32 Halloween Makeup Looks to Try This Spooky Season (2024)

Spooky season is here, which means you can paint on layer after layer of wild Halloween makeup without anyone batting an eye.

According to celebrity makeup artist Tobi Henney, the usual suspects, like skull makeup and pop art, are trending, while beauty enthusiasts are looking to Margot Robbie's Barbie and Saw's Jigsaw to showcase their makeup skills. No matter what kind of look you're bringing to life, Henney suggests using MAC Cosmetics' extensive range of highly pigmented Paint Sticks, especially when creating character-focused looks. "The pigments are insane, and the colors are super bright," Henney tells InStyle.

Below, we've rounded up some of the best Halloween makeup looks on Instagram, from classic villains to optical illusions. Makeup novices will find moody eyeshadow looks that are easy to recreate, while more seasoned beauty buffs will be thrilled to discover more elaborate spooky season moments.

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Ghostface Eyeshadow

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Call back to classic slasher films with an eye look inspired by Scream. Makeup artist Kim Salgado gave her lids a bloody makeover with cream face paint from Mehron and face paint from Tag Body Art. She even accessorized with a tiny knife and bloodshot drop contacts from Pinky Paradise.

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Spooky Holly Golightly

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You'll be the talk of the costume party when you show up in this unique take on Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Serve quiet luxury on one side of the face and dazzling skeleton vibes on the other.

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Edward Scissorhands

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Influencer Aaliyah Jay used liquid latex from Mehron to create scars sharp enough to be cut by Edward Scissorhands himself. The Karen and Rita founder even posted a YouTube tutorial detailing the spooky look.

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The Nightmare Before Halloween

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If you love Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, this look's for you. Makeup artist @Ashslays_xx used paint from female-owned makeup brand Elli J Beauty to stitch together this Sally Shock-inspired Halloween glam.

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Cyborg Makeup

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Show off your superhuman makeup skills with this cyborg-inspired look. Everyone will swear you hail straight from another dimension.

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Optical Illusion

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You'll have everyone who crosses your path seeing double courtesy of this optical illusion. While the rainbow-shaded eyes are the star of this look, creative artist Brigitta Varga used long-wear red lipstick for a subtle pop of color.

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Gorgeous Ghoul

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Casper may be a friendly ghost, but you'll be the most gorgeous ghoul around. Grab your favorite black and white eyeliners to trace as many ghosts across your face as you'd like.

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Chic Scarecrow

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If you're in a time crunch and want to keep your Halloween makeup simple, a scarecrow is the perfect choice. Use black eyeliner or eyeshadow to draw stitches across your mouth and a cute circle around your nose.

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Tears of a Clown

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You can never go wrong with dramatic clown makeup. This pop art-inspired style takes the go-to spooky slay up a few notches.

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Splitting Apart Makeup

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Take Barbiecore pink for a walk on the dark side. This creative MUA used tried-and-true beauty staples like ELF Cosmetics' Power Grip Primer and KVD Beauty's Liquid Good Apple Foundation as a base for the "normal side" and face paint from CC Beauty along with eyeliners from Gavissi Beauty and Glisten Cosmetics to achieve the more intricate skull side.

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Demon Time

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One word: flawless! This look will for sure you get crowned the Queen of Halloween, thanks to the realistic prosthetic horns and ears. Not to mention the bold black contacts from Pinky Paradise and body paints from Mehron and Ben Nye.

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Cherry On Top

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This makeup look is too sweet! Special effects artist Tenisha Billington used Covergirl's Full Spectrum Matte Idol liquid lipstick in Tyrant and Covergirl's Vinyl Vow in Get It On to achieve the sweetest pout.

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Glitter Cat

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If you're looking for a glam way to elevate a feline-inspired Halloween makeup look, this is the perfect inspo. Use matching shades of glitter and face gems to offset smoky cat eye makeup.

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Ice Queen

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Give the phrase "chill out" a brand new meaning. This spooky skull is 100% glamorous, thanks to dazzling face gems.

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Loose Ends

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Give yourself a little nip and tuck using black and white eyeshadows to create faux stitches.

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Scream Makeup

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Whip out your fine-detailing makeup brush because this Halloween look is just as spooky as it is intricate. Use bold red eyeliner to carve out a trail of blood and add a frightening portrait of Ghostface as the finishing touch.

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Vampy Vibes

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A smoldering mix of red and brown eyeshadows set the stage for this festive look. Sharp fangs and dripping blood makes it look like you just found your next victim.

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Prism Makeup

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Let your light shine through when you whip up a prism-inspired Halloween makeup look.

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Alien Abduction

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Pull out your most colorful palettes! Muted shades of orange contrast against blue waves as this UFO pops down to earth for an ultra-realistic alien abduction.

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Pearl Hearts

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Swifties, this enchanted Halloween glam is just for you. Use face pearls to form one big heart, and grab all the purple eyeshadow shades you can find to create this 3D look.

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Barbiecore Makeup

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There are so many fun ways to incorporate Barbiecore into your makeup look this Halloween. Add face jewels and draw on the cutest Barbie 'B' logo for a unique spin.

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Blue Clown Tears

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It's the spookiest time of the year, so you can cry if you want to. Just make sure that when you cue the waterworks, you're crying tears of dazzling face gems.

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Pop Art Zombie

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Make zombie Halloween makeup come alive with 3D pop art. Just combine bold, vibrant shades of pink and purple with neutral gray, white, and black to look like you jumped right out of a comic book.

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Jigsaw Makeup

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Do you want to play a game? Use red face gems to create swirling circles on your cheeks and red glitter lipstick to turn your Saw-inspired costume into a fabulous one.

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Cinnamon Swirls

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Wear a look that's sweet as sugar this Halloween. Alternate white and brown eyeshadow and use tiny face gems to recreate this optical illusion.

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Swirling Lines

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Get wavy this Halloween! Black eyeshadows are the perfect products to create these wavy squiggles. You can even accent them with clear face gems that mark the beginning and end of each line.

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Neon Spider Web

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Get unsuspecting trick-or-treaters caught in your web thanks to Jolie Beauty's neon water-activated liner palette. These colorful liners will glisten even on the darkest, gloomiest nights.

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Pennywise

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Pennywise has never looked so glam. Bold lashes and a smoldering smoky eye elevate this classic villain's go-to look.

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Heart-Shaped Bullets

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Calling all K-pop enthusiasts. If you love "Shot Thru The Heart" by Twice, you'll be stoked to draw on a heart-shaped bullet wound as your Halloween costume.

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Scream Queen

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Go full-on horror this Halloween, but make it glam! Face gems are the perfect accessory to transform bloody or gory Halloween makeup into something a bit more dazzling.

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Corpse Bride

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Take a spooky trip down the aisle this Halloween courtesy of this costume inspired by Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Apply a bold red lipstick to contrast the sullen blue makeup.

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Avatar's Na'vi

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Get ready to rake in tons of compliments this Halloween. Channel Avatar's Na'vi with royal and sky blue face paint and dots.