Easy Halloween Makeup Ideas: Quick Looks to Stay On-Trend

written by: Kerstin Lakits, 16.10.2025

Back then the Celts would drive away evil spirits, today we use the night of October 31st to haunt the streets ourselves. Halloween is the perfect opportunity to party with your friends or STUWO roommates – of course, dressed up for the occasion and wearing spooky Halloween makeup.

Are you still looking for inspiration for your Halloween look? No problem, you don’t have to be a professional to pull off some cool Halloween makeup. We will show you a few easy looks you can recreate in no time. So grab your mirror, your costume, and have fun getting spooky!

Table of Contents:

What You Really Need for Quick and Easy Halloween Makeup

Before you start getting creative with your makeup, you should prepare some basics. You don’t need expensive, professional products for every Halloween makeup look. With just a few basic essentials, you can turn any idea into a spooky Halloween look in no time.

  • Foundation (1-2 shades lighter than your own)
  • Concealer
  • Liquid eyeliner and pencil eyeliner
  • Eyeshadow in dark shades
  • Dark lipstick
  • And for that extra effect: fake blood, UV or neon makeup, face stickers, rhinestones, glitter, and metallic pigments.

Halloween Makeup Ideas: 6 Looks You Can Try Right Away

Halloween is the perfect time to experiment with makeup, and you don’t even have to spend hours in front of the mirror to pull it off. With the right tricks, you can create a complete Halloween look in just a few minutes that works as a costume on its own. Here are a few quick and effortless ideas you can try.

Baby Goth & Gothic Glam

With a smokey eye, white foundation, and bold eyeliner, you’ll instantly transform into a gothic icon. The look becomes even more striking when you get creative with your eyeliner. Think bat wings, spiderweb details, or a slightly smudged finish.

This is how: 

  • Smokey eyes in black or grey, combined with a bold eyeliner 
  • Bold contouring with black eyeshadow, especially along the cheeks and nose
  • Fake piercings, or add small pearls with lash glue
  • Coloured contact lenses in black, red, or white add an extra spooky touch
  • Finish it off with black or deep red lipstick

Outfit tip: Black clothing, plenty of silver accessories, flowing fabrics, and maybe even a corset complete the look perfectly.

Beginner version: Wednesday Addams – cool-toned eyeshadow and a light shadow under the eyes for a tired look, plus a pale blush. Of course, her two braids as her signature hairstyle shouldn’t be missing.

@xowiejonesdid trad goth makeup n i kind of love it 🖤♬ original sound - ART HOUSE

Glow under Blacklight

Blacklight makeup is the perfect eye-catcher for every Halloween party. As soon as the lights go out, you will be glowing in a truly spooky way. A particularly popular style is Purge-inspired makeup, based on the masks from “The Purge” films. It typically features neon lines that create a grinning, menacing face. You can enhance the effect with white eyeliner, making the lines stand out even more in the dark.

This is how:

  • Use neon UV colours to draw large crosses or “X” shapes over the eyes, making them look like they’ve been sewn shut.
  • Draw a continuous line from cheek to cheek across the mouth.
  • Add several vertical lines and crosses along this line to create the effect of a stitched mouth.
  • Trace the centre of the lines with white eyeliner to enhance the glow effect under blacklight.
  • Other options
    • Instead of the “Purge mask,” you can create a neon skeleton look.
    • Demon scars on the face and arms, inspired by the new trend film “Kpop Demon Hunters”, are also popular right now – find the inspo here. 

Tip: The look works best with black clothing or a black hoodie. This way, it appears as if only the glowing face is peeking through the darkness.

Autumn Reds, Pumpkin Spice & Natural Tones

Not every Halloween look has to be elaborate, sometimes a few autumn colours are enough to create a harmonious look. Warm reds, soft browns and a touch of orange instantly give off woodland witch vibes.

This is how:

  • Eyeshadow in natural shades: blend orange, rust red, brown or soft green across the eyelids. Optionally, you can also do a smokey eye for more depth.
  • Lips: matte natural shades or a subtle gloss.
  • Outfit idea: loose fitting fabrics in earthy shades, a scarecrow hat or autumn leaves tucked into your hair to emphasize the woodland witch character. 
  • If you like it a little more spooky you can use an eyeliner to draw stitches or small scars on your face, and add a bit of fake blood for a more dramatic finish.

A mystical autumn-inspired look as a woodland witch without any complex artworks and still perfect for Halloween.

Eyeliner Art & Graphic Lines

Halloween is the perfect time to repurpose your eyeliner and use it to create little artworks on your face. Instead of a classic cat eye, you can use black lines to add small, spooky details.

Ideas to recreate: 

  • Spiderweb in the corner of your eye: draw three fine lines from the outer corner of your eye outward and connect them with curved lines to create a web. You can also add a small spider under the eye, “descending” along a thin line.
  • Bat-wing eyeliner: Apply eyeliner like a normal wing, then extend it outward with small spikes so it resembles a bat wing. Fill in the shape with black eyeshadow for extra effect.
  • Dramatic veins: Draw thin, branching lines with eyeliner under the eyes or along the temples. Keep them irregular to mimic dark veins or cracks in the skin.

Be creative! From small details to full-on face art, anything is possible.

Tip: Use waterproof eyeliner, so your look survives every dance move and spooky selfie.

Monochrome Looks: Skull, Spooky Ghost, Vampire

Black and white makeup is ideal for quick and spooky Halloween looks. Whether you’re going for a skull, ghost, or vampire vibe – the contrast of black and white creates a striking effect.

  • Skull: Darken the area around your eyes, paint your nose black in a pointed shape, and draw vertical lines over your lips to create a stitched or skeletal mouth.
  • Ghost: Keep your face pale with dark shadows around the eyes and cheeks for an eerie, floating effect.
  • Vampire: Go for dark under-eyes, pale skin, and deep red or black lips for a dramatic, haunting look. Optional: Add a touch of fake blood at the mouth corners and wear red or yellow contacts for that intense, bloodthirsty look.

How to do it:

  • Apply dark eyeshadow or eyeliner around the eyes to add depth.
  • Use light foundation or powder to make your face appear pale and create contrast.
  • Colour your lips in black or deep red.
  • Add shadows, fine lines, or details under the eyes to intensify the spooky vibe.
  • Optional: Complete the look with black clothes, a cape, or gothic-style jewellery.
@alexxandra.makeup easy halloween SFX makeup hack with vaseline🩸IB: @Ane Marie #makeup #halloween #makeuphacks #makeuptransformation #halloweenmakeup @Vaseline @YSL Beauty @Armani beauty ♬ Brutus (Instrumental) - The Buttress

Scars, Scratches & Fake Blood

A true Halloween classic: bloody cuts, stitched wounds, or scarred faces are quick to create and always leave a creepy impression. This look works great on its own or as an add-on to almost any costume. Just let your creativity run wild!

How to do it:

  • Use red and black eyeshadow or eyeliner to draw scratches or gashes.
  • For more realistic wounds, start with an uneven red shape, darken the edges with black, and dab a bit of fake blood in the centre.
  • To add texture, use liquid latex or wax to make the skin look uneven.  This will make it look realistic.
  • Cuts along the cheeks, neck, or forehead look especially effective; smudge the edges slightly so they appear more natural.

Simple Halloween Makeup: Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you’ve got all the essentials, it’s time to get creative. With just a few simple steps, you can create an impressive Halloween look in no time.

Basic face prep & makeup base

Before you dive into the fun part, you have to prep your face properly:

  • Cleanse & Moisturize: Cleanse your face properly and apply moisturizer to avoid dry patches. Optional but recommended: use primer before putting on foundation to make it stay.
  • Foundation & Base: Use a foundation slightly lighter than your natural skin tone for that spooky, ghostly effect.
  • Set It: Finish with powder or setting spray to make sure your look stays in place all night.

Halloween eye makeup: Smokey, glitter & statement liner

Your eyes set the tone for your entire Halloween look. Whether you want to go mysterious, magical, or downright spooky. From smudged smokey eyes to glittery lids and bold liner art, here’s how to make your eye makeup the star of the night:

  • Smokey Eye: Blend dark eyeshadow generously across the lid, pull it outward, and lightly smudge it under the eye. Optionally, combine several shades for more depth.
  • Glitter: Dab glitter pigments or shimmery eyeshadow on the lid or in the inner corners of your eyes to make your look stand out even more.
  • Statement Liner: Get creative with your eyeliner! Designs like spiderwebs in the corners of your eyes, dramatic wings, or small symbols under the eye often look even more realistic when the lines are slightly smudged.

Lips: how small details make a big impact

The lips play a key role in any Halloween look because they can completely change or elevate your entire look. With the right colour you can instantly highlight a specific character:

  • Vampire look: Deep red or black – instantly adds drama and a spooky touch.
  • Witchy/Enchanted looks: Purple, metallic, or dark green – perfect for a mystical, playful vibe.

Tip: Use long-lasting lipstick to ensure it stays in place through a long night!

Quick extras: fake blood, face gems, UV & glow effects

Simple extras can make your makeup even more striking and unique:

  • Fake Blood: Drip or smear it on your lips, cheeks, neck, or even under your eyes to instantly create a spooky horror look.
  • Stickers, Rhinestones, Glitter & Small Accessories like Fake Piercings: Place them at the corners of your eyes or on your cheeks for glamorous, eye-catching highlights – perfect for glittery vampires, fairies, or Gothic-glam looks.
  • UV Colours or Neon Eyeliner: Draw lines, patterns, or highlights on your lids, cheeks, or lips. This look really pops under blacklight.
  • Scars/Wounds with Eyeshadow + Fake Blood: Use dark eyeshadow to draw small cracks, scratches, or stitched lines on your face, then dab on fake blood. Quick to do, but highly effective for a creepy effect.

Tip: Get creative! You can mix and match these steps to create your own unique Halloween look.

Conclusion: Quick and Easy Halloween Makeup

Even with little time, you can create an impressive Halloween look. The tips presented here – from the basic foundation and creative eyeliner to autumn shades and standout extras like fake blood, glitter, and UV colours – are meant to be just a small guide. What matters most in the end is your own creativity! Experiment, mix different ideas, or invent entirely new looks that fit your personal style. This way, you’ll create a unique, eye-catching Halloween look that’s sure to stand out.

For even more inspiration, check out Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or TikTok for Halloween makeup ideas. You’ll find countless looks you can recreate right away.

FAQ: Your Questions About Halloween Makeup Answered

Simple looks use only a few colours, like smokey eyes, under-eye accents, or bold lip shades. Stickers, rhinestones, or glitter can also be added quickly for extra effect.

Yes! Foundation creates an even base, enhances colours, and helps your Halloween makeup look polished.

Focus on key features: dramatic eyes, bold lips, and simple effects like fake blood, scars, or stickers. You can mix spooky and creative elements to match your costume.

Use a primer before foundation, set everything with powder, and finish with a setting spray. Also, avoid touching your face and use high-quality products like waterproof eyeliner and long-lasting lipstick.

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