Making your own Halloween costume is always a lot of fun and we do it essentially every year, even if we’ve bought just a couple of elements. There’s just something about going out for a fun night with friends in an outfit that you made yourself that’s extra satisfying, especially when the outfit is a cool costume that transforms you for the night! The clothing and accessories we wear on Halloween night, however, aren’t actually the only DIY elements of our look each year. We’re huge makeup enthusiasts too, so we usually choose a costume that involves some really cool, creative cosmetic skills as well. After all, what’s better than a holiday that lets you use all your craftiest skills together in one place?
Even though we love getting creative with our makeup all year round, Halloween is a great opportunity to really go all out, so we still find we need inspiration every once in a while. That’s why we always spend the weeks leading up to Halloween combing the Internet for the best Halloween makeup tutorials we can find until we find one that really does it for us! Just in case you could use some inspiration too, check out these 15 awesome makeup tutorials that will help you look your absolute best on Halloween night!
1. Deer inspired makeup by Karolina Maria
Are you the kind of person who usually picks a Halloween costume that’s a little bit more on the cute or impressive side and just lets you transform yourself for fun, rather than something creepy that will actually scare people? Well, we can’t say we blame you, and we’ve been known to do cutesie looks ourselves in years past as well. That’s why this adorable deer inspired makeup tutorial caught our eye! We love that the techniques they used aren’t super complicated but that they still manage to create a transformative look that will make you feel your best.
2. Ursula the sea witch inspired makeup by StormDesign SFX
Perhaps you would prefer a look that’s still quite glamorous, rather than turning yourself into an animal, but you also want it to be at least a little bit creepy or evil inspired in the spirit of Halloween? In that case, perhaps you’d prefer to dress up like a sea witch for Halloween! Just because she’s evil doesn’t mean she can’t have an awesomely made up face at the same time, right? This tutorial shows you how to use the makeup skills you already have but exaggerate them so you feel full of attitude, just like your character.
3. Pop art makeup tutorial by Jessica Liz Life
Have you always viewed makeup as an art? In that case, we have a feeling you’ll love this pop culture comic book look that actually lets you create a look that’s supposed to look like an actual form of drawn art! We’ve painted ourselves in this Lichtenstein style of makeup before and enjoyed every moment of both doing and wearing it because it was a chance to play with colour and dimension. We also think this is a great last minute costume idea because it’s impressive enough to be a complete look in itself no matter what you wear.
4. Spider Halloween makeup by Lyssa Logan
Do you have a witchy look already put together when it comes to your outfit, but now you’re trying to choose a makeup style that has a few extra spooky details compared to your everyday cosmetic routine? Well, you could choose the classic green spooky witch look, of course, but sometimes it’s nice to look glamorous even if you’re in a Halloween costume, especially if you’re going to a party with friends. That’s why we thought this spider web inspired makeup was a great idea! We love the detail that went into the eyeliner and drawing a tiny web with a dangling spider on each side.
5. Blue Dia de Los Muertas makeup by Chelsea Sadler
Are you a little bit more experienced in your makeup skills, even in the costume makeup department, so you’re up for a look that’s a little bit more of a challenge? In that case, we think you’ll feel right at home both wearing and following along with the makeup in this amazing Dia de Los Muertas tutorial! We love painting sugar skull inspired faces because they’re so intricate and creative, leaving you lots of room for your own details and interpretations, even when you’re following a tutorial. If blue isn’t really your colour but you simply like this design, try following the basics that are covered here but with a different emphasis shade in the eyes and details!
6. Halloween galaxy makeup by Eimear McElheron
Perhaps you want to get painted and dressed up but you’re not the kind of person who likes getting too much attention, so you’d like to try something more subtle, where the charm is in the small details? We don’t see anything wrong with that, even on Halloween! After all, not everyone wanted to wear complicated costumes and bright, attention grabbing colours. We think this simple galaxy inspired makeup is absolutely stunning, especially if you have a similarly starry looking outfit to match. We like the idea of using small rhinestones and glitter around the edge of your face to mimic the smattering of “stardust” across your clothing.
7. 1920s style makeup tutorial by Frugalista
Have you always been a fashionista with a deep admiration for the greatest trending styles of yesteryear? Then you’ve probably already considered harnessing the beauty of the 1920s in your Halloween getup, but just in case you need a helping hand when it comes to the details of the makeup, here’s a great tutorial that actually mimics the era very accurately! We love the idea of making a costume that’s really an homage to the vintage fashionistas who came before you.
8. Joker inspired makeup by NomNomWonThan
Perhaps you’re a comic book lover with a certain admiration for the villains in most stories you read? Well, we can’t say we blame you there! The hero is always cool but when it comes to dressing up and painting your face like a character, it’s like there’s an unwritten rule that the villain is usually more fun to recreate and embody. That’s why we felt absolutely no surprise when we came across countless makeup tutorials outlining how to do makeup just like The Joker from Batman! Here’s an example that really lays the process out nice and easily, step by step.
9. Harley Quinn inspired jester makeup by Julia Graf
Are you totally intrigued by the idea of creating your own take on a comic book villain and you even love the sort of jester themed possibilities that The Joker presents, but you’d rather dress as one of the prominent female characters rather than reinterpreting a male one? Then we have a feeling you’d make great things happen by following this Harley Quinn inspired makeup tutorial and letting yourself get creative in your own way with the fine details!
10. Poison Ivy inspired makeup by Style X Style
Just in case you haven’t had enough of the powerful female comic book theme yet, here’s another one for your consideration! We love the idea of dressing up as Poison Ivy from Batman because her entire aesthetic and persona is such a great opportunity for both costuming and makeup creativity, all in one place! Whether you keep your look quite simple and just inspired by Poison Ivy’s or whether you try to recreate the most detailed version that you possibly can of what you see in the comic or movie, we think this simple and very clear tutorial will prove helpful for you along the way.
11. Geometric makeup by Alexander Khokhlov
Are you the kind of out-of-the-box Halloween enthusiast who would rather use the holiday as an opportunity to transform yourself into visual art of some kind, rather than simply recreating and donning an actual character of some kind? Then why not get very detailed and creative with angles and shades all over your face and neck? You might not be able to explain precisely what you are at your friends’ Halloween party, but we’d be willing to bed that people will be so impressed with the artistry you achieve when you follow along with this look that hardly anyone will think to ask. They’ll be too busy just observing how you look and appreciating the skill and patience that went into it!
12. Cleopatra inspired makeup by Style Caster
Have you always enjoyed the story of Cleopatra because you admire strong female characters and historical figures… especially if they were well know to set trends and exist in the height of fashion amidst all of the ancient drama? In that case, we think you’ll appreciate this well laid out tutorial for an ancient Egyptian inspired eye very much indeed! They show you how to recreate and pay homage to the liner shape that actual authentic ancient carvings depicted Cleopatra and her peers as having worn.
13. Pretty leopard makeup by Beautylish
Are you in a bit of a hurry this Halloween and considering just attending your friends’ parties as a simple black cat, but you’re still kind of hoping to add at least a little bit of detail and variation to the look in order to differentiate yourself from all the other inevitably (but adorable looking) “black cats” who will also show up that night? Then perhaps you’d be willing to try your hand at turning your feline face into a leopard by following the simple steps outlined in this tutorial. We adore the way they used a shining metallic gold to create the spots to add a touch of glamour to the whole idea.
14. Blood dripping makeup by Depeche Gurl
Just because it’s Halloween and many people enjoy dressing as specific people, things, or characters doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. It is perfectly possible for you to turn out an amazing Halloween look and really impress those around you with dressing up as something explicit and immediately recognizable. that’s why we love this more abstract look that simply harnesses the creepiness of the concept of dripping blood. People at the Halloween party might not be able to name specifically what you’re dressed as, but they certainly won’t doubt your appreciation of and dedication to all things spooky and Halloween themed when they see the detail that’s required to make your lips and nails match so carefully and in such a unique shape.
15. Twiggy inspired makeup by Style Caster
Perhaps you’re still not quite over the fantastic idea of paying homage to a whole style era by dressing to match the trends of a particular decade, but you’re just not sure that the demure 1920s look is quite your style? In that case, perhaps you’ll identify more with the totally mod edge of this 1960s Twiggy inspired look instead! We think this makeup is a great chance to practice new techniques, try an authentic style out on yourself to see how you’d have looked had you been born then, and even to get creative by making or putting together an accurate outfit for yourself to really pull the look together. Even if you don’t have time for that, however, people will still fully get the point from the way you’ve painted your eyes, and we have no doubt they’ll appreciate it!
