When Halloween rolls around, many women flock to their local Halloween stores to spend money on cosmetics for their costumes. You may be surprised to know that this is entirely unnecessary. Whether you intend to be glamorous or downright scary this Halloween, chances are, what you need for your costume makeup may already be in your cosmetic bag or at your favorite makeup store.

Foundations and Concealers

Take a look in your makeup bag and see how many different shades of foundation and concealer you have. Contour kits are also perfect for Halloween makeup, as they contain various shades, some of which can be used for your costume.

Foundations that are lighter than your current skin tone will make you appear more pale, which allow for different costume variations. Think porcelain doll, vampire, or even pale-skinned beauties like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Darker foundations can be used to manipulate your skin tone if you need a darker complexion for your costume. For example, if you intend to dress up like Cleopatra but are naturally pale, a darker foundation can be used to give you the look of a bronzed goddess.

Lip Liners, Brow Liners, and Eye Liners

Liners will come in handy during your Halloween preparations. Because they have fine points, liners are perfect for drawing in beautiful cat eyes, intricately detailed “tattoos,” and even for creating wounds and scars if you’re going the scary route. With the right blending techniques, you can turn your eye liners, lip liners, and brow liners into fabulous tools to get you looking spooky or beautiful in no time!

Eyeshadows and Rouge

Because there are typically several different shades in each palette, eyeshadows and blush are perfect additions to your Halloween makeup routine. Bruises, scars, and wounds can all be created with different shades of eyeshadow or blush. You can even mix your powders with petroleum jelly to create cream shades that are even more versatile. This is especially useful for darker shades, like black, that may double as a lip color!

Colorful costumes will also benefit from the eyeshadows that you have available, as they can make your face just as colorful as the rest of your attire.

Skin Cosmetics

If you have shimmering body lotion or sparkling creams, you may be able to implement these into your Halloween makeup, depending on the look you’re going for. Enchanted princesses or feminine wizards may benefit from these types of skin cosmetics.

Nail Polish

To complete your Halloween makeup routine, you’ll want to paint or touch-up those nails! No matter what you’re going as, a beautiful manicure will complete your outfit. For example, a Cleopatra costume would look phenomenal with a shiny gold nail polish, whereas a darker costume, such as a witch, might look best with black or green.

No matter what you’re dressing up as this year, there is no reason for you to spend a fortune on specialty products. What you need to make yourself over is likely in your makeup box or at your local makeup store.

*Feature Image Credit: ThreadsBeautyBar