Costumes and makeup have an important role in the Halloween tradition. Closer to the beginning of the Halloween tradition, people would dress up as various types of supernatural beings, such as vampires, ghosts, witches, and so on. Today, the tradition is more permissive, and costumes representing numerous other figures - with a predominance of celebrities, comic book characters, and fantasy-related persona.

But costumes are just one half of the equation. The second half, the one that adds flair and style to the finished costume is the makeup. There are thousands of creative makeup ideas for Halloween that can be done either at home or by a makeup artist. Here are a few makeup ideas that will definitely make you stand out in a crowd on your 2016 Halloween party.

Wicked witch makeup inspiration

Witches have been one of the main attractions of Halloween. Generally, for a complete witch makeup you’ll want to use a set of darker colours. Colours such as black, dark grey, dark green, and purple can make your witch makeup stand out (think of the musical, “Wicked”). Moreover, since it’s Halloween, you should try to aim for a more creative, and scarier look, rather than something generic.

Zombie walk parade

Zombie costumes and makeup have increased in popularity ever since the debut of the popular TV series known as The Walking Dead. Each year there are also large gatherings for `Zombie Walks` in many large cities. This year, the latest season of the show just aired, making it an even more popular choice for Halloween. For a more “realistic” approach to a zombie look, it’s worth looking to the likes of The Walking Dead for a little inspiration. A top tip from the professionals is to use liquid latex or gelatin to further improve the look of the wounds and cuts you’d expect to see on a zombie’s face. Don’t forget to stain your teeth for added effect!

Creepy Clown costume from the upcoming IT film

Not many things say “Halloween” better than a creepy clown, especially with the sudden resurgence of the self-proclaimed `Killer Clowns`. Ever since the news that Stephen King’s book, "IT", would be a new screen-adaptation in 2017, the craze of creepy killer clowns has seen a steady increase. Luckily, the whole idea of a clown is to be original, and add your own elements and creepy style. There’s no real boundary for the colours that you can use to create your clown face. Any combination of colours seems to work well. Once you’ve settled for a certain creative makeup idea, don’t forget to purchase a crazy-coloured wig to complete the look!

Joker and Harley Quinn costumes from comicon

Although comic books may not be as popular as we’d like them to be, in the past few years a great number of comic series have been reimagined into big-budget TV shows and blockbuster movies. People have been dressing up as an Avenger or the X-men for decades. Trying a popular makeup, like the new Joker or Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad may not be overly original, but it will definitely turn heads when done well! A great source of inspiration for this type of costume and makeup is the huge COMICON events that are held all over the world each year. At these events, you are likely to see the crème de la crème of super hero costumes.