Halloween is like a free creative license, providing an opportunity for everyone to transform into their favourite characters. While a full costume is most welcomed, you can also achieve impressive character portrayals through eye makeup alone. This is evident in various pop culture trends where powerful, iconic characters are encapsulated at the level of their eye makeup.
Renowned makeup artist Jo Baker demonstrates this concept, underscoring that the best seasonal beauty is more about glamour than about silly gimmicks. According to Baker, there’s no need to drench your face in theatrical green paint to achieve striking Halloween makeup. A few enhancements to everyday makeup can go a long way in creating a memorable holiday makeup look. Her suggestions include exaggerating everyday details such as extra lashes, and adding a little more contour and liner to intensify the look.
Furthermore, the upcoming premiere of ‘Wicked’ shows that green-face paint still has a place on the table. For a costume-ready look, makeup artist Neil Scibelli suggests best formulas and pigments with enduring power and depth are necessary. Scibelli also recommends a high-quality setting spray to make the eye look water-resistant for a long-lasting evening look.
Halloween eye makeup offers numerous possibilities. From Chappel Roan’s Renaissance gaze to Lady Gaga’s harlequin, here are 25 costume-worthy Halloween eye makeup ideas that demand major eye contact.
1. Crybaby Gems: Inspired by Lady Gaga’s Harley “Lee” Quinn character, teardrop gems applied to the face create a blend of Halloween-glam and fashion-forward vibes.
2. Emerald City: Channel your inner Elphaba from Wicked with a green-painted complexion and a dash of deeper emerald on your eyelids.
3. Roan Renaissance: Bold, adhesive gems, colorful metallic smokey eyes, and graphic eyeliners define Chappell Roan’s Renaissance look.
4. Celestial Lids: Maison Margiela’s spring couture show featured neo-1930s dolls with glass skin, thin brows, and celestial lids for an astral, midnight magic.
5. Funny Girl: Barbara Streisand’s Fanny Brice from 1968’s Funny Girl is defined by a prominent wing achieved by a liquid liner.
6. Frosty Dolly: Sabrina Carpenter’s soft, Old Hollywood meets dolly-styled look is defined by frosted eye makeup on the inner corners.
7. Greasy Gaze: Furiosa’s makeup characterized by a greasy, charcoal-colored full-face interpretation of raccoon eyes makes for a striking Halloween look.
8. Witchy Pastels: Witches twist the regular dark details often associated with them for pastels featured throughout The Love Witch.
9. Preppy Grunge: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot from The Royal Tennenbaums does sophisticated prep with a grunge twist with generous kohl liner.
10. Swan Noir: The black swan from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake’s Halloween look is defined by a graphic eye look using a medley of black and aquamarine shadow pencils.
11. Folie À Deux: Gaga’s harlequin-inspired makeup from the film offers a striking alternative. Blurred black eyeliner is all it takes to go full-on Lee Quinn.
12. Bella Brows: Highlight your eyes using Pat McGrath Labs products and bold, brushed brows as showcased by Bella Baxter.
13. Vampiric Brows: Aaliyah’s Queen Akasha from Queen of the Damned—showcases the power of a cat eye through brows extended to mirror the graphic shape.
14. Inky Tears: Doja Cat’s beauty look at this year’s Met Gala saw rivulets of black tears adorning her face for a noir glamour feel.
15. Ethereal Eyes: Nakia’s eye look from Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever can be achieved with the help of white liner for an ethereal look.
The other ideas include Wednesday Gaze, Diamond Lashes, Witch Grunge, Tortured Poet, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, 1960s Kitten, Double Liner, Blue Romance, among others. From cats to clay, Halloween makeup continues to be elevated beyond the usual to offer a potent visual effect.
