With the fun festivity in the air and all the opportunities for creative makeup and wardrobe choices, Halloween is the absolute perfect time to try out some unusual beauty looks. Take advantage of the season’s “anything goes” vibe and give these show-stopping ideas a try.

The Cat

Consider this look your introduction to Halloween-themed makeup, as it is both the most wearable and the easiest to achieve. Cat-eye liner application is classic, and is currently enjoying a huge resurgence, partly because it is so versatile. Depending on how you wear it, cat-eye liner can look dramatic or demure, professional or punk. The easiest way to get clean and symmetrical cat-eyes is to start with a black eye pencil. Start drawing at the inner corner of your eye, then right when the curve of your eye starts to slope downward, start drawing a curved line out toward the end of your eyebrow. The result should be a gently curving “wing” at the corner of your eye. Repeat with the other eye. Once you have the look you want, take a black liquid liner and trace along the line you drew. The liquid liner will give the line depth, saturation, and staying power.

The Punk

The past few seasons have seen a huge punk-goes-high-fashion influence, culminating with the punk-themed 2013 Met Gala. You can see the hand of punk in many of the huge trends-of-the-moment: pastel hair, studded clothes and accessories, unruly bed-head, and smudged, imperfectly black-lined eyes. Punk makeup usually falls into two formulas: intensely dark lips with a washed out face and dark brows, and deeply drawn dark-lined eyes paired with nude lips. We love the combo of a dark purple lip with a nearly nude face, or an extravagantly layered inky black eye with a pale pink matte on the lips. Don’t be afraid to get a little messy – this look isn’t about precision or rules.

The Ghoul

Now that we’re warmed up, it’s time to get into more adventurous territory. It’s one thing to look like a cute kitten or a hot iconoclast, but taking inspiration from a ghost is a whole different story. However, it’s not Halloween until things get a little scary! This look is all about turning beauty norms on their head: think ghostly pale skin, sunken eyes, and hollow cheekbones. First apply a generous amount of pale, full coverage foundation to your face, then set with a translucent pale pressed powder. Choose a dark purple or grey eye shadow to fill in your eyelids and the natural circles under your eyes, taking care not to dust your pale pallor with loose shadow. Finally, use a blush with blue undertones – the darker the better – to create wickedly deep contours under the apples of your cheeks. The result? A totally haute zombie.

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