Halloween make-up trends to try at home
Face gems can elevate your skull make-up. Make-up artist Mira Parmar says to opt for “futuristic metallics and pearlescent colours”.
From witches to coquette clowns – there are plenty of options when it comes to what make-up style to choose this Halloween.
The easy options of a cat or vampire, require no more than a liquid liner or a little fake blood.
This year however, there are some viral looks that are just as easy – for your 2025 Halloween make-up.
Celebrity make-up artists share their top picks of the trending looks to try this year.
Pop culture has a way of steering our costumes – just remember the Barbie-mania of 2023.
With Netflix’s back on screens this autumn, expect gothic-inspired glam to dominate.
“Matte skin, sharply defined eyeliner, dark berry or brown gothic lips and sculpted cheekbones contribute to that moody aesthetic,” says Cosmetify’s head of beauty, Franchesca Villar.
Celebrity make-up artist Bryony Blake also thinks this season will lean into old-school horror. “I think the Wednesday Addams’ make-up look is one of my favourites to recreate at home,” she says.
“Most of us will have a dark matte eye shadow lurking in the drawer somewhere, along with a black eyeliner. Then all you need is a slightly paler foundation than normal and a gorgeous brown lip.”
Few looks are as versatile as the witch – but it needn’t be boring.
“Witchy glam is super-easy to do at home, all you need is some black shadow, an eyeliner, red or berry lips and a bit of sparkle,” says celebrity make-up artist Mira Parmar.
For her, it’s an accessible way to embrace the moody and punkish trends seen on the runways this season. Parmar points at Elphaba or Glinda as sources of inspiration, with the second part of the cinematic release coming out in November.
Not all of 2025’s trends are inspired by the big screen. The bows, frills and ‘coquette-core’ of TikTok are also influencing our Halloween looks.
The ‘coquette clown’ is set to be the cool new take on the classic spooky clown this year. “The pastel-spooky aesthetic, sometimes called ‘pinkween’, still going strong,” says Villar. “Pink and candy-coloured decor is feeding into make-up trends.
To create the ‘coquette clown’, Boots’ senior beauty specialist Leanna Elisha Feryn says to “start by finding a flattering pink blush shade, in either a powder or liquid format, and build your look around that.
“Apply a flush across the bridge of your nose and cheeks, then blend up to your temples.
“Use a fine-tipped eyeliner pen to draw on the dainty painted details that will give your look some edge. Finish the look with fluttery false eyelashes for an enchanting doll-like eye.”
Metallics have also been spotted all over fashion week runways this season – from Roberto Cavalli’s ‘Gilded Age’ show to Louis Vuitton’s dazzling front row.
It’s unsurprising then that the trending Halloween looks have taken inspiration – and this year, it’s the skeleton.
For the base of the look, focus on shading in stages.
“Follow the lines of your cheekbones, temples, and jawline to create the hollows, and mark just like you would a contour,” advises Feryn.
“Instead, apply some highlighter on the high points for contrast – a formula with a little shimmer helps to catch the light and lift the look.”
To finish the look, face gems are an easy way to elevate the whole look. Parmar says to opt for “futuristic metallics and pearlescent colours”.
Studded around the eyes, on your cheekbones, and around your lips mimic the high points of your face, where a skeleton would ordinarily protrude.
App?
