The Halloween Makeup Creators We Can’t Stop Watching
Halloween is under two weeks away. If your costume plan still amounts to ‘something with fake blood or vampire teeth’, you’re not alone. You’re also in luck, because some makeup and SFX creators have been planning theirs since August.
These are the influencers we can’t stop watching this spooky season. One has turned herself into a toe. Another gave herself a skull face with the help of a dinner spoon. Collectively, they’re the reason our Halloween plans keep getting more ambitious or — in the case of the latter — a little bit easier.
Hit follow now and your feed’s sorted until 31 October. Possibly beyond.
Annie Thomas (@creative.cliche on Instagram)
Annie lives and breathes character makeup. Creative and SFX looks aren’t just for Halloween on her feed — she’s at it all year round. Frankly, most of them aren’t easy to replicate, but we could happily watch her work all day. She’s bang up to date with her cultural references (we love her take on Backrooms) and just as happy to go left field: think a Greek statue or Jason Momoa. If we were skilled enough to recreate any of them this year, it would have to be her Barbie. Yes, it’s been done a million times, but hers hits different.
Ruthie (@makeuppbyruthie on Instagram)
It’s hard to think about Halloween makeup without thinking of Ruthie. Her TikTok bio reads “I could probably turn myself into anything if I tried hard enough”, and we believe it. She’s been Lord Farquaad, Freddy Krueger, the Lipstick-Face Demon, a pizza, and a toe. She’s even been her own husband. So, if you’re looking for a content creator who constantly surprises you on the makeup front, she’s your girl.
Shazney (@sclbeauty on Instagram)
Shazney’s feeds are wall-to-wall character and SFX makeup, from the Mad Hatter and Jigsaw to the super-freaky Nun from the film of the same name. She has over 100k followers across Instagram and TikTok, but how she isn’t past the million mark yet is a mystery to us. Just be sure to scroll with the lights on. Some of these are not ones to watch before bed.
Katie Farhood (@katiefarhood on Instagram)
Katie’s history with makeup goes right back to her teen years, when she did the special effects for her high school drama department. These days, hers is one of the first accounts we check every October. Last year she gave us the Cheshire Cat, a dragon, the Cat in the Hat, and Captain Jack Sparrow. Her Mother Gothel from Tangled reportedly took about nine hours — she’s that dedicated to the craft. This year’s looks are just as good. Our favourite so far? Venom.
Shania Parris (@shania_parris on Instagram)
Shania won series six of BBC’s Glow Up in 2024, and she trained in prosthetics before that. So fake wounds and SFX makeup are well within her comfort zone. She covers looks from don’t-go-there levels of complicated to easy enough for most of us mortals to pull off. Her Jennifer’s Body look this year has us obsessed. Speaking of obsessions, her Nikki from Obsession is another favourite.
Evelina Silova (@evelinasilova_makeup on Instagram)
In seasons past, Evelina did a new Halloween makeup look every single day of October for her #31daysofdevelina series. Ambitious, right?! Well, although she pulled it off (perfectly, we should add), she’s parked the challenge for now. Luckily, each October she still serves up a good amount of spooky inspo, so don’t hesitate to hit that follow button.
Monika Klinaviciute (@monika_mua on Instagram)
Monika’s Halloween creations are built for ease and speed — our two favourite words when it comes to dressing our faces for 31 October. We’re talking a clown done mostly with mascara, cuts created using regular kitchen foil, and a skull drawn with the help of a dinner spoon. If our chosen look goes badly wrong this year, our fallback is her devil eye mask. It’s surprisingly sexy for something that takes minutes.
Leilani Green (@leilanigreen on Instagram)
Not everyone wants to spend Halloween as a toe, so Leilani is your go-to when you want to keep things cute. Her bare-face-to-full-glam transitions are what earned her millions of followers, and this month she’s putting that same polish into her costumes. Think less fake blood, more flawless base. She recently posted her take on Jessica Rabbit, and the high-gloss red lip alone is worth a look.
Valeriya Eros (@valeriya.eros on Instagram)
Valeriya colours well outside the lines. Don’t expect the same old looks doing the rounds on your FYP: there’s no Pennywise the clown, sexy devil, or Stephen King’s Carrie to be found here. We’re talking about the unexpected — a disturbing anglerfish, a demonic Teletubby, an anime character, and Chester Cheetah. She’s so good you’ll be scrolling back through years of Halloweens past just to get another fix.
Maryna Molchanova (@molchanova.mua on Instagram)
When it comes to transformations, Maryna is a master. The best thing about her? You don’t have to wait until October for Halloween-worthy looks, because her creations drop all year round. There’s something for everyone, too. One minute she’s a beautiful fairy, the next she’s, well, Gollum. She recently did a leopard-vampire crossover, and it’s a great option if you want to be on theme but cute at the same time.
Theresa Spencer
Theresa is so talented you’d think she’d honed her craft in Hollywood studios, but she’s entirely self-taught. Her TikTok is packed with looks guaranteed to give you the creeps, so picking just one is pretty much impossible. Edward Scissorhands and the Babadook are right up there, and her Cruella de Vil would make even the Dalmatians nervous.