When you think of group costumes, you likely gravitate toward TV shows, movies, comics, and bands where you and all your besties can recreate your favorite cliques. The only problem is that often leads to fighting over who gets to be who. Instead, why not take the very best characters from some of Halloween’s top entertainment for a group ensemble unlike any other? Ahead, we break down looks from The Craft, Harry Potter, Hocus Pocus, The Wizard of Oz, and Bewitched for what’s sure to be your best Halloween look yet.
The Craft Costume
You’ll need:
- plaid skirt
- cross earrings
- choker
- rosary necklace
- black short-hair wig
- black boots (thrift store)
- black cardigan (thrift store)
- white button-up shirt (thrift store)
- neutral brown eyeshadow
- black eyeshadow
- black eyeliner
- matte highlighter
- blood red matte lipstick
- brow pencil or pomade
- hair paste
Makeup + Hair Instructions:
1. Apply a deep neutral brown eyeshadow in the crease of your eyes and a deep black eyeshadow in the outside corners on the upper and lower lash line.
2. Line the brim of your eyes with black liner and use a smudge tip brush to create a smolder.
3. Swipe a matte highlighter across your cheekbones to make them pop without making the area sparkly.
4. Paint lips with a long-lasting blood red matte lipstick.
5. Embrace a bold ’90s brow using a pencil or pomade.
6. For your hair, fasten the wig (you may want to clip the edges in place with a few bobby pins). Finish your look by massaging hair paste into the wig for a little added texture.
Hermione Costume
You’ll need:
- cloak (thrift store)
- child’s tie (thrift store)
- gray V-neck sweater (thrift store)
- gray pleated skirt
- white button-up shirt (thrift store)
- stick wand
- neutral eyeshadow
- brown eyeliner
- matte mauve lipstick
- rosy blush
- brow mascara
- 1/4″ curling iron
- hairspray
Makeup + Hair Instructions:
1. Apply a neutral eyeshadow to your upper lids and rim them with a light brown eyeliner.
2. Paint your pout with a matte mauve lipstick.
3. Apply a rosy cream blush on your cheeks for a natural-looking flush.
4. Use a brow mascara to fluff up your arches for a natural, bold effect.
5. For your hair, use a 1/4″ curling iron to make tiny curls. Wrap your hair around the iron as if it were a wand. Start the curls a few inches down form your scalp and leave the ends out. Once you are done use your fingers to tousle your locks, and lock your look with a light hold hairspray.
Wicked Witch of the West Costume
You’ll need:
- black satin turtleneck (thrift store)
- black high-waisted skirt (thrift store)
- black witch’s hat (thrift store)
- ruby red slippers
- latex nose and chin
- spirit gum adhesive
- green face makeup
- makeup sponge
- deep green shimmer eyeshadow
- blue eyeshadow
- light green shimmer eyeshadow
- eggplant eyeliner
- purple shimmer eyeshadow
- mascara
- false lashes
- deep purple eyeshadow
- purple lipstick
- 1/4″ curling iron
- wide-tooth comb
Makeup + Hair Instructions:
1. Apply the latex nose and chin to your face using spirit gum adhesive.
2. To create your base, apply green face makeup, like Graftobian Prop Paint in Mantis Green ($13), all over your face, neck, and hands with a makeup sponge. It helps to get the sponge slightly damp to blend.
3. Contour your cheekbones, temples, sides of your nose, and jawline using a deep green shimmer eyeshadow.
4. Create a witchy glow with a light green shimmer eyeshadow along your cheekbones and bridge of your nose.
5. Apply a deep green shimmer eyeshadow into the crease of your eyes and a light green shimmer eyeshadow on your brow bones and inner corners. Next, line your upper and lower lash line with a deep eggplant eyeliner, making sure to smudge it slightly for a darker effect. Complete your statement eye with a pair of false eyelashes and a few swipes of mascara.
6. Go monochromatic with your lips and brows. Start with a deep purple eyeshadow to carve dramatically arched brows, and follow it up with a purple lipstick on your pout.
7. For your hair, use a 1/4″ curling iron to create random curls throughout. Once you’ve finished curling your hair, backcomb it using a wide-tooth comb. This will create a more voluminous look. You can pin pieces of your hair up to get a shorter style if your hair is long.
Hocus Pocus Costume
You’ll need:
- blue velvet dress (thrift store)
- sweater with gold trim (thrift store)
- green layer shirt (thrift store)
- bold beaded necklace (thrift store)
- bling earrings (thrift store)
- pale foundation
- rosy pink blush
- brown eyeshadow
- cream eyeshadow
- black eyeliner
- white eyeliner
- false eyelashes
- mascara
- reddish brown eyeshadow
- concealer
- white face paint
- burgundy lipstick
- 1/4″ curling iron
- bobby pins
Makeup + Hair Instructions:
1. Achieve Winifred Sanderson’s witchy good looks starting with a pale foundation — you want something a couple of shades lighter than your normal complexion.
2. Apply a rosy pink blush to the apples of your cheeks. Do not blend — the goal is to look dramatic.
3. Create her statement eye look using a deep brown eyeshadow in your creases, followed by a cream shadow on your brow bones. Line your eyes with black eyeliner on the upper lash line and slightly on the lower lash line. Next, apply a white liner on your lower water line. Throw on false lashes with a coat of mascara and use a reddish-brown shadow to fill in your brows.
4. It’s time to nail her buck-tooth smile. First use concealer to make your lips match your skin, and then apply the white teeth using a brush and white face paint on the center of your lower lip. Next, use black eyeliner to define the tooth line. Apply a deep burgundy lipstick around the white to make the puckered lips.
5. Use a 1/4″ curling iron to create ringlets in your hair. Use your fingers to tousle the curls and then pin your hair up in a heavy side part to match the silhouette of her style.
Bewitched Costume
You’ll need:
- floral dress (thrift store)
- pearl necklace (thrift store)
- white heels (thrift store)
- green headband
- matte foundation
- neutral blush
- neutral brown eyeshadow
- cream matte eyeshadow
- brown eyeliner
- mascara
- nude lipstick
- brown brow powder
- 2″ curling iron
Makeup + Hair Instructions:
1. Create an even base using your go-to foundation.
2. Next, apply neutral blush to the apples of your cheeks, sweeping it up toward your temples for a draped effect.
3. Blend a deep neutral brown into the crease of your eyes and a pop of cream matte shadow on your lids, brow bones, and inside corners of your eyes. Tight line your upper lash line with a deep brown liner and lightly line your lower lash line for a doe-eyed appeal. Apply a coat or two of mascara to your upper lashes and a light coat on your lower lashes.
4. Keep your lips and brows looking natural with a nude lipstick on your pout and light brown powder on your arches.
5. Use a 2″ curling iron to make waves in your hair. Curling towards your face, keep the ends of your hair in the iron to round them off for a retro look. Once the curls cool down, run your fingers gently through from your hairline back toward your crown to soften the look before putting on your headband.
all together now
Looking for more costume inspo? Head to our Halloween page.
Production, Wardrobe, Hair, and Makeup: Misty Spinney
Photography: Kurt Andre
Models: Lindsey Graham-Jones, Alyssa Asadoorian, Stephanie Brown, Natalie Yovino, and Brittany Griffin
Additional reporting by Rebecca Norris
