The best stores for Halloween makeup ideas

A professional makeup application is guaranteed to be a hit, and this brand’s long-wear products have catered to the theatrical set since 1984. Basically, they’re perfect for Halloween diehards who need staying power. Schedule your ghoul transformation, which will boost your Instagram popularity without making you go broke. The artists here can create any style you want, whether that’s a devil, cat or evil queen.

This Sex and the City designer’s boutique goes all-out during the spookiest time of year to ensure you nab a totally unique, high-fashion ensemble that Carrie Bradshaw would approve of. The staff will outfit you in costumes such as skeleton bodysuits and colorful wigs, which you can pay to have styled at the shop’s on-site salon. But if you want to go over-the-top like Ms. Field, her makeup artists will give you an immaculate, airbrushed full-face makeover to match your runway-ready costume.

Actress Stephanie March and makeup artist Rebecca Perkins of Law & Order: SVU fame teamed up to open a one-stop makeup salon. With Perkins’ background in F/X makeup, it’s a no-brainer that the brand can help you achieve your bloodiest Halloween looks. There are two locations—Soho and Midtown East—but if you’ve got on a cumbersome costume, they also do house calls starting at $175.

Planning a more glamorous costume? You’re in luck, because resident makeup artist Monika Crouch specializes in glitzy makeovers. The artists recommend glamorous looks such as Cinderella and Jem and the Holograms—heavily embellished with sparkles and Madame Madeline lashes. But if you want to go all-out, the studio’s stylists will work your mane into any style.

MAC artists like bringing their own artistic vision and inspiration to each creation, so this is the perfect place to go if your costume requires extra artistic flair. And, of course, the brand is all about a wide range of colors and highly pigmented products, which means you can go bold—in a good way. Choose between revamping your entire face or highlighting one feature for a bold accent.

Not trying to spend too much? Peer into any one of Ricky’s bazillion (okay, there are actually 20) Halloween pop-ups, and you’ll find so much budget-friendly polyester bounty, including sexy, er, everything. If you’re looking to jazz up your ’do, however, you’ll want to stop by Ricky’s partner salon Manic Panic.

In 2005, Michael Angelo opened this whimsical space—decked out with glittery floors and Barbie-doll decorations—as an alternative to stuffy high-end salons. Ladies and gents alike can make appointments to get Halloween makeup that skews toward the glam side of freaky. Using long-lasting products from MAC and Kryolan, Angelo knows how to make your ideal Halloween creature come to life.

Although it’s dubbed a spa in NYC, this airy studio specializes in just two things: eyebrow sculpting and makeup applications using owner Ramy Gafni’s eponymous cosmetics line. Those looking for shock factor should request treatments like realistic wounds and scars or horror makeup if you’re going for a zombie or fantasy character. If your costume is more glam than ghoulish, you’ll also be taken care of.

Find all your Halloween basics at this New York mainstay. The chain’s Gothic Renaissance location on Fourth Avenue may be the most iconic, but all locations have a plethora of costumes both family-friendly and not-so-much. In the makeup department, find everything from simple 10-buck bloody wounds to full-on prosthetic transformations.

This Los Angeles–based company is known for its global color cosmetics. While not geared toward spooky Halloween looks, the Union Square shop offers high-end makeup that can put the finishing touch on any outfit. The highlight, however, is the customer service: Beauty professionals can help recommend looks from any of the various bars. Check the Shadow Bar for a smoky eye look or the Lip Bar to bring a rosy hue to those lips.