Halloween Makeup Ideas: 20 Looks From Spooky to Sweet

Halloween makeup can turn plain black clothes into a skeleton, a vampire or a friendly ghost, and it lets you see far better than most masks do. The twenty looks below run from sweet to spooky. Each lists what it needs, so you can plan around what is already in your makeup bag and buy only the one or two products you are missing.

Sweet and cute looks

1. Kitty cat: black eyeliner nose and whiskers, winged liner. Full steps in our cat makeup guide.
2. Fawn: bronzer contour, white freckle dots and a dark nose tip.
3. Scarecrow: brown liner freckles, stitched smile lines at the corners of the mouth and rosy cheeks.
4. Rag doll: round pink cheeks, drawn-on lower lashes, freckles and a small heart-shaped lip.
5. Pumpkin queen: orange and gold eyeshadow, a tiny pumpkin painted on one cheekbone.
6. Fairy: pastel shadow, cosmetic glitter on the cheekbones and swirls at the temples.
7. Friendly clown: red nose, rosy cheeks and a big painted smile. Our clown face paint ideas cover classic styles.

Cool and glam looks

8. Galaxy: purple, blue and black sponged over one side of the face, then tiny white stars.
9. Glam witch: deep plum or green eyeshadow, dark lipstick and a painted star by one eye.
10. Mermaid: scales made by sponging color through clean netting, with a shimmer highlight.
11. Alien: green or blue base, darker contour and silver dots along the brow bone.
12. Glow party: bright neon lines on the cheeks that pop under black light, kept away from the eyes.
13. Spider queen: black lipstick, a drawn spiderweb at one temple and a spider on the cheek.

Spooky and scary looks

14. Skeleton: white base, black sockets around the eyes, a dark nose and teeth lines across the lips.
15. Vampire: pale foundation, gray shadow under the cheekbones, deep red lips and a drop of fake blood at one corner of the mouth.
16. Zombie: gray-green base, purple and brown shadow around the eyes and a few scrapes.
17. Ghost: white base, smudged gray around the eyes and a softly blurred black mouth.
18. Werewolf: brown contour, darkened brows, a dark nose and a few painted fur strokes.
19. Cracked doll: porcelain pale base, pink cheeks and thin black "cracks" from one temple.
20. Stitched monster: green-gray base, a dark painted hairline and a row of stitches across the forehead.

For three-dimensional effects such as raised scars or scrapes, start with our beginner's guide to SFX makeup.

What each look needs

Product	Used in	Tip
White face paint or cream	Skeleton, ghost, cracked doll	Apply in thin layers with a sponge and set with powder
Black liner or paint	Almost every look	A fine brush gives cleaner lines than a pencil
Colored face paint	Alien, zombie, galaxy, mermaid	Choose paint labeled for use on the face
Bronzer or brown shadow	Fawn, werewolf, vampire	Contour under the cheekbones to look gaunt
Cosmetic glitter	Fairy, galaxy, pumpkin queen	Keep it off the eye area unless the label allows it
Cosmetic fake blood	Vampire, zombie	It can stain skin and fabric; keep it out of the eyes

Choosing safe colors

The FDA reminds shoppers that color additives used in cosmetics, including face paint and theatrical makeup, must be approved for that use, and that a color approved for most of the skin may not be approved near the eyes. You can compare the color names in the ingredient list with the FDA's summary of color additives. Two points matter most for Halloween:

• Neon colors: the FDA says none of the fluorescent colors approved for cosmetics are allowed near the eyes.
• Glow-in-the-dark: luminescent zinc sulfide is the only glow-in-the-dark color the FDA has approved for cosmetics, for limited use and not near the eyes.

Patch test any new product on your arm a day or two before Halloween. Never use craft paint, markers or household glue on skin, and throw away any makeup that smells bad.

Colored contact lenses: get a prescription

Cat-eye, white-out and colored lenses are tempting for scary Halloween makeup, but the FDA states that all contact lenses must be prescribed by a doctor, including decorative ones. Lenses sold without a prescription are illegal and can cause eye infections, scratches on the eye and even vision loss. See an eye care professional first, and never share lenses.

How to remove Halloween makeup

1. Follow the label. If it says cold cream, use cold cream; if it says soap and water, use soap and water. The same goes for adhesives.
2. Loosen heavy layers first with a cleansing balm or oil, then rinse with warm water and a mild cleanser.
3. Be gentle around the eyes. Hold a soaked cotton pad on the area for a few seconds rather than scrubbing.
4. Do not sleep in it. Makeup worn too long can irritate the skin and flake into the eyes.
5. Moisturize after cleansing, and watch for redness or itching. If a reaction appears, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

Short on time? Our easy Halloween makeup looks take ten minutes or less.