Susan Muramoto
When October starts creeping up, you know it’s time to bust out the special effects makeup, dust off your colorful eyeshadow palettes, and unleash your creativity—because Halloween costumes are calling. While some of us lean into simplicity by throwing on a pair of toy ears (I’m a mouse, duh!) and others go full glam with body paint and rhinestones, we all have one thing in common: We want long-wearing makeup that will stay put through our Halloween haunts.
These products, along with a few pro techniques, can make all the difference in giving the payoff and performance needed to last the night. To get you started, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best long-lasting Halloween makeup products (from liquid lipstick to setting spray) that’ll get you through an evening of party hopping or an onslaught of trick-or-treaters—plus fun inspo to spark new ideas for your Halloween look.
It's about glam time you treated yourself.
When this viral blush came on the scene (aka TikTok), it quickly became known that a little goes a very long way—making it perfect for Halloween. The weightless and long-lasting liquid formula is available in 13 shades and can easily be built up in intensity. Dab on a dot and buff out for a natural look, or layer up for bold pigment that lasts for up to 12 hours. Accidentally applied too much? Just add a touch of concealer on top and blend out to help tone things down.
Know what’s really spooky? Ruining your Halloween glam after the painstaking hours you’ve spent perfecting it. Protect your hard work by spritzing this superfine mist over your makeup look after setting powder. It’ll grip to your products and keep them locked in place through selfie sessions, haunted houses, and all the afterparties that beckon.
Planning a smoky eye? You’re going to want a kajal eyeliner pencil for that. The rich, creamy color glides onto lids thanks to a hydrating formula that easily can be easily blended to smoke and smudge out. It also makes an ideal base for powder eyeshadows to sit on top of, helping to increase their staying power on your skin. Bonus: This dreamy teal shade is giving serious mermaid core inspo.
When it comes to spooky season, contour is one of the makeup products we reach for the most. Whether you’re hollowing out your features for a classic skull costume or morphing into something (or someone) else entirely, contour has the power to bring your imagination to life. We especially love using this creamy sculpting stick, which melts into your skin without disrupting any of your base makeup. Tip: Follow your cream contour with a complementary powder contour shade to help set your makeup for the long haul.
Loving the idea of a skull makeup look? We’ve got an easy tutorial for you here.
Celebrity makeup artist and founder Danessa Myricks knows a thing or two about long-lasting makeup. Myricks’s own ColorFix pigments are designed for versatility (mix, match, or layer them), and with a waterproof finish, they won’t budge throughout the night. We particularly love that these liquid pigments are multi-use, making them especially suited for any face-paint freestyling you have planned. Perhaps some glittering butterfly wings? Mermaid scales? Space-chic freckles? Let your makeup ideas fly.
Another stellar choice for pigments that stay put. These matte eye paints from ABOUT-FACE, founded by singer-songwriter Halsey, have become a fan favorite for a reason. They’re super pigmented (what you see on the tube is what you get), are easy to work with, and there are tons of color options to choose from. Go all over the lid with pastel hue and pair with faux lashes for an easy ’60s look.
It’s no surprise that the creator of Euphoria-style glam (makeup artist and HALF MAGIC founder Donni Davy) makes the best gems on the market. These peel-and-stick stones are a Halloween must-have for anyone planning a sparkle-centric costume. Simply grab them with a pair of tweezers and place onto clean, dry skin for the best stick. No glue required!
The base of any epic Halloween makeup look starts with a great primer—like the Easy Blur Primer from HUDA BEAUTY. Before you get started with your complexion makeup, add a layer of this primer to help blur pores, nix shine, and extend the wear time of your makeup. It’ll make for a flawless application every time.
Waterproof formulas are the key to successful Halloween makeup, since they’ll need to stick and grip multiple layers of products, from liquid eyeliner to blush to glitter toppers. MAKE UP FOR EVER’s cult-favorite liquid foundation is the holy grail among makeup lovers for good reason. The medium-to-full-coverage formula is surprisingly lightweight, flexing and moving with your skin to create a photo-ready finish that never cakes and never transfers.
Glitter fans often point to LEMONHEAD’s iconic Spacepaste® formulas for easy, one-step glitter application (no mixing required) that’s so beautifully shimmery you’ll be tempted to wear it regularly—and maybe you should. Pack a silver or gold shade onto eyelids for a Studio 54 disco theme, tap an iridescent pink over cheeks to be an ethereal fairy, or add extra sparkle wherever you deem fit.
Not into the feel of faux lashes for Halloween? Hack the falsie effect with this buildable tubing mascara that coats lashes in water-resistant tubes that won’t clump, flake, or fade. Eye makeup removal can be the bane of any long-lasting makeup, but not in this case. Just a little warm water and a washcloth will help the tubes slide right off for less irritation to the sensitive skin of the eye area.
Makeup artists and Halloween enthusiasts flock to MEHRON MAKEUP for their pro beauty products that can withstand the wear of stage performances or long days on set. If you’re new to the world of stage makeup and don’t know where to begin, let this color palette be your entry point. Designed in tandem with celebrity and fashion makeup artist Laurel Charleston, the 12 vivid colors can be used on the face or as body paint, creating crisp lines with high-pigment payoff that won’t budge.
We can’t think of any item more essential to Halloween glam and everyday wear alike than a waterproof liquid eyeliner. Whether you’re creating a little kitten flick or full-on cat eye, this felt-tip pen from PÜR will make the process as fuss-free as possible. The ultra-fine tip hugs the lash line and allows for maximum precision, while the waterproof eyeliner formula ensures it won’t smudge.
Would any Halloween makeup list be complete without a next-level eyeshadow palette? IBY BEAUTY has packed their Ocean Awakening Eyeshadow Palette with a versatile mix of shades to accomplish any makeup ideas you have planned. The curated shades feature warm and cool tones with both matte and shimmer finishes. To help them last even longer and boost color payoff, try spritzing your eyeshadow brush with a little setting spray beforehand.
Transfer-proof, smudge-proof, Halloween treat–proof. Don’t let your lipstick get in the way of the best candy night of the year. Once KVD BEAUTY’s liquid lipstick is on, it’s on. The pigmented matte and metallic shades are super lightweight, so it’ll barely feel like it’s there while you go to town on candy corn and fun-sized candy bars. We’re partial to the vampy Queen of Poisons shade (topped with a high-shine lip gloss) for obvious Halloween-related reasons.
OK, this technically isn’t a makeup product, but we think a balm-based cleanser is so essential that it should be an exception for the list. You need a cleanser that can take it all off—shimmery bronzer, waterproof liquid eyeliners, and fake blood. ELEMIS’s beloved cleansing balm will help melt it all away with its tri-phase formula that transforms from balm to oil to milky cleanser. It helps keep excess rubbing to a minimum and leaves skin feeling hydrated, not stripped.
Have bold makeup ideas but need the right tools and tips? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started with your own IPSY beauty subscription. Already an IPSY member? Don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and TikTok @IPSY.
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