How can brands use the “Americans post daily Halloween makeup looks” trend?

Day-numbered spooky look series with one hero palette. Open on a bare face: 'Day 1 of 31, and every look uses this one palette.' Format: Daily numbered transformation reels with the hack and shades listed on screen.

Sep 22: social data not in yet

Q: What are people saying about “Americans post daily Halloween makeup looks”?

The mood is awe. Viewers gasp at how real the looks are, then ask for the palette, the contacts or the tutorial, and request the next character.

Americans post daily Halloween makeup looks. Millions watched centipede, skull and Coraline faces from Sep 30; Google 'halloween makeup' is up 200%

352.5Msocial views↑ 104%

2.2Kcreators↑ 22%

+200%Google search growth

The spike

Social got to it first: views peaked on Oct 2; Google searches followed on Oct 10.Verified: the top posts on the social peak day were hand-checked and are about this trend.

Social views each day

Google searches each day · “halloween makeup”

Why it’s trending

Halloween lets people become someone else for a month, and show off the skill and nerve it takes.

AweViewers gasp at how real the looks are, then ask for the palette, the contacts or the tutorial, and request the next character.

What’s happening

From Sep 30, makeup fans started posting a new Halloween look every day, numbered as a series. Hacks like stamping a centipede with a phone charger and characters like Coraline's Other Mother pull millions of views. Google searches for halloween makeup are up 200%.

What content is working

#1𝓛𝓪 𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓪🧿♉︎570.9K38915.7M playsOct 3Skull makeup lookCreator shows a skull makeup look; caption says you can't go wrong with skull makeup.Why it works: Instantly recognizable look anyone can try.#2Breyonna360.3K3968.2M playsOct 4Phone charger centipede stampA young woman invites you to try a centipede look, then stamps black eyeliner on her face with a phone charger to make body segments, and adds antennae and legs.Why it works: A cheap household hack makes a scary look feel doable.#3La China 🫶🏼422.8K4405.5MOct 2Easy skull in minutesShe starts with bold black around the eyes, outlines the eye sockets with a black makeup stick, then draws fine details with a thin liner.Why it works: Skulls are instantly recognisable and look good fast.#4Waleska⭐️62.4K2134.3M playsOct 7Doll makeup transformationDoll makeup look; caption says she couldn't breathe out of it, listing palettes and white liner used.Why it works: Dramatic transformation with product list to copy.#5Amber-Nicole76.5K1.7K1.9M playsOct 3Daphne Blake redhead seriesKicking off 31 Days of Halloween makeup looks as favorite redhead characters, starting with Daphne Blake.Why it works: Nostalgic character theme and clear series hook.#6SVALABBeauty142.2K9662.2MOct 7Day-numbered series lookShe asks if she looks pretty while painting thick bright blue streaks under her eyes like crying, naming each product used and the day, 2 of 15.Why it works: Numbered days make followers come back for the next one.#7Sophie Hannah110.3K2841.3MOct 5Monster High Minion mashupRecreates a Monster High x minion makeup look inspired by another creator, listing products used.Why it works: Funny mashup plus creator inspiration chain.#8Abby Wren156.1K1231.2M playsOct 5Alopecia body paintOn screen text reads 'when you feel someone staring at you...' as the artist paints her head purple into a one-eyed alien, day 83 of a 365 painting series.Why it works: A personal story behind the paint makes it more than a costume.#9Paloma Hendersonn230.5K1.2K1.1MOct 6Movie character transformationA dramatic movie line opens the clip, then she puts black buttons over her eyes and paints a skeletal doll face to become Coraline's Other Mother.Why it works: Fans love seeing a favourite character done perfectly.

Trending hashtags

The tags people used most on posts about this trend, ranked by number of posts. Generic tags like #fyp and #viral are left out.

#halloweenmakeup 3,758 posts
#halloween 1,328 posts
#makeup 935 posts
#31daysofhalloween 390 posts
#sfxmakeup 377 posts
#halloweenmakeupideas 422 posts
#spookyseason 306 posts
#creativemakeup 370 posts
#makeuptutorial 420 posts
#halloweencostume 388 posts

Sentiment

Posts50% positive · 45% neutral · 4% negative

Comments53% positive · 30% neutral · 17% negative

Automatic sentiment labels across 5,740 posts and 400 comments.

The other side · what’s negative

Some grumbling

Some complaints are that clown and face paint is hard to scrub off, and some viewers feel the eyeliner looks are beyond their skill.

The negative videos

#1Natalie James11.2K1113M playsOct 6Showing how painful it is to remove heavy Halloween makeup.A young woman tries to wipe off stubborn clown face paint after a Halloween event, frustrated, then scrubs it off with remover on a cotton pad.How it’s made: Clown face paint won't come off: frustrated wiping opens it, then remover on a cotton pad scrubs it away.

What brands should do

Don't hide the clean-up. Make easy removal part of the fun: show the look, the wipe-off and the fresh face, and give beginners a simple first look.

What people are saying in comments

😮

Insane how 3D they look!!

Awe

😮

HOW CLEAN CAN A TRANSITION BE? WHAT THE

Awe

💬

Wait I need to try this omg! Game changer

Hype

💬

I fear i need a Christina masterclass

Envy

💬

Whats wild to me is that it doesnt matter how creepy or gorey your Halloween looks are - youre still STUNNING!

Delight

💬

Omfg I need to recreate this

Hype

💬

Help Im redoing beetlejuice makeup I did 2 years ago today :)

Nostalgia

💬

So I tried this look tonight (finally got my Athena palette !!) first time ever doing this type of makeup !

Pride

💬

Omg, loving this series and you look so happy doing it too which makes me love it even more

Wholesome

💬

I look forward to these all year long!

Anticipation

💬

Please do Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens

Begging

💬

Whats our next look

Anticipation

💬

good lord i actually got scared

Spooked

💬

Love this we need more Halloween looks you look stunning!

Hype

💬

I feel the same , because why wouldnt you paint yourself blue ?!??

Solidarity

💬

Looks great but I cant even do eyeliner well

Intimidated

💬

It sucks that your eyes got swollen to get this look tho!!

Worry

🙄

I put some red lip color on for a bday party& I swear it took me 30 minutes to get that crap off my lips

Annoyed

💬

Why this face looks cracked, lips are not mostly black and no dark eyeliner?

Nitpicky

The content strategy we observed

Quick, doable face tricks and numbered character looks win: each video shows one clear transformation, built from cheap tools or a favourite film character.

Opening hook

Videos open on a challenge or a line: 'Would you wear it?' for the centipede, 'do I look pretty?' for the blue tears, a movie quote for the Other Mother.#1 #3 #5

Storytelling

Each is one clear transformation. The centipede is stamped segment by segment with a charger; the skull is outlined, then detailed; the doll face is built over black buttons.#1 #2 #5

Format & length

All are makeup-only close-ups on one face, shown step by step. Series looks name the products and the day count, like 2 of 15 and day 83 of 365.#3 #4

Tone & voice

Playful and dramatic, a little spooky. Two creators add personal meaning: one paints her alopecia into an alien, another lip-syncs 'Mad Hatter' lines.#4 #5

Timing

The top videos went up between Oct 2 and Oct 7: all 9 before Google searches peaked on Oct 10. Social views peaked on Oct 2.#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9

If you make one video

Post one cheap-trick Halloween look with a challenge opener, number it 'day 1', and show the steps and shades on screen.

What can brands do?

Best fit: Makeup

Day-numbered spooky look series with one hero palette

“Open on a bare face: 'Day 1 of 31, and every look uses this one palette.'”

Format: Daily numbered transformation reels with the hack and shades listed on screen
Platform: TikTok and Instagram Reels
Who posts: Makeup artists and creators, plus fans who recreate the looks
Caption: Day 1 of 31. Which character should I be tomorrow? Comment below. 🎃
When to post: Through Oct 31, peak the week before Halloween
Watch out: Use only skin-safe face paint; check licensed characters before selling a look.

MakeupSkin CareHair CarePersonal CareHousehold Care

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