10 On-Screen Makeup Looks Perfect for Halloween (and the Exact Products to Recreate Them)
Beauty
TSS Talent
Nirvana Jalalvand
‘Tis the season of makeup creativity, so we’ve revisited some of our favorite creepy, spooky and vampy makeup moments from TV and film.
If ever there’s a time of year to get creative with makeup, it’s spooky season, and the world of TV and film is chock-full of iconic beauty looks that are ripe for recreating. From classic Disney villains like Maleficent and Cruella de Vil and comic book icons Catwoman and Harley Quinn, some characters’ beauty looks have been go-tos for costume parties for decades. Then, there are newer — but by no means less impactful — looks, from "Scream Queens" ringleader Chanel Oberlin to Elphaba and Glinda from "Wicked."
Thankfully, the creators behind these looks have been eager to share their secrets and the exact makeup products they used on set to create these memorable characters. Ahead, we’ve revisited some of the spookiest on-screen looks and Halloween-worthy beauty moments – plus the exact products behind them – for your Halloween inspiration pleasure.
Elphaba and Glinda
Every day of filming, Cynthia Erivo would be airbrushed with a custom blend of green makeup, which makeup designer Frances Hannon developed with manufacturer David Stoneman, to become Elphaba – a process that reportedly took hours. To set around the eyes and nose, her makeup artist Alice Jones applied a custom mix of MAC Forbidden Forest and What's The Wifi eyeshadows. For Elphaba’s natural-looking, contoured eye makeup, Jones applied What's The Wifi then added definition using green shades from the limited-edition Morphe x Ashley Strong palette (which means, you can only find it on resale sites). Then, along the waterlines, she smudged in Rimmel London Smoked Emerald Kajal and finished with Ardell's 3D Faux Mink MultiDimensional Individuals.
For Ariana Grande's Glinda, Hannon relied on the star's r.e.m. makeup line to design a look as resplendent and iridescent as her gowns. A key product included the brand's Interstellar Highlighter Topper in Miss Mercury, which Grande always applied to the tip of her nose as a final touch before leaving the makeup trailer, according to Hannon. As for the rest of the look, Grande said on Instagram that "there's no thick eyeliner, there's no heavy crease, it's just really warm and open and pretty [on the eyes]. The lashes are in a cat shape, which still gives you the cat eye lift that I usually love but it's also a more honest interpretation of what you look like."
Wednesday Addams
Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams is a character with a clear signature look, but there’s one scene in season two that flips the script: the “Enid makeover.” Her makeup artist Nirvana Jalalvand told us she always used Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfect Foundation, plus MAC Lip Pencil in Nightmoth for Wednesday’s signature vampy lip. She also confirmed that Wednesday's signature moody eye makeup is a mixture of MAC's Glitch in the Matrix, Embark, and Carbon. But for the more colorful look, bold blues from the Nyx Professional Makeup Color Palette and Beauty Bay Midnight Palette gave her that brighter, Enid vibe.
Harley Quinn
Layered over Smashbox Photo Finish Primer to give it longevity, the pale, matte base behind Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn’s signature ghostly pallor is Nars Soft Matte Complete Foundation, “Suicide Squad” make-up lead Heba Thórisdottír confirmed to Allure. Meanwhile, two burgundy eyeshadows — from Viseart and SUQQU palettes — adorned Robbie’s lids. The most interesting detail? Her lip color isn’t a lip product at all. Rather, Thórisdottír used black eyeliner from Smashbox, mixed with a little lip balm, for better staying power.
Cruella de Vil
On Emma Stone’s Cruella, makeup designer Nadia Stacey told Allure she created the smudgy, smoky eyes using MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder, an almost-black gray. For the contrasting red lips, Stacey switched between MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo and Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in London Calling, depending on the scene (London Calling is no longer available, but the shade Rock With You has a similar vibe). Interestingly, the base — Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation (now discontinued) — started as three shades lighter than Stone’s complexion when Estella first becomes Cruella, but warms up to match her natural complexion as she settles into her alter-ego.
Black Swan
We’re not saying that Natalie Portman’s big, sweeping swan-winged eye makeup completely stole the show in “Black Swan,” but for us it was definitely a highlight of the film. Makeup designer Judy Chin broke down the exact products behind it with the Los Angeles Times: Kryolan Aquacolor in red, MAC Chromaline in Black, then feathery strokes of MAC Eyeshadow Pigment mixed with Ben Nye makeup sealer. As for the lips, Chin lined these with MAC Vino Lip Pencil with MAC lipstick in the shade Dubonnet.
Catwoman
For Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman in 2022’s “The Batman,” makeup artist Stacy Wodu predominantly used MAC and Pat McGrath Labs (McGrath designed Selina Kyle’s makeup look for the movie). As confirmed by Wodu in an Instagram video, Kravitz’s eyes were ringed with Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Brown, topped with Pat’s Astral Solace Shadow from the Mothership VI: Midnight Sun Palette and MAC Reflects in Pearl and Gold Glitter. Finally, the cascading glitter tears were down to MAC’s silver glitter, while the skinny wing was Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Waterproof Creme Color liner.
Stranger Things's Max Mayfield
A particularly creepy look in “Stranger Things” season four is Max’s white-eyed trances. To give Sadie Sink’s skin a ghostly, drained-of-all-life look, makeup head Amy L. Forsythe told Buzzfeed applied generous amounts of the Dr Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment to the entire face. Another go-to product in the fourth season? Forsythe confirmed to On Makeup that a lot of Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist was used to give the characters’ skin the ethereal shine when in the upside down.
Maleficent
Look at Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent and surely the first thing that jumps out is her killer cheekbones. As reported by Allure, this chiselled look was created by special effects makeup artist Rick Baker through cleverly-placed prosthetics. Then, Maleficent’s striking, glossy red lips are a combination of MAC Russian Red lipstick and Lipglass in Clear. (For an easier at-home alternative to prosthetics, MAC makeup artist Regan Rabanal recommended Studio Fix Sculpt & Shape Contour Palette, Pro Longwear Concealer, and Powder Blush in Blunt to sculpt those cheekbones.)
Scream Queens
An excellent glamour-meets-horror mashup, “Screen Queens.” In the very first episode, we see Emma Roberts’ Chanel Oberlin applying MAC Lipstick in her signature pink shade, Hot Gossip (a Barbie-pink hue that is sadly discontinued). Makeup artist Eryn Krueger Mekash also revealed in an Allure interview that she used Stila Convertible Color Cream Blush on Roberts’ cheeks to continue that “pretty” aesthetic, plus pale pink highlighter under her eyes and on her cheekbones.
