These Halloween Makeup Ideas Will Take Your Costume from ‘Meh’ to ‘OMFG’

You can spend hundreds of dollars on an elaborate Halloween costume, but the best beauty bloggers and Instagramers know that it is really all about the makeup. When it comes to pulling off an authentic look (be it spooky are sweet), your face really needs to be on point — it’s the first thing everybody will notice, after all. Great makeup truly puts the cherry on top of a perfect costume.

If you’ve got a drawer (or closet) full of face paint and colorful hues you’ve been saving for a special occasion, it’s time to pull the trigger. Some of our favorite DIY makeup looks include zombie pinups, creepy clowns and even a beautiful Beetlejuice this year.

Scary, spooky and downright disturbing makeup takes some real talent. Here’s the best of the best we’ve seen on Instagram. (And we threw in a few tame makeup creations to balance things out.)

Originally published October 2015. Updated September 2017.