All Hallows' Eve is on its way, and I'm sure your social feeds are already filled to the brim with costume inspiration. While you may take into consideration concepts like the best memes of 2017 or intricate group efforts to organize among your squad, it’s the scary Halloween costume ideas this 24-hour masquerade was made for. Believe me, I’m all for a punny couple’s get-up and emulating pop culture icons from the past, but spooky never goes out of style, and I can’t be the only one that appreciates the genre.
Don’t get me wrong, I totally modeled Disney princess dresses (not to mention one seriously permed wig to complete my Snow White ensemble one year), Dorothy’s red shoes, a cheerleader’s skirt, and a bright pink bunny suit through the years. But when I wasn't opting for cutesy costumes, I liked exploring the spooky side of dressing up: a dark enchantress, Hermione Granger (the Harry Potter series had some scary scenes, OK?), a skeleton, and, my personal favorite, the original Harley Quinn circa DC comics.
Honestly, what I really love is how creative Halloween as a holiday has become. It's not just a bunch of black witch hats and white sheets running around the neighborhood begging for candy anymore. These days, Halloween is bursting with expression, clever word play, and costumes honoring some of the greatest actresses, musicians, and politicians of our time. But I will forever have a soft spot for the ghoulish groupies walking around in horrific garb, spooking loved ones and strangers, and role-playing in the way the Halloween gods intended us to.
Have I successfully convinced you to come over to the spooky side? Check out these seven scary Halloween costume ideas and try them on for size because, let's be honest, everyone's got a dark side. This Halloween, let 'er out!
Just so you know, ladies, Pennywise isn't just a role for boys to play. @Chrisspymakeup's interpretation of every child's worst nightmare is creepy, but kind of chic, too.
If you thought Stephen King's circus clown couldn't be sexy, think again. To get the look, all you'll need is a deep-red lipstick, black eyeliner, and a to-die-for smoky eye as far as face makeup is concerned. A fiery wig will complete the ensemble.
If you thought Pennywise had a monopoly over nightmares, allow me to introduce you to my friend Freddy Krueger.
What's great about YouTuber Madeyewlook's tutorial is that she uses only drugstore makeup products, so it shouldn't be too hard to copy with items from your own collection. Plus, rather than make this a talk-through tutorial, she opted for on-screen descriptions, so you can pause and reference as needed.
The thing about Carrie, at least by my interpretation, is that this poor girl's just trying to live her teenage life while getting a hold on her freakish telekinetic powers, all while simultaneously having to deal with her basketcase mother, but she's the one who gets a bad rap? Not cool — but I digress.
Regardless, Stephen King's bloodied-up prom queen is definitely one for the books, and it's also a pretty easy costume to put together.
Head over to your nearest consignment shop or Forever 21 and scope out the cheapest formal dress you can find. Trash it with red paint, and streak your face with red lipstick for dramatic effect. Head to your BFF's party, or just sulk around the streets scaring the pants off little children.
This costume from YouTuber Roxxasaurus is creepy AF, sure, but if you've ever seen The Purge, you'll understand just how terrifying the entire concept of an American government-issued purge really is.
You can either buy a white mask and decorate accordingly, or get super artistic with costume paint and cosmetics.
Bonus: You'll most likely be able to throw this outfit together using what you have in your closet, so there's no need to splurge on this costume.
Even if you're unfamiliar with The Shining, chances are you've seen the iconically creepy twin girls splattered with blood at some point or another.
The Grady twins made horror movie history when the film debuted in 1980, and they continue to reign as a Halloween costume classic. You can get a similar blue babydoll dress on Amazon, and all you'll need to add is red paint.
The confused reaction that Lindsay Lohan's Mean Girls character Cady had to everyone dressing in short skirts and lingerie for Halloween is basically me every single year when All Hallows' Eve rolls back around.
Despite the fact that she stuck out like a sore thumb, this "ex-wife" costume is the epitome of sheer brilliance. Maybe you'll get lucky and your mom will gladly hand over her own wedding dress for the night, but I wouldn't hold your breath on that. Your best bet is to buy an adult bride costume and do your makeup as close to corpse-like as possible.
Suicide Squad is so 2016, so push aside your sexy Harley Quinn hot pants and fishnets. I'm looking for ladies to redeem Quinn's creepy persona this season.
I'm loving this bloodshot, gory face makeup from YouTuber beeisforbeeauty. The tutorial is only five minutes long, and even though it's speedy, it definitely gets the point across.
You don't even need a joker on your arm to complete the look. This Quinn is a queen all her own.
