow this tutorial.
This meta costume is for the true Euphoria stans, since it takes Jules from Euphoria and mixes it with Julia from Romeo and Juliet. Blend a whole lotta pink eyeshadow around your eyes to create the base of the look, then top it with gold glitter eyeshadow and loose flecks around your temples and eyebrows. Psst: Use our glitter hacks to learn how to make your glitter stay in place all night long.
I will never not be obsessed with Euphoria makeup, so don’t come for me for putting the show on here twice, okay? No one wear rhinestones like Maddy, except now you can pull it off, too, with a few flat-back jewels, eyelash glue to adhere them with, and this video tutorial.
If you want a disco-inspired makeup idea this Halloween, look to ’70s beauty icons like Cher for your costume inspiration. To DIY it, think all things feathered: feathered bangs, feathered brows, and feathered eyeshadow strokes. Use soft, pastel, shimmery shades and really layer on the mascara for a diffused, glam eye makeup look.
Is it Halloween without a vampire makeup look in the mix?? To slay your makeup like Buffy slays those vampires, stick with sultry shades of dark berries and black. Long fangs are optional, but a dribble of blood around your mouth made from red lip stain is not.
If you love the ethereal feel and romanticism of the soft girl aesthetic, try it this Halloween. Your soft girl starter pack should include blush (and more blush) for all over, highlighter for your nose, and eyeliner for accentuated eyes.
Ah, the ‘90s. Back when grunge was everything and both the eyes and lips were always heavily outlined. Grab all your brown lipsticks, pencil eyeliners, and matte shadows, then follow along to this easy Halloween makeup tutorial.
I mean, come on. A bunch of blue makeup on the center of your face—how easy can Halloween costume makeup get?! In the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Violet’s face is almost completely blue, but you can do a slightly toned-down version, like this one, and pair it with a purple smokey eye. Use colored eyeliner if you’ve got it or even blend a cream eyeshadow over your nose to get the same effect.
As long as you’ve got a small, thin brush and a black gel eyeliner, you can pull off a ton of different easy Halloween makeup ideas. And look at that! This video has three back-to-back tutorials of simple, scary looks you can easily DIY with those supplies. If you want a creepy, scary costume but you don’t have time or skills for all that special effects makeup, a simple clown makeup or spidery Halloween eye makeup look will suffice, trust.
