The best Halloween makeup looks rely on a hefty dose of fantasy, and nothing fits that description quite like the mermaid. There’s a good chance you’ve wanted to be one—if only for a day—since you first saw Ariel flip her iconic red hair in The Little Mermaid. Halloween is your chance to actually emulate one outside of a pool. And whether you’re going for a look like Kylie Jenner’s above (that is, Halloween party at 8, drinks at 9) or something more intricate, we found the coolest makeup tutorials to try, as well as the products that will help you achieve them.
Many mermaid tutorials, such as this one from MonicaRoseMua, require the use of a pair of fishnet tights to help recreate a “fishscale” effect. It may seem strange, but once you see the reveal (skip to 3:08 in the video), you’ll see how cool it looks.
Grab a pair of tights to use for the makeup look.
The perfect palette of punchy pastels and mermaid-inspired tones.
Make your Halloween costume ocean-friendly with biodegradable glitter.
If you don’t want have fishnets (or just the idea of wearing them on your face makes you claustrophobic), consider this tutorial from Jennifer Chang, who uses a brow pencil to draw on scales instead.
The tiny pencil is great for faking brow hairs and drawing delicate details.
This black liquid lipstick will last until November.
If you’re spending hours on your makeup, you’ll want to set it.
This look is for the Little Mermaid purists. No scales needed, but Ariel’s signature red lip and those signature Disney Princess lashes are absolute musts.
This matte lipstick is still comfortable to wear.
Fluff up your brows and fill them in with this natural-looking pencil.
No flirty mermaid look would be complete without false lashes.
For an extra-sparkly take on the mermaid look, go for a major glitter eye and incorporate face gems like Kathlyn Celeste does.
This shadow crayon couldn’t be easier to use.
Tap on this glitter gel across your eyes, cheeks, and anywhere else you need.
A few well-placed crystals take a basic makeup look to the next level.
You’re not a regular mermaid, you’re a spooky mermaid. If your aesthetic veers more Pirates of the Caribbean than Little Mermaid, don’t miss this epic makeup look from Giulianna Maria.
This palette has every creamy color you need to create a spooky mermaid look—and then some.
Prevent glitter fallout with a primer specifically made for locking in glitter.
You’ll be using this rhinestone set for the next 25 Halloweens—but it costs less than $10.