9 Fun Halloween Makeup Looks to Inspire Your Costume

No costume? No problem.

Believe it or not, Halloween is just around the corner, and if you’re anything like us, you’re already brainstorming costumes—and coordinating makeup looks—that will shock and awe. If you don’t have a costume idea yet, no sweat. The truth is a well-executed Halloween makeup look can replace a costume by itself. Read on for a roundup of some low-effort Halloween makeup looks that you'll want to replicate this year.

Pop Art

To really nail the pop art look, stick to a color palette of white, black, and hues of pink and red. After applying foundation and concealer, Jen Hunter, in-house makeup artist at Lush, suggests adding depth to the eyes with a traditional graphic, flicked-out wing liner. Choose a warm lipstick, like Luban Lipstick Refill from Lush ($14) and apply to both your lips and cheeks—keeping things monochromatic here is key. Use your eyeliner to carve out lines on the face and add dots across the face in either white or red, depending on your personal preference. Be sure to set your fancy handwork and add some fluttery fake lashes to pull it all together.

Wednesday Addams

Wednesday Addams is a classic, of course, but the character’s poised for a major Halloween comeback thanks to the newest Tim Burton iteration on Netflix. To recreate, makeup artist Dani Parkes suggests starting with a light layer of foundation, perhaps a shade or two lighter than your natural color, followed by carving out the cheekbones using a cool-toned contour stick. To create those signature hollow, dark under eyes, pat on a light dusting of a matte brown shadow and add a touch of black as needed. Pack on the mascara before applying the perfect crushed-cherry red lip—Parkes suggests Almay Lipstick in shade “Get Crazy” ($8).

Fairy

For a more ethereal halloween look, go for a flirty fairy vibe like this one. Pat a pastel shimmer shadow onto the inner two-thirds of the eye and lightly dust along the center of the lips. Add some gemmed wings (you can make your own or grab a pair on Amazon), and keep your base super light and glowy.

KISS

Go rock and roll this Halloween with a KISS-inspired makeup look. And while it’s important to emulate the inspiration, don’t be afraid to make it your own—we’re particularly fond of the glitter addition. To recreate, use NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean ($6) and top with E.L.F’s Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Bling Bling ($6). Then, go in with white stage makeup to create the ghostly canvas—we like UCANBE Goth White Cream to Powder Foundation ($8).

Chucky

Staying on the scarier side of things, this Chucky look is the perfect (slightly terrifying) way to show off your makeup skills. Use face and body paints to create the bloody eye effect—this one from Mehron Makeup should keep you covered ($35). Pair with a striped tee and overalls to complete the look.

Mother Earth

Try a more editorial take on Halloween with this dreamy Mother Earth makeup. Keep the base fairly simple and matte to really let the rest of the look speak for itself. To recreate the eyes, pack the shade Deadbolt from Melt Cosmetics Blueprint Eyeshadow Palette ($48) across the lid and blend out the edges with the shade Dim-Out, focusing on the outer third of the eye. Add a dark bold lip and some fake leaves around the eyes and in the hair for a tousled, earthy feel.

Marie Antoinette

While our inspiration went all out with the bejeweled lips and pink-hued brows, you can nail the Marie Antoinette look from home in just four easy steps, says Parkes. Start with a very pale foundation—you can even opt for a white face makeup base if you prefer. Next, create her beauty mark using a matte brown eyeliner, before adding her signature flush by packing on a bright pink blush like Patrick Ta’s Major Headlines Double-Take Duo in She’s a Doll ($36). Finish with a bold red lip, and let them eat cake.

Skeleton

A skeleton might not feel like the most original Halloween costume, but it can be seriously leveled up with some killer makeup. Hunt suggests starting with an ultra-light concealer or white face makeup before adding in cool-toned contours to give skin a sunken appearance—concentrate on the hollows of the cheeks and around the forehead and only blend out slightly. Using a jet-black eyeliner, like Lush Independent Eyeliner ($18), and what Hunter calls a “get-in-there” brush (think super precise), add in detail around the lips, eyes, and nose to create ridges and definition. Be sure to set your hard work with a long-wearing matte powder.

Cupid

Why limit the love to Valentine’s Day? This rosy look is super cute—and surprisingly easy to recreate. Simply dip the back of a makeup brush in some red liquid shadow—we suggest using About-Face Matte Fluid Eye Paint in Scream of Consciousness ($16)—and create sets of two dots just above the crease. Then, use an extra fine detail brush like 250 Extra Fine Eyeliner Brush from Makeup For Ever ($18) to shape each set into a heart, before applying a red-colored blush and some mascara. Top with an eye and lip gloss like Danessa Myricks Colorfix in Clear ($20).

For more Real Simple news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Real Simple.