17 Easy Halloween Makeup Ideas Anyone Can Do at Home

Witching season is upon us, and with it, the spirit of Halloween. To prepare for October 31st, we’re tossing out our party outfits (thanks, COVID) and putting together makeup ideas that will help us channel the spooky season without having to go all out. Plus, an easy, DIY Halloween makeup look can be a costume all on its own, so it’s a no-brainer.

Whether you’re looking to turn into Harley Quinn or a spider, a creepy pumpkin or your favorite Euphoria star, we’ve got you covered. These easy Halloween makeup ideas are perfect for a spooky night in without having to shop for a whole new outfit.

Ahead, find 17 Halloween makeup ideas to inspire you this year.

1. Spider makeup:

Get out your favorite black liquid eyeliner, because we’re about to take it to town. For this look, you’ll need a steady hand, a little bit of patience, a little cream-based white makeup, and some black eyeshadow. First, do your face makeup as you usually would, then apply your black eyeshadow all over your lids and under your lash-line. Then, begin working on your creepy crawlers. Take your liquid eyeliner and draw on eight spider legs, starting from the lids and under-eyes. Once they’ve dried, use a black eyeshadow to create a bit of shadowing, and then wrap up with some white spots for definition.

2. Mermaid makeup:

Mermaids are everywhere right now, so it should come as no surprise that a mermaid look is at the top of our Halloween makeup list. To achieve this look, you’ll need fishnet stockings; a white cream-based eyeshadow; a cool-toned eyeshadow palette with pinks, blues, and purples; and white glitter. First, apply the white base wherever you want scales. Then, take the fishnet leggings and gently brush over the cool-toned eyeshadows to create mermaid scales. Once that’s done, take your glitter and gently press it into your makeup for a fabulous, shiny effect. Voilà!

3. Euphoria makeup:

Calling all Euphoria fans, this one’s for you. Take your favorite bold eyeshadow and apply it all over the lids. Then, use eyelash glue to apply rhinestones or fake pearls to outline the bold shade. Next, take your favorite metallic liquid eyeshadow and a thin eyeshadow brush to draw on the show’s iconic glitter tears. Just like that, you’re done.

4. Pennywise clown makeup:

Come out to play, children. This creepy Halloween makeup will ignite a handful of clown-tastic nightmares, but creating the look will be a dream. To recreate it, all you need is red, white, and black makeup. First, apply red eyeshadow over your lids and create an exaggerated cat-eye with black liquid eyeliner. Then, use a red lipstick to paint on your lips, the tip of your nose, and the lines going up the face and past the eyebrows.

5. Deer makeup:

This makeup look is as easy as one, two, three. Start off by dabbing white face paint around the eyes, cheekbones, and forehead, making sure to blend it out so it doesn’t look cakey. Then, take your favorite bronzer and heavily contour around your hairline and under the cheekbones. Then, outline the nose with a black or dark brown eyeliner, starting from your brows, and draw on the nose at the tip. From there, use a dark brown eyeshadow to blend out the nose and brows. To wrap it up, get your white face paint and draw on dots on your cheekbones and above your brows.

6. Pop art makeup:

A bold Halloween makeup has never been easier. For this look, use your cream-based makeup to draw on thick black lines that outline your strongest features: jawline, cheekbones, nose, lips, eyebrows, and eyes. Then, take your white color and draw on dots to create that pop art effect. You can add on details like tears and lashes if you want to be a little more extra.

7. Plastic surgery makeup:

All you need for this look is black liquid eyeliner—simply create arrows and dotted lines along your face. To elevate the look, first apply your face makeup, then create a red-hued eye look and swipe on your favorite red lipstick. If you want to DIY the bandages, in a pinch you can use some toilet paper to wrap around your head and neck.

8. Harley Quinn makeup:

Harley Quinn is arguably one of our favorite DC villains to channel, and her iconic look is so fun to recreate. To do so, use your favorite red and blue eyeshadows and create a smokey eye using one color per lid. For this exact look, take it a step further and draw on red and blue tears under each eye, topping the look off with bright red lipstick. Now, would you die for me, puddin’?

9. Creepy pumpkin makeup:

The pumpkin you carved is back for revenge. To create this spooky look, use a makeup sponge to dab white face paint all over your face to create the base. Then, use your black liquid eyeliner to create the outline of the teeth, cheekbones, nose, eyes, and pumpkin lines, then fill them in with black face paint. Once that’s done, take two orange eyeshadows and outline the black lines, starting with the boldest shade followed by the lightest, and blend them out.

10. The Mask makeup:

Yes, there is a lot of makeup involved, but that doesn’t mean it takes a lot of effort to recreate this look. To start, take a light green face paint and apply it all over your face, being sure to define the edges so the makeup looks clean. Then, use a darker shade to contour the jawline, nose, eyes, and cheekbones. To wrap it up, paint your lips a swampy green shade and draw on a sleek cat-eye to give your The Mask look a feminine touch.

11. Devilish cat-eye makeup:

If you’re more about the subtle details, add a devil’s tail to your winged liner to give it a Halloween spin. Now, all you need are some devil horns and you’re ready to go.

12. Instagram filter makeup:

At this point, most of us have played around with Instagram filters that give our faces little hearts, smiley faces, rainbows, and more. We love this simple look that you can easily achieve with your favorite liquid eyeliner and a standard smokey eye.

13. Skincare makeup:

Why use your eye patches for Halloween when you can draw on a creative one instead? To get this look, first outline the shape of your patches with a white eyeliner before filling it in. Then, draw fun designs on them with colorful eyeliners and eyeshadows. To top off the look, just throw a towel on your head and settle into your favorite fluffy robe.

14. The Purge Mask

Put your favorite contour and nude eyeshadow palettes to use for this eerie look. Outline your lips, eye sockets, cheekbones, nose, and eyebrows with the darker shades, and use the lighter ones to highlight and give the mask some 3D depth.

15. Cheshire cat makeup:

Take out your brightest eyeshadows for this fun, Disney-inspired Halloween look. First, apply your pink and purple shadows to your lids, under-eyes, and tip of your nose. Then, use a black liquid eyeliner to create an exaggerated cat-eye and lower lashes. Then, use black lipstick and black eyeliner to create the Cheshire cat’s iconic smile, leaving space to draw on the teeth with white Halloween makeup.

16. Low-key demon makeup:

The devil works in mysterious, and sometimes not-so-obvious ways. To achieve this subtle look, outline your black makeup with deep red and dark purple eyeshadow, blending them together for a more realistic effect, and then take a brown powder eyeshadow to draw on some subtle veins.

17. Glam scarecrow makeup:

Play with your orange and yellow shadows for this fun Halloween makeup look. Start by doing an ombré eyeshadow look, starting with yellow on the inner corners of your eyes and slowly transitioning into orange, then take your orange shadow and draw it on your nose, exaggerated smile line, and gently dab it on your cheeks, chin, and forehead. Finish up by using your black liquid eyeliner to outline the nose, draw on the stitches across the mouth, and add some subtle freckles.