11 Killer Skull Makeup Tutorials for Halloween

Skeleton costumes may be classic, but there are still so many ways to unleash your creativity. One way is by giving your skull makeup the glam—or grisly—glow-up it deserves. "Skulls are one of the true symbols of Halloween and they allow so much room for interpretation," says Eddie Duyos, Make Up For Ever Global Makeup Artist and Brand Educator. "Regardless of culture, the skull is a very prominent symbol and a great way to express individuality."

This Halloween, Duyos expects to see bolder, brighter, more blinged-out skull makeup. "I definitely think we’re going to see more neon and glitter-accented skulls," he says. "However, Halloween die-hards will always bring back the classic skull with a twist of horror to it—and who doesn't love that?"

We've collected the crème de la crème of how-tos to make sure this year's skull makeup receives a jaw-dropping reaction. Keep scrolling to see the 11 best YouTube tutorials.

Traditional Skull

If you're a skull-makeup rookie, Duyos suggests giving yourself plenty of time and practicing before the big day. "When planning to do your own Halloween makeup, it’s important to give yourself a practice run or two," he says. "That way, you won’t run into any mishaps last minute when you’re trying to make it to the party on time." Once you get the traditional skull makeup down, you'll be better equipped for more colorful and complex makeup looks. Liliana Toufiles created this easy, yet detailed, spooky tutorial.

Exposed Skull

For a unique take on the skull makeup look, try following this half-skull tutorial. Amy-Rose Walker shows you how to create the illusion of an exposed jaw. This look is especially good for people who love to put their eye makeup on display since it allows you to keep your shadow and liner intact.

Colorful Skull

Now's your chance to experiment with color. That might sound a little intimidating since black and gray shadows are pretty foolproof, but this tutorial from Katy makes it easy. What makes this look stand out is the glitter. The change in texture makes for an eye-catching costume at any Halloween celebration.

Neon Skull

If you're set on creating a showstopping skull look, you'll need to incorporate neon into your makeup. YouTuber Jarry the Worst makes the hues seem so vibrant that it looks like she's sitting beneath a blacklight. We can only imagine how amazing this will look on the dance floor.

Melting Skull

Okay, so this is admittedly quite advanced, but if you spend enough time practicing, you'll be able to master it come October 31. It's by the queen of YouTube beauty tutorials herself, Desi Perkins, so rest assured you're in great hands.

For detailed looks such as this, Duyos recommends paying close attention to your tools. "Pointed brushes, liner brushes, and detail brushes are key to building all the details you need for any skull or artistic look," he says. "Just remember, smaller brushes give you more control for placement, which is key when creating these types of looks."

Some of his favorite brushes are the Make Up For Ever #144 Precision Highlighter Brush, #212 Precision Smudger Brush, #216 Precision Blender Brush, #218 Medium Blender Brush, #258 Precision Eyeliner Brush, and the #252 Fine Eyeliner Brush.

Easy Skull

Even though this skull makeup from Brianna Fox looks super polished—with a deep red lip and smokey eye—the actual steps are easy, and you can likely achieve the whole look with products you already have in your makeup bag.

"If you’re a novice or just starting to master skull makeup, follow your natural bone structure," says Duyos. "Feel the bones under your skin and use them as the roadmap when creating your skull. Many people try to freestyle right from the start, and while sometimes success is achieved, for many it becomes difficult and the end result does not look like a skull."

Skull That Is Dripping With Glamour

We know, we know—anything from Nikkietutorials is going to be next level. While it may take several hours and lots of makeup remover to nail this look, we think it's totally worth it. We especially like the combination of traditionally scary details (like the cracks in the skull) with glitzy accents.

One expert tip from Duyos: Stock up on sponges! "Disposable sponges are key," he says. "You don’t want to use your best sponges when doing skull—or really any Halloween—makeup. The high pigment levels of the products tend to stain, so I recommend using sponges you can throw away at the end of the day."

Glossy, Glam Skull

By adding a dewy highlighter to all the exposed areas of her face, Chloe Morello takes simple, no-fuss skull makeup up a notch. She levels up the look to full-on chrome by adding touches of glitter to the high points of the face—and we love it.

Rainbow Skull

Bri Hall embraces the full spectrum of the rainbow in this colorful tutorial. If you're short on time or just don't feel like wearing a full face, try just the bottom half of this look. With this level of drama, a little goes a long way.

When it comes to high-impact, rich, pigmented color, Duyos is a huge fan of the Make Up For Ever Flash Color Case. "It is a total must have for any creative makeup look, especially Halloween makeup," he says. "You can create any look with the 12 cream colors in this case.

The Realistic Skull

If you're looking for simple—though not necessarily easy—we recommend this in-depth tutorial from Giulianna Maria. With intricate shading and lots of tiny details, this look requires attention and focus, but come party-time, you'll be compensated for your hard work with compliments.

Gold Sugar Skull

Melissa Alatorre offers a gilded take on the stunning and meaningful sugar skull makeup, an iconic element of Día De Los Muertos. Alatorre uses a mixing medium and loose pigment to create her 24 karat base, and as an added bonus, she even offers a tutorial for making a matching flower crown.

A product Duyos loves for looks like these is Make Up For Ever's Star Lit Diamond Powder. "It's an essential for any sparkly Halloween makeup look," he says. "The ultra-fine glitters are extremely blendable and can be applied to your eyes, face, hair and body."

Up Next: 17 Epic Halloween Makeup Tutorials (No Costume Necessary)

Read the original article on Byrdie.