Top Tips on Elevating Your Halloween Makeup

October has arrived, and you know what that means—spooky season is officially upon us! Time is limited to pull a costume together, but the possibilities are endless. Channel that trending #Fairycore aesthetic or go nuts with special effects makeup and prosthetics. Whatever vibe you’re going for, Halloween is a beauty guru’s time to shine.

Let’s be real, though—we can’t all be NikkieTutorials. Halloween face makeup can seem pretty daunting for those of us who struggle to draw a simple cat eye. But the truth is, a lot of your fav looks are easier to replicate than you might think. All you need are the right tools and a couple of practice runs. Plus, there are plenty of minimalist ideas that’ll make you look like a total baddie while putting in barely any effort!

Grab your makeup bag and get ready to serve some ghoulish looks with these Halloween makeup ideas!

Application Tips to Make It Really Stick

Before we dive into the Halloween makeup tutorials, let’s review some basic tricks of the trade. Halloween makeup involves some techniques you probably don’t use in your everyday makeup routine—like applying fake blood. Keep these tips in mind as you practice in front of the bathroom mirror:

• Contour the crap out of your face: Halloween is about going WAY over the top. Whether you’re dressed as Maleficent or a creepy skeleton, contouring your features will help raise the drama to the next level. Forget tapping off excess product or a subtle swipe of blush. Pack on the loose pigment and accentuate those cheekbones!
• Glue down those eyebrows: You won’t need this tip for every look. But if you want to draw super-arched eyebrows—or get rid of them altogether—a glue stick is your best friend! Dig into your art supplies and choose any glue stick you can find. Rub the glue into your eyebrows, then comb the hairs flat against the skin with a spoolie. Cover with foundation and voila! You’ve got a blank canvas to work with.
• Dab white paint on highlighter: The highlighter that’s part of your everyday makeup probably won’t cut it for Halloween. Help your makeup shine in all the right places by dabbing a teensy bit of white face paint on top of where you’d put highlighter. Add it to a bold red lip for comic book-inspired pop art, or put it on the tip of your nose to create a cute doll-face effect.
• Paint your body with watercolours: Not all makeup is actually makeup! Watercolours and paint brushes are perfect for drawing little details like tattoos. In fact, the paint brushes at your local arts and crafts store are better suited for body art than regular makeup brushes! Their pinpoint precision allows you to draw skeleton teeth or the scales of a dragon.
• Pick out the right adhesive: Different makeup materials require different types of adhesive to make them stick. Lay a foundation of glitter glue on your eyelids, cheekbones or chest before patting on the makeup glitter. Lash glue is more effective for holding larger objects in place like rhinestones or fake stitches. For heavy duty prosthetics, Spirit Gum is the way to go.

Makeup That’s Equal Parts Cute and Creepy

A couple rhinestones not enough? If you’re feeling adventurous, cover your entire face with sparkling gems and transform into the most glamourous skeleton your friends have ever seen! This look requires time, patience and a truckload of rhinestones….but it’s totally Insta-worthy for those who can pull it off! Black out your lids and all the skin around your eyes for a haunting stare that’ll capture people’s attention.

Elicit a couple “wows” at the party with a half-and-half look. This Halloween makeup idea means your face will be half your everyday routine, half something else. The other half is up to you! Go for a traditional black-and-white skull, alien prosthetics or a partially rotten zombie. Some people have applied drippy wax to make it look like half their face is melting off!

Get Your Freak On with Neva Nude

Halloween is kinda our thing. We’ve got all the glitter, pressed eyeshadow and self-adhesive rhinestones necessary to create looks that are both ghoulish and glamorous! Our formulas are highly pigmented to keep your makeup looking fresh for hours. The vast collection of hues means you can create any character imaginable. But beware—you might love our makeup so much, you’ll want to wear it all year long!