Halloween Makeup Ideas: 35 Looks from Easy to Full Effect

Halloween makeup ideas

Most Halloween makeup fails for the same reason: too much product, applied too late. These looks are grouped by time, starting with ones you can do with an eyeliner and a lipstick.

We don't sell costumes - we make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in house, printed in the UK - so nothing below is a sales pitch for an outfit.

Patch test anything new on the inside of a wrist a day before, especially for children.

We don't sell costumes - but we do the rest

Banners, cake toppers, pin badges and cards for the party itself, designed in house and printed in the UK.

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Five-minute looks with makeup you already own

  • Cat: liquid eyeliner flicks, a drawn nose and three whiskers each side.
  • Vampire: pale base, dark red lip, two dots of red at the neck.
  • Deer: brown shading down the nose, white dots on the cheeks.
  • Doll: exaggerated round blush and lashes drawn under the eye.
  • Sleep-deprived ghost: grey eyeshadow under the eyes, nothing else.
  • Devil: red eyeshadow blended up from the brow.
  • Cracked skull: black liner along the jaw and eye sockets only.
  • Zombie bite: red and purple eyeshadow smudged in a ring on the arm.

Easy scary effects

  • Stitched mouth: black liner lines from the corners, small crossbars.
  • Sunken eyes: dark brown blended into the socket, not black.
  • Fake blood from cornflour, water, red food colouring and a drop of blue.
  • Bruising: purple eyeshadow first, then a yellow-green edge.
  • Cracked porcelain doll: fine black lines, then white over the gaps.
  • Burned effect: red base, tissue paper torn on with lash glue.
  • Scars: liquid latex or lash glue, pinched while it dries.
  • Spiderweb: white liner from the eye outward, black crosslines.

Full-effect looks worth the extra hour

  • Full skull: white base, black sockets, teeth drawn across the lips.
  • Pop art comic: black outlines, white highlights, red dots.
  • Split face - half normal, half skeleton - the most photographed look going.
  • Glam zombie: full makeup, then grey and green blended over.
  • Corpse bride: blue-grey base, dark lips, veil to finish.
  • Witch with green cream paint blended at the jaw so it stops cleanly.
  • Marionette: hinge lines at the jaw and drawn cheek circles.

Kids' face paint that survives a school disco

  • Use water-based face paint only, never craft or acrylic paint.
  • Spider on the cheek - four lines, one body, done in a minute.
  • Pumpkin face in orange with black triangle eyes.
  • Bat wings across the eyes in black, no mouth paint.
  • Skeleton hands on the backs of the hands instead of the face.
  • Avoid the mouth entirely for younger children - they lick it off.
  • Keep wipes in a pocket; something always smudges by 7pm.

Getting it off again

  • Micellar water or cleansing balm first, water second.
  • Oil - olive or coconut - shifts face paint and fake blood fastest.
  • Never scrub; work in circles and repeat rather than pressing harder.
  • Wash the brushes the same night or they're gone.
  • Moisturise afterwards - heavy bases dry skin out badly.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Do the makeup before the costume goes on.
  • Set a base with translucent powder or it transfers onto everything.
  • Take photos straight away - an hour in, most looks have moved.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest Halloween makeup?

A cat - eyeliner flicks, a drawn nose and whiskers - takes five minutes with makeup you already own and reads instantly in photos.

How do you make fake blood at home?

Mix cornflour, a little water, red food colouring and one drop of blue to darken it. Test on skin first and keep it away from good clothes.

Is face paint safe for children?

Use water-based face paint made for skin, never craft or acrylic paint, and patch test on a wrist a day before. Keep it away from the eye area and lips for younger children.

How do you remove Halloween makeup?

Cleansing balm or oil first to break down the base, then a gentle wash and moisturiser. Scrubbing makes it worse and irritates the skin.

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