If you’ve fallen victim to procrastination and have no idea what character you’ll be for Halloween, Camera Ready is here to save the day with some great Halloween SFX makeup ideas! We’ve compiled 10 of the easiest, most affordable (all below $25) Halloween makeup looks you can pull off in a pinch.
Shop these Halloween makeup looks below, and be sure to place orders before the shipping deadlines for guaranteed delivery.
Happy Halloween!
Top 10 Easy and Affordable Makeup Looks for Halloween:
- “Walking Dead” Zombie
- Wicked Witch of the West
- Glam Skeleton
- Pop Art Character
- Cruella De Vil
- Wednesday Addams
- Creepy Doll
- Old Lady
- Bloody Tears
- Queen Maleficent
Makeup & Photo: @hellojuliagraf
1) “WALKING DEAD” ZOMBIE HALLOWEEN MAKEUP Look
Cost: $23.49
You only need two products to create this popular zombie Halloween makeup look – a cream makeup color wheel and fake blood. We suggest the Narrative Cosmetics 6 Color Bruise Wheel and Ben Nye Dark Blood. The only other items you’ll need to complete this women’s or men’s Halloween makeup look are eyeliner and mascara, which you probably already have in your makeup bag.
Using a makeup sponge, Beautyblender, or your fingers, follow this zombie Halloween makeup look video tutorial for detailed instructions on creating a convincing zombie.
Makeup & Photo: @namglam
2) EASY WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST MAKEUP LOOK FOR HALLOWEEN
Cost: $24
Three products, plus a few staples already in your makeup bag, are all you need to create this iconic movie villain.
Start with Ben Nye Creme Color in Green and apply all over the face and neck. Use the same product in White to highlight the under eyes, forehead, and cheekbones, and use Black to contour and define the cheekbones.
To finish the look, pull out your favorite smoky eye palette, eyeliner and mascara to define your eyes. Use eyeliner to create small black dots all over the face, and a highlight to accentuate the cheekbones if desired.
Makeup & Photo: @briannafoxmakeup
3) GLAM SKELETON HALLOWEEN MAKEUP LOOK
Cost: $23.90
Skeletons are a go-to Halloween costume every year, but what about turning up the glam with this Halloween makeup look? Transform this classic, haunting look with voluminous hair and sultry smoky eye makeup for Halloween. With just three products for under $25 total, this easy makeup for Halloween will help you turn the expected into a head-turning creation. As a bonus, this SFX makeup idea is great as both a women’s or men’s Halloween makeup look.
To start, you’ll need Ben Nye's Creme Colors in Black and White as well as La Femme Blush Rouge in shade Magenta.
The first step in this look is to apply the base of your Halloween makeup as you normally would – moisturizer, concealer, foundation. Use the Ben Nye Creme Color in Black to draw your toothy grin and to outline sunken cheekbones. Mix with some of the Ben Nye Creme Color in White to fill and shade the sunken cheeks and to fill in the teeth you’ve outlined. Apply La Femme Magenta around the outer lines of the teeth and use a shadow brush to smudge and blend the color.
Once you’ve completed those steps, use an eyeshadow palette you already own to create an overly dramatic smoky eye makeup for Halloween and finish with heavy black eyeliner and mascara (which you are sure to already own!).
Get inspired with this step-by-step video tutorial, and create a Halloween makeup look that’s all your own.
Makeup & Photo: @trulymakeup_23
4) POP ART CHARACTER HALLOWEEN MAKEUP LOOK
Cost: $23.50
As one of the most Googled Halloween makeup tutorials, this is the perfect last-minute, easy face makeup for Halloween that requires very minimal products.
Use a black Halloween eyeliner you already have to line the lips, cupid’s bow, bridge of the nose, and cheekbones. You can even draw tears or other design elements that you’ll later fill in.
Apply the Ben Nye Creme Color in Yellow across the eyelid before emphasizing the lash lines with your favorite black liner – a go-to eye makeup for Halloween. Go across the lower lash line with the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk for a more dramatic eye makeup Halloween look, and then apply several coats of any black mascara.
Use the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk to apply small dots all over the face. Finish this amazing makeup for Halloween with a bright red lipstick, like Ben Nye's Classic Lip Color in True Red.
Pop art Halloween makeup is all about creativity, so ditch the tutorial this time around and express yourself however you choose!
Makeup & Photo: @nicoleguerriero
5) CRUELLA DE VIL MAKEUP LOOK FOR HALLOWEEN
Cost: $25
She’s over the top. She’s evil. She’s Cruella De Vil – the woman all Disney fans love to hate. The beauty of this Halloween makeup look is that you only need a few additional products than you already have to create this character: Ben Nye Sparklers Loose Glitter in Opal Ice and Ben Nye Character Wheel in Red White & Black.
We love this Halloween makeup for Cruella De Vil tutorial because it shows two different options: glam Cruella and zombie Cruella. Take away a few SFX makeup ideas and pointers and put your own twist on this iconic Disney villain.
Note: You can rock this makeup for Cruella De Vil without a costume, but you’ll probably want a wig to finish off the final Halloween makeup look. You can find one at most Halloween costume stores.
Makeup & Photo: @makeupbymaritsa
6) WEDNESDAY ADDAMS MAKEUP LOOK FOR HALLOWEEN
Cost: $23.85
“The Addams Family” captivated TV audiences in the 1960s before making its feature film debut in 1991. And even after all this time, the family’s fan base hasn’t wavered. Known for her signature pigtail braids and ghostly pale face, Wednesday Addams is a popular Halloween costume every year.
All you really need to recreate this Halloween makeup look is a contour palette, a great pinky-nude lip color, like NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in shade Stockholm, and, for a perfect Wednesday Addams Halloween eyeshadow look, La Femme Pressed Eyeshadow in White. You’ll also want black hair paint if you don’t already have dark hair. We recommend Mehron Liquid Makeup for Face, Body, and Hair.
There are tons of online Wednesday Addams Halloween makeup look tutorials you can watch, but the goal here is to create a very pale face with defined cheekbones and intense smoky eye makeup for Halloween. The black braided pigtails really make the look, so don’t forget that key element!
Makeup & Photo: @madokeki
7) CREEPY DOLL HALLOWEEN MAKEUP LOOK
Cost: $22.76
Nothing is more terrifying than the haunting face of a possessed doll in a horror film. Turn yourself into the object of nightmares in just a few quick steps with this easy face makeup for Halloween idea.
For this creepy doll Halloween makeup look, apply your base makeup as you normally would, then use an eyeshadow palette of your choice to create an overly exaggerated, smoky eye makeup for Halloween. Apply NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk along the lower lash line, making sure to draw the Halloween eyeliner out below the lash line to make the eyes appear larger. Use any black eyeliner to draw a fake lash line below the white you just applied. Finish the Halloween eye makeup with falsies - we love Ardell Studio Effects Wispies.
Draw vertical Halloween eyeliner lines in black from the corners of the mouth to the bottom of the chin, and then apply fake freckles around the nose and inner cheek area. Finish the lips with Jason Wu Beauty Honey Fluff Lip Cream in Perfect Bloom or another hot pink lip color.
The final step in this creepy doll Halloween makeup look is to create the appearance of really rosy, circular cheeks. Jason Wu Beauty's Honey Fluff Lip Cream is perfect because double as blush for the perfect doll look.
And there you go! Creepy doll makeup for Halloween that’s sure to spook. You could even use this SFX makeup idea to create your own matching men’s Halloween makeup look for a creepy couple costume.
Makeup & Photo: @elojodelasgrayas
8) OLD LADY MAKEUP LOOK FOR HALLOWEEN
Cost: $22
With this easy makeup look for Halloween, you can create the older version of yourself with just three products: Ben Nye Liquid Latex, Ben Nye Liquid Hair Color in Silver Grey, and Ben Nye Creme Character Base in Old Character.
To get started on this Halloween makeup, apply your foundation and concealer normally. Use a light brown eyeshadow to line the lower lash line and inner corner of the eye. Then apply liquid latex in places where you want the skin to have a wrinkly, sagging texture. You may have to use a popsicle stick or SFX spatula to move the latex around as it dries to create the exact old lady Halloween makeup look you want.
Create age spots around the face with Ben Nye's Character Base in Old Character. Then finish the makeup with a bright red lipstick. To complete your Halloween makeup look, apply Ben Nye Liquid Hair Color in Silver Grey.
Create a funny couples costume when you apply these SFX makeup ideas to your partner for a geriatric men’s Halloween makeup style he’ll be dying to try.
Makeup & Photo: @hailiebarber
9) BLOODY TEARS HALLOWEEN EYE MAKEUP
Cost: $26.50
This is probably the easiest Halloween makeup look to create. You only need one product: Kryolan Professional Make-Up Eye Blood in Red. Apply a full face of makeup however you desire. For a killer Halloween eyeshadow look, we love a sultry smoky eye. Complement the eyes with a dark lip color to turn up the drama. Finish the Halloween eye makeup with the Kryolan Eye Blood. You’ll want to apply it around the lower lash line and allow it to drip down your face while drying.
For a men’s Halloween makeup look with bloody tears, you can turn up the glam or skip the full face and opt for just the Eye Blood.
This easy makeup look for Halloween is so simple that no tutorials are needed!
Makeup & Photo: @promisetamang
10) QUEEN MALEFICENT HALLOWEEN MAKEUP LOOK
Cost: $18.50
This infamous Disney villain is one of the most Googled Halloween makeup tutorial. We did a step-by-step makeup tutorial for this simple Halloween makeup look. Check it out!
We used more than $25 worth of products for that specific tutorial, but you can achieve similar makeup for Halloween with just a great red lipstick like Ben Nye's Classic Lip Color in True Red and a sultry green eyeshadow like Ben Nye Eyeshadow Refill in Shamrock.
Don’t forget to tag us in your Halloween makeup creations on Instagram using the hashtag #CRCsfxmakeup. For more Halloween makeup looks or SFX makeup ideas like these, visit our blog!
About Camera Ready Cosmetics
Camera Ready Cosmetics was founded in 2003 by pro makeup artist Mary Erickson. An industry veteran for more than 30 years, Mary knows quality and value and understands what an artist needs.
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