Sometimes, it's the Halloween makeup that really takes a costume from pretty good to winning-first-prize-in-the-office-competition amazing. And with tens of thousands (or perhaps even more) of Oct. 31-specific tutorials to watch on YouTube, there's no lacking in inspiration for all types of costumes and all levels of makeup skill these days. In fact, the 11 most-watched Halloween tutorials of all time serve up a surprisingly representative sampling of the types of how-tos you'll find on the site.
Everyone from total makeup newbies to special effects masters can find something to suit their skill sets in this list of spooky tutorials. There's everything from hyper-specific pop culture references (even years after they came out, Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas characters appear to remain popular costumes) to more general roundups of traditionally creepy things, like vampires and a demon with pulled up skin. Whether you're working with a simple eyeshadow palette, a little bit of fake blood, or full-on prosthetic noses, you'll be able to recreate at least one of the looks on this list and find the one that'll be perfect for any sort of trick or treating you plan to do this year.
1
Coraline's Other Mother Makeup Tutorial
The movie Coraline might have come out in 2009, but her Other Mother still makes for a great, spooky costume. This tutorial by Dope2111 has 13.8 million views, and is a super-simple walkthrough for how to get that button-eyed look.
2
Top 5 Easy Halloween Makeup Tutorial Compilation
Coming in at No. 10 with 14.2 million views is a roundup of easy Halloween makeup looks from the DIY company Troom Troom. In the 10-minute video, you get a little bit of everything: a full Pennywise look, some cat-inspired lip art, and even a tutorial for making it look like you "got in a fight with a porcupine, or were a victim of a witch hunt." Yeah. You gotta watch this one.
3
Giant Monster Mouth HALLOWEEN SFX Makeup Tutorial
Ophélie of Simple Symphony is a special effects makeup artist whose videos are eerily soothing to watch. With 15.9 million views, her giant monster mouth tutorial is certainly not for beginners, but it is fantastic.
4
Vampire Makeup Tutorial ♥
If you like a tutorial that stays spooky throughout the whole video, this vampire step-by-step with 16.7 million views is for you. Ominous music plays in the background as Chelsea Crockett walks you through this look that can be done almost entirely with products you likely already have at home.
5
DEMON - Pulled Up Skin Halloween Makeup Tutorial
YouTube darling NikkieTutorials comes in at No. 7 with this tutorial that has 17.1 million views. As far as SFX makeup goes, this one's actually pretty simple: You don't have to glue any prosthetics to your face, and the results are fantastic.
6
Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas) Make-up Tutorial
Dope2111 makes the list again with her quick and easy Sally tutorial, which has 19.2 million views. The eyeball effect is super simple, but really puts this one over the top.
7
THE CONJURING 2 VALAK MAKEUP TUTORIAL!
With 21.4 million views, no. 5 is spooky as heck, and offers some great tips for hiding your eyebrows and applying a prosthetic nose to really transform into this demon from The Conjuring.
8
Alien Halloween Makeup Tutorial | Xenomorph Inspired
Another prosthetic moment! Believe it or not, that gruesome mouth starts with cut-up makeup pads and acrylic nails. This tutorial (47.7 million views!!) is great for anyone not afraid of spending a bit of extra time to get a truly terrifying final effect.
9
DIY Halloween Costumes Out of Candy! 15 DIY Projects for Halloween!
The third most-watched video, with 49.2 million views, is a bit of a twist on your classic tutorial: It's a combination of makeup, nail art, and costume how-tos — all done with or inspired by Halloween candy.
10
Emily (Corpse Bride) Halloween Tutorial
In the No. 3 spot with 60.7 million views, it's our pal Dope2111 with a tutorial for yet another movie-inspired look! This time, we get Emily from The Corpse Bride.
11
'INSIDE OUT' Makeup Tutorial (Disgust,Sadness,Joy,Anger & Fear)
Who else but Dope2111 would hold the title for Most Viewed Halloween Makeup Tutorial Of All Time? For this one, which has a whopping 206 million views, she enlists her friends and family to model makeup looks inspired by the five major characters from Inside Out.
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