Halloween Styles: 18 Transformations for Your Easiest Costume Yet
5 looks that will guarantee you first prize in every costume contest of the evening.
Finding the perfect Halloween costume is no longer a matter of grabbing a pair of cat ears and drawing whiskers on your face with a spare eyeliner pencil. With the rise of detailed Instagram makeup tutorials and transformations, the pressure is really on to create something outrageous. As always, we’re here to assist in the Halloween hairstyles department of your costume. Each of these spooky transformations is creepier than the last and each includes an easy-to-create hairstyle to go with it. Looking for the perfect Halloween styles to match your costume? Read on:
Halloween Styles: 18 Fun Transformations
1. Zombie Bride
Complete your transformation into a beautiful (and slightly terrifying) zombie bride by styling your hair into soft curls. Use a 1 1/2 inch curling iron to create curls that start at ear-level and cascade down from there. Gather half your hair up into a half-updo and secure it with a couple of bobby pins. Spray your curls with Dove Style + Care Extra Hold Hairspray before pinning your veil in place.
2. Skeleton
Show off your skeleton makeup (the ultimate contour, if we do say so ourselves) by pulling your hair up into an updo. Tease the roots for extra volume and drama. Maintain all of the volume with some TRESemmé Ultra Fine Hair Spray.
3. Painted Mask
Face-framing waves are easy to create and complement a lot of different costumes. Follow the steps we just outlined above to create large curls and gently comb through them with a hairbrush to create a wave effect. Skip the hairspray so that they’ll fall into beautiful loose waves.
4. Ice Queen
Create an elegant low updo by pulling your hair into a low ponytail, teasing the hair and rolling it up into a bun. Follow our glitter roots tutorial for the top half of the style to add some major sparkle.
5. I’m a Mouse, Duh
Looking for the easiest yet effective Halloween style? Animal ears headbands! It’s the perfect way to add your costume without being required to put in any more effort (unless you want to!) On top of that, you can choose to style your hair up or down, it won’t effect the costume either way. Keep your hair down or put it in a slick top knot, either way you’re ready to go.
6. Corpse Bride
Order a long white wig online or find one in your local costume store. The key to making your wig look more realistic is by applying some dry shampoo into the roots to absorb oil and massaging the product in. Try Suave Moroccan Infusion Weightless Dry Shampoo as a lightweight option that won’t weigh the wig down.
7. Biker Chick
Creating a lazy top knot is likely a skill you mastered back in high school and now only pull out for lazy weekends. Pairing this well-worn and easy-to-create style with a pop of red lipstick and your favorite leather jacket turns the look from laid-back to edgy. Finish off with some skinny pants and stilettos, and you’ve got a flirty and cool biker chick costume that all of your friends will reference in years to come.
8. Hippie
Space buns have been making a dramatic comeback this year and this softer version is the bread and butter of any hippie Halloween costume. Coil your air-dried hair into two buns and utilize your natural texture by pulling a few loose strands out around your face. Round sunglasses and a neutral color on your lips, as well as some beaded necklaces, are the finishing touches. ✌
9. Skater Girl
Baseball cap? Check. Aviators? No problem. Now you just have to convince your little brother to let you borrow his skateboard. This skater girl costume is a no-brainer and is the best excuse to be comfortable this Halloween. Grab your favorite pair of jeans (or cutoffs, if it’s warm enough!), an old T-shirt, and a soft, overworn button-down shirt, because grungy is the key.
10. Barista
Want a real no-brainer? Then channel your inner caffeine addict and go as a barista this Halloween. All you need is an all-black outfit and a colored apron! Wash and condition your hair with Love Beauty and Planet Camellia Tea Water & Vitamin Shampoo and Suave Up The Volume Conditioner to give your hair an extra lift and some volume at your roots. Then, gather your air-dried hair up into a high ponytail. Some loose pieces around your face will soften the look.
11. Modern Princess
Nailing some princess-worthy braids is half the battle when it comes to this costume. Grab your sparkliest, most ethereal dress and spend 10 minutes this week learning how to create a split crown braid. By the time Halloween comes, you’ll be a pro and be raring to rock this style all year long.
12. ’80s Fitness Instructor
Channel your love for the 1980s with this fun retro hairstyle idea (admit it!). Dust off your crimper for this look that features a healthy amount of teasing to create big, bouncy ’80s hair. Complete it with your favorite high-cut leotard and a headband (and fishnet gloves… and chunky bracelets, and…) and you’ll be looking totally, radically ready for Halloween in no time.
13. Hippie, pt. 2
If you’ve been tie-dying all your clothes and wearing lots of mismatched prints in preparation for a ’70s hippie look, you’ll need the right Halloween hairstyle to match—which, in this case, is a simple center part (super on-trend, btw) with a few accent braids woven in. Work a little bit of messy texture through your hair with a wax like Bed Head by TIGI Manipulator Matte. To finish the style, create a regular three-strand braid on random half-inch sections of hair, securing at the ends with a tiny elastic. Get ready to get groovy!
14. Furry Friend
Whether you are going as cute cat, a fawn, or as the puppy dog Snapchat filte, you’ll need animal ears. If you have hair that’s medium-length or longer, you can easily make animal ears with your hair. Start by parting your hair down the middle and creating two half-pigtails, securing each with an elastic. Working one side at a time, tease hair slightly for some volume, then loop the ponytail inward to create a loop—it should resemble a bow, but pointier. Depending on what animal you are going for, you may want to make your buns bigger or smaller. Seal in your style with a strong hold hairspray like TRESemmé TRES Two Freeze Hold Hairspray. Need more guidance? Be sure to check out our cat ear tutorial to learn more about how you can create this look.
15. Vintage Bombshell
If you have finally found the perfect breton tee to complete your vintage costume, you’ll need the hair to really play the part. First, follow our beach waves tutorial to get loose waves. Once you’ve got that on lock, separate the top half of your hair and tease the section nearest the crown of your head. Pin in place and leave the rest of your hair down. Long piecey bangs really seal the deal of this look and are definitely worth taking the plunge for. Accessorize with some ’60s winged liner and even a beret worn off to one side.
16. Tennis Pro
To start, gather hair into a high ponytail and tie if off with an elastic. Next, split your ponytail in two sections, then begin twisting each section around the other till the ends. Secure the ends with another chubby hair tie, and voila, it’s game, set, match. Bonus points for a sweatband and actual athletic skills. #ZeroLove
17. Ballerina
As if you didn’t notice by now, top knots are probably the easiest of all Halloween hairstyles to D.I.Y. Start by brushing your hair into a high ponytail (the higher, the more legit). Next, coil your hair around the ponytail to create your ballerina bun and secure with a hair tie or pins. A sleeveless top or bodysuit, a tulle skirt, some opaque tights and, of course, lace-up shoes bring the look home.
18. Grecian Goddess
A braided bun can be a little tricky, but is undoubtedly beautiful once mastered. You can read a whole step-by-step of how to get this Grecian look by following this Greek bun tutorial. The basics involve using pin curls at the nape of your neck and keeping front sections of your hair out. Finish the style by braiding the front sections and layering over the pin curls. A laurel leaf or some floral accessories caps off the regal look.
