With midterms and tons of assignments, it’s easy for college students to forget about Halloween. Pinterest may be full of original ideas, but come Halloween night, some people may still be left without a costume. For a last-minute costume idea, turn to the art of makeup.

Makeup easily elevates any Halloween costume. Whether it be some kind of animal or a more traditional and scary costume, adding makeup will certainly enhance any look.

Some costumes might allow makeup to be the main element of the look, such as a zombie or a comic book character. For these costumes, a simple outfit will allow the makeup to stand out.

There are plenty of makeup looks to enhance a costume or to stand alone as a costume itself. Below are just some of many makeup looks to use for Halloween that can be modified to work with any level of makeup expertise.

####Mermaid

To transform into this aquatic creature, stick to a cool color palette of blues, greens and purples. Combine the three colors on the eye for a smokey eye. Apply pearls or sequins around the eye for a glamorous effect. To enhance the look further, grab a pair of fishnet tights or socks. Lay the fishnets around the cheekbones and the sides of the forehead and layer on blue, green and purple eyeshadow over the fishnets. This will give the illusion of fish scales. Top off the look with iridescent shimmer powder.

####Zombie

For this creepy costume, fake blood is absolutely necessary. Use black eyeshadow around the eyes and to contour the face to appear as the living dead. Then add the blood around the mouth, neck or arms. For added effect, use colored contact lenses or apply “wounds” with more makeup and blood. Add blood and slashes to the costume as well to complete the look.

####Skeleton

For this classic Halloween look, a lot of black makeup will be needed. Start off by applying black eyeshadow in a large circular shape around both eyes. Apply black makeup under the cheekbones and on the temples to look hollowed out. Then add a black triangle on the bottom of the nose. To finish, draw a horizontal black line across the mouth and short, vertical lines to imitate teeth. This look can also be customized by adding different colors or gemstones.

####Vampire

This look is incredibly easy: the only necessity is fake teeth. Use simple makeup with an easy smokey eye, or to be more daring, try a bold red lip and dark eyeshadow. To actually look like a vampire, use fake teeth and apply fake blood at the corners of the mouth to complete the costume.

With these Halloween makeup looks, finding a last minute costume is easy. These looks require only a simple outfit for a easy and fashionable Halloween night.

_Edited by Claire Colby |ccolby@themaneater.com_