7 Truly Gorgeous Día de los Muertos Makeup Ideas
The best tutorials, all in one place.


October 31 is upon us, which means it's nearly time to celebrate Día de los Muertos. But know what it's not time to do? Culturally appropriate calavera—AKA sugar skull—makeup, or paint your face like "La Calavera Catrina" as a super-cool Halloween "costume."
Because, as a reminder we shouldn't have to issue, Halloween and the Day of the Dead are not the same thing, or even remotely similar. And if you can't easily explain why, you're probably best off finding different Halloween makeup this year, of which there are approximately a trillion options that won't demean the history of an entire group of people.
But for everyone else, we've got you covered with the brightest, most colorful, and decidedly gorgeous Día De Los Muertos makeup tutorials, ahead, so you can celebrate the holiday—and your ancestors—in style.
1. This Subtle Gold and Silver Style
2. This Blue and Orange-Hued Style
3. This Glittery Rose Style
4. This Jewel-Encrusted Style
5. This Smokey, Monochromatic Style
6. This Violet-Cast Style
7. This Classic Matte Style
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Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.
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