Halloween is the perfect excuse to play with some over the top makeup and styling! We love clown themes here at the ‘Cult and they’ve appeared in a myriad of forms in our shoots over the years. Today I’m highlighting some of my favorites to maybe help inspire your clowny vision this month!!!

The great thing about clown themes is that you can pretty much do whatever you want- cute and colorful? Dark and elegant? Creepy and strange? All easily achieved with some clever makeup and pulling accessories from your existing wardrobe.

Pretty Clown- Need something super quick for an office Halloween lunch? For the look above I used simple black and silver eyeshadows with large lashes and black eyeliner for the makeup. Finished with bright pink cheeks and black gems for a little sparkle. This clown style looks great paired with simple black and white clothing and accessories.

Kawaii Clown– Pastel colors, sparkle, bows, and more come together for this cute as heck clown style! For this makeup we went with bright neon eyeshadow, lots of sparkle, and heart shaped blush on the cheeks. Pair it with pastel clothing and a bow tie for a cute look. The ice cream hat in the photo above was made by attaching a shower pouf to a couple of solid hair clips!

Vintage Circus Clown- Faded circus posters from the 1940s were the inspiration behind this look! Messy hair decorated with tassels, beads, and baubles add to a faded effect. For her makeup I used water based colors (Kryolan aquacolors) in blue and white and yellow, I applied using a sponge for an imprecise and shabby feel. The crochet neck ruff in this photo is actually a large table doily pinned at the back of her neck!

Traditional Clown- The iconic clown style with a white face and colorful accents in primary shades! The smeared red lips LovelyLor created in this look really give it a creepy tone.

Gothic Clown- For this look Paige whited out her face and added dark lips and details, finished with bright contacts for an eerie effect. Monochromatic gothic looks make a great Pierrot base or a high fashion clown vibe.

Antique Clown- The circus performers of the past are a great source of inspiration for creepy clown costumes! For this look I started with a whitened face and added red and blue accents. Pair this look with messy hair and lots of textures to add to the antique feel.

Hopefully this clown-portfolio will get you excited to create your own take on this theme for Halloween!

-Taeden