Anyone who has the audacity to tell you that a makeup-only Halloween costume is somehow lazy deserves a good jump scare. Some of the most well-thought-out, elaborate, and beautifully executed Halloween looks we’ve ever seen have been face-focused. That said, if you kinda sorta forgot to make a plan and nothing in your wardrobe is coming together for a last-minute costume, all you need is an hour and an idea to wow fellow partygoers with a Halloween makeup look.

For the spooky, whimsical, and incredibly cute makeup looks below, there's a solid chance you already have a lot of the makeup needed to make them happen. But if not, don't worry, we have recommendations for the products to use.

Some looks are over the top, but you don't have to know how to do intricate special-effects makeup techniques to pull them off frighteningly well. There are a variety of skill levels on display here. Whether you’re a seasoned makeup artist or an eager beauty beginner, there’s certainly something for you among these 24 scary-good makeup-centric costumes.

Additional reporting by Devon Abelman, Kaleigh Fasanella, Sara Miranda, and Melony Forcier.

Stamped centipede

At first glance, this centipede look by content creator Alexandra Claudia Milek looks like one of those complicated, impossible-to-recreate face-painting moments. In actuality, it was achieved with a clever hack that anyone can do.

Milek applies L'Oréal The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner directly to the edges of a USB-C cord and uses it to stamp the segments of the centipede across her face, then colors them in with the extra-fine tip, drawing on little legs.

You can stop there if you'd like, but Milek adds a little dimension with white eyeliner and gives her lips a gradient effect with black pencil and gloss. Antennae coming out of your mouth are entirely optional!

Skeleton surprise

Ukrainian content creator Roni cleverly figured out how to sneak a little Halloween into your makeup look in a way that's both subtle and surprising. Using a custom-blended black light-reactive cream—she mixed Glisten Cosmetics UV IT! with an off-white liner—she painted dainty skeleton arms as accents over and under her eyes. We especially love the idea of using a totally invisible UV liner like the Bobisuka Clear Neon Glow liquid liner for a look like this, so it only shows up in certain lights.

Sassy scarecrow

As dazzling as it is adorable, makeup artist Kelly Hernandez’s scarecrow makeup is cute enough for the kiddos but has a certain sophistication that makes it fun for the grownups too. It’s the gold glitter on her lids, don’t you think? The rest of the look is largely matte—Hernandez laid down white face paint before tapping on brown and orange eye shadow where she wanted patches. She then outlined the swatches of color in black, using Milk Makeup Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Outer Space for a stitched look.

Glam Joker

"I wanted to create a look that would sum up the way I understood the character Arthur Fleck," says makeup artist Adaeze Ebeku of the main character in Joker: Folie à Deux. "That understanding is what I would describe as 'the art of sane madness.'"

This look can easily be re-created with white base makeup, colorful eye shadows you likely already have in your collection, as well as some pink lipstick, gold highlighter, and face gems.

Ripe banana

How clever is this fruit-inspired costume by makeup artist Anya Tisdale? "You can turn into anything with makeup—even inanimate items like fruit," she says. To re-create this look, brush yellow eye shadow, like ColourPop's Pressed Powder Shadow in Tiki, from your brow bone to your cheekbone. Then, using a soft brown eyeliner (we like MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy for this), draw on your bananas’ spots.

Prince Zuko

Makeup artist Joanna Crauswell used Mehron Makeup's SynWax and Cream Blend Sticks to create Zuko's signature burn around her eye in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but you can easily re-create this look at home even if you don't have the urge to splurge on special-effects makeup. We think a deep-red eye shadow like MAC Powder Kiss Eyeshadow in Werk, Werk, Werk topped with a shimmery highlighter, like Revlon Skinlights Prismatic Powder Highlighter in Daybreak Glimmer, will work just as well.

The Sims character

This video game-inspired Halloween face paint by makeup artist Jacina Pender couldn't be more spot-on—and it's easy to put together in a pinch. All you need is some colorful eye shadow, false lashes, temporary hair color, and green contact lenses.

"I envision myself and everybody else as walking Sims, sometimes due to some of the conventional aspects and structures in our lifestyle and how we can influence each other unknowingly," Pender says about her inspiration for this look. “Plus, I just love the Sims games in general.”

Neon tears

Crying in the club doesn't have to look sad. In fact, it can look totally fabulous. Glasgow, Scotland-based makeup artist Aimée Stanton takes shedding tears to a whole new level with her neon-pink tears, sparkly pink eye shadow, and pink-tinted brows, all of which you can achieve with a multiuse pigment like Danessa Myricks Colorfix Eye, Cheek & Lip Cream Pigment in shades like Primary Red and Joy.

Powerpuff Girls-inspired eyes

Makeup artist Stefanie Arreola, better known as Stenie among her followers, painted hearts onto her eyes using pink, orange, and dark-red eye shadows. (You can find the perfect colors for this in Juvia’s Place The Sweet Pinks Palette.) She says that the colors and infinity hearts from The Powerpuff Girls, a cartoon fixture of the late ’90s and early 2000s, inspired her to create this look.

Hearts as detailed as those on Arreola's lids definitely require a steady hand and, more importantly, patience. "If you're timid about trying the look because the hearts look difficult, I'd say a big tip is to use a small craft-store brush and a water-activated liner to draw them on," Arreola explains. “Take your time and have fun.”

If you're on the hunt for a water-activated or gel eyeliner that'll give you maximum control, Beauty Creations Dare to Be Bright Gel Pot in Let’s Go Party is a great place to start.

Werewolf

Countless makeup artists have created their own take on werewolf looks with special-effects makeup, but Nevada-based makeup artist Olivia Hernandez proves you can easily turn into a werewolf with products found in your collection at home. “Achieve the look by using a combination of concealers and eye shadow to create the fur-like contours of your face,” she says.

For a concealer that won't budge, try using Maybelline New York Age Rewind Concealer (another Best of Beauty winner), like Hernandez did.

The Purge mask

Put your favorite neutral eye shadow palette to a terrifying, amazing new use with this The Purge-inspired mask illusion by British makeup artist Belinda Maines. All you need are some neutral shadows or pencils—and some serious blending skills—to re-create this creepy-cool costume. Creamy, buildable pigments such as Jones Road Beauty The Face Pencils will certainly help prevent off-the-bat mistakes.

Violet Beauregarde

Whether you prefer Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—the greatest debate of the century, obviously—you have to admit that Ellie Addis came up with a pretty genius and easy way to emulate the gum-chewing, purple-turning Violet Beauregarde. The look went so viral that Addis made a tutorial to help others re-create it. The key? A shimmery blue or purple highlighter, like r.e.m. Beauty Interstellar Highlighter Topper in Miss Neptune, gives the rich indigo shade some dimension.

Pixel perfect

This pixelated face makeup by Canadian makeup artist Cassidy Lake is made easier with some pre-cut stencils—one of a larger square to create the pixels on your face and one that's smaller to use on your lips. Use these to outline your squares before filling them in with cream or powder eye shadows. Consider the Best of Beauty Award-winning Makeup By Mario Master Mattes palette or the Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork Palette, both of which feature a range of blendable, neutral shades.

Safety pin

A safety pin might not sound like the most glamorous Halloween face-paint look—most of the takes we’ve seen lean very gory—but June (@visiblejune on Instagram) makes a pretty convincing argument for it with her Pop art interpretation. Have your favorite glitter, some purple lipstick, and false lashes on deck for this one and you'll be good to go. Be sure to add some bright pink blush to your cheeks and the tip of your nose to mimic June's supercool, flushed look.

'90s cool girl

Makeup artist Erica Laurane’s tribute to ’90s beauty trends, emphasized to the extreme for Halloween, features the decade’s signature thin eyebrows and darkly lined, glossy, neutral lip. We'll be using Dior Lip Glow Oil in our interpretation of this look.

Twiggy

All you really need to look like a '60s supermodel is your favorite black liquid eyeliner. "I was very much inspired by Twiggy and her iconic makeup style," explains makeup artist Betsy Wells-Deamer. "In the 1960s, it was all about big eyes, big hair, and bright colors. To reflect this, I used a black gel eyeliner to create a downwards flick, making the eyes appear larger and more rounded." We love Too Faced Killer Liner in Killer Black to achieve that. For an added bright-eyed effect, line your waterline with a white, like Clinique High Impact Gel Tech Eyeliner in Bright White.

Pointillism

This creepy makeup-only Halloween costume is perfect for anyone who loved stippling exercises in art class as a kid. Plus, it doesn't require advanced makeup skills to create dots all over your face. All you really need is a liquid liner like Nyx Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner to create this dotted extravaganza. Okay, you'll need a lot of patience too.

Strawberry babe

Maybe dressing up as a strawberry for Halloween hadn’t crossed your mind. (Same.) But content creator Khadija Nur makes a good case for a makeup-only, strawberry-inspired look that you can do yourself with just a few products, including the Mehron Paradise Makeup AQ palette. Make sure to complete the look with a punchy red blush and subtle faux-freckles.

Bikini Bottom

Makeup artist Annie Snyder posted her take on Spongebob Squarepants-inspired makeup, and it's perfect for Halloween. The look, which features Bikini Bottom's iconic backdrop on her lids, requires bright, highly pigmented eyeliners—give Urban Decay 24/7 Inks Easy Ergonomic Liquid Eyeliner Pen a try—and a steady hand.

Vecna from Stranger Things

Whenever you feel like you’ve been waiting forever for the return of Stranger Things, remember, it takes over seven hours just to transform Jamie Campbell Bower into Vecna. But don't worry—this look won't take nearly as long. Marvel Maull created a purple-red eye shadow and brought the look to life by adding lines along her face and neck to replicate the villain’s creepy, Upside Down-singed skin. Essence Blend & Line Eyeshadow Stick in Oh My Ruby would be ideal for this effect.

Hades

Hades from the 1997 film Hercules inspired Lana Yanette's Halloween makeup look, which features eye shadow that depicts the villain’s iconic hair. Yanette used two now-sold-out eye shadow palettes, but there's no need to panic. You can duplicate the fiery gradient by sweeping on the extra-cool shades of the ColourPop 9-Pan Palette in Blue Blue Moon. Of course, the look wouldn't be complete without the sinister smile, which can be created using black lipstick and ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Moon Daisy as a topper.

Devilish behavior

Makeup artist Sharon Uwu opted for a graphic-liner take on devilish makeup. Uwu says this is "a great choice if you want to go for a low-effort Halloween look but still look cute." Our go-to red eyeliner to re-create this is the Haus Labs Optic Intensity Eco Gel Eyeliner Pencil in Crimson.

Goth Bratz

Get in on a more classically Bratz makeup look for this spooky season. Content creator Lizzie achieved the unmistakable lip by over-lining and tapering the corners of her mouth into points. She also didn’t hold back on the high-contrast cut crease to make her eyes look super big.

'90s Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson's '90s looks are iconic, including this one re-created by Gina Esler-Box. A hallmark of Anderson's beauty from this era is skinny eyebrows, but don't go grabbing your tweezers. Esler-Box created the effect by layering on concealer and adding a thin brown line using a brow product, like L.A. Girl Smudge-Proof Creamy Brow Pomade.

Now read more about the latest beauty trends:

• 17 Unique Halloween Costumes for 2025
• 36 Halloween Nail Art Ideas That Are Equal Parts Eerie and Cute
• Fall’s Makeup Trends Are All About Raging Against the Machine
• This Fall’s Nail Art Trends Are All About Touchable Textures

Done reading? Learn a handy Halloween lipstick hack: