HALLOWEEN

5 Last-Minute, Makeup-Only Halloween Costumes

No costume? No problem. Just check your feed and get creative with your cosmetics bag.


When it comes to Halloween costumes, many of us start with lofty expectations: dreaming up funny group schemes, emulating our favorite celebrities, and envisioning the usual camp horror standards. However, as the holiday creeps closer, life often gets in the way of our elaborate plans, and we have to rely on what’s already in our closet—or makeup bag. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Here, 5 costumes you can create solely with beauty products, inspired directly by your feed.

The breakout beauty catalyst of the year, HBO’s teen drama is rife with costume ideas for makeup enthusiasts and neophytes alike. The Halloween episode alone offers plenty of nods to our favorite cult classics, including Ms. 45, True Romance and Morocco. Score Rue’s glitter tears with the same shimmer pots used by the show’s makeup team and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, another Gen Z favorite.

Buy Now: Lemonhead Space Paste, Lemonhead Space Paste, Fenty Gloss Bomb

Like it or not, clowns are back big time: from Bill Skarsgård’s “hot” Pennywise to Joaquin Phoenix’s potentially award-worthy turn in Joker to TikTok teens’ inexplicable interest in all things Juggalo. Stick to matte finishes, long-wearing cream formulas, and a messy finger application courtesy of these picks from Marc Jacobs Beauty and Stila.

Buy Now: Stila Smudge Pot, Make Up For Ever Color White, Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon

Channel the sound bite that launched merchandise, an Ariana Grande cover, and over a billion social media views with Kardashian-worthy kontouring—and questionable vibrato. With Kim Kardashian West’s KKW Beauty joining her sister’s Kylie Cosmetics at ULTA this week, it’s easy to be Calabasas chic, even if you only have a few minutes to put something together.

Buy Now: KKW Beauty Crème Contour Kit, KKW Beauty Concealer Brush, Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit

The Hustlers scene-stealer may have skipped the shows this New York Fashion Week, but her appearance in Paris at the end of September provided ample sartorial inspiration. For those who can’t do head-to-toe Richard Quinn, painting flowers all over your face will have to do the trick. Go for French brands with a luxe primer from Dior and a Susanne Bartsch-inspired palette from Nars.

Buy Now: Dior Backstage Face and Body Primer, Artis Circle 1 Brush, Nars Queen of the Night Eyeshadow Palette

While plans to storm the classified facility failed, the memes—and Instagram beauty looks the movement spawned—live on. Whether with subtle celestial shimmer, full face makeup borrowed from alien queen Juno Birch, or vinyl xenomorph-inspired shadow, there are many ways to approach this past summer’s extraterrestrial obsession. Mothership palettes from Pat McGrath, Martian green pigments, and holographic highlighter are all out of this world.

Buy Now: Pat McGrath Mothership VI Palette: Midnight Sun, Haus Laboratories Liquid Shadow, Milk Makeup Holographic Stick