October 31st is on the horizon and, uh, we still don't have a costume. Here's some celebrity Halloween costume ideas to get you started...
Trick or treating and Halloween parties may be off the cards this year (damn pandemic), but I’m predicting a rise in Zoom Halloween parties, so you may still get your time in the (virtual) spotlight. Now, you could just poke two holes in a bed sheet this year and call it a day. Or you could really step up your Halloween game this year and look to our favourite A-listers for some next level Halloween costume ideas.
Most of us will normally just grab a Primark onesie or slap some fake blood on a standard fancy dress costume, but some celebrities go above and beyond and I for one think we should all live our life as fully as Heidi Klum does.
Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes Ever
When Cindy Crawford stepped out as Marilyn Monroe on The Tonight Show in 1996, she raised the bar for celebrity Halloween costumes forever. Fas forward a few years and we have Bella Hadid and The Weeknd went hard as the nostalgic Beetlejuice and Lydia, while Lupita Nyong’o stole the show as Dionne from Clueless. It goes without saying that Heidi Klum is the master of disguise, committing hours to Fiona from Shrek, Old Heidi Klum, Jessica Rabbit and wrangling up an entire posse of ladies to transform into Heidi clones.
For 2019, Kim Kardashian won at everything by recreating Elle Wood’s Harvard University admissions video, though Jessica Biel as husband Justin Timberlake was a close second.
Funny Celebrity Halloween Costumes
There’s a few celebrities who have gone above and beyond to tickle our funny bones, with creative Halloween costumes that are a spin on the regular sexy-anything. Adele, donning facial prosthetics as The Mask, and Fergie as a child pageant star tread the line between nightmarish and comedic. Colton Haynes is iconic as Miss Piggy, while Katy Perry went all out as a fiery red hot cheetoh.
We’ve put together a whole list of A-list Halloween looks below, but if you need a dash more inspiration then check out our favourite Halloween make up ideas and Halloween make up tutorials.
Pinterest Halloween
If you find yourself still stuck for inspiration, then how about turning to the biggest ideas generators in the world? Pinterest sees a surge of desperate trick or treaters every October and this year, they’ve put together their biggest predictions of what the most popular Halloween costumes are going to be.
Most Popular Halloween Costumes 2020 (according to Pinterest)
While we wait for the final list of 2020 trends, which may or may not involve dressing up like your latest Netflix obsession, ahem Cheer or Tiger King, here’s a look book at last year’t top trends.
- Powder puff Girls
- Pirate
- Circus
- Stranger Things
- Alien
- Mermaid
- Harley Quinn
- 80s costume
- Poison Ivy
- Alice in Wonderland
If that’s not enough for you, how about a video showing us 100 years of Halloween style? From the downright scary to the more commonly seen ‘I know I’m meant to look scary but this is a great excuse to dress up as a cat’ costume, ten hugely different outfits are dutifully pulled off by a team of make-up artists, stylist and hairdressers – and one very patient model.

Gabrielle Union
As her Bring it On character.

Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum attends Heidi Klum's 20th Annual Halloween Party at The Cathedral.

Demi Lovato as Marie Antoinette

Khloe Kardashian
And family as Cruella DeVil

Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale and Jonathan Voluck as Audrey Hepburn and Elton John.

Martha Hunt and Elsa Hosk
Martha Hunt (L) and Elsa Hosk attend Heidi Klum's 20th Annual Halloween Party as Milla Jovovitch in The Fifth Element and Natalie Portman in Closer,

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake attend the 2019 Casamigos Halloween Party.

kendall
Kendall Jenner attends Casamigos Halloween party at CATCH Las Vegas at ARIA Resort & Casino

Kylie Jenner as Ariel

Lupita Nyong’o

Paris Hilton

Heidi Klum

The Weeknd and Bella Hadid

Winnie Harlow

Nicole Scherzinger as Cleopatra, 2017
At the annual Jonathan Ross Halloween party.

Cardi B as Cruella De Vil, 2017
At the Bacardi Halloween party in LA. Dalmatian optional.

Heidi Klum as a werewolf from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, 2017

Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson as Daenerys and Khal Drog from Game of Thrones, 2017

Kourtney Kardashian as Michael Jackson and Kim as Marilyn Monroe, 2017

Kim Kardashian as Selena, 2017
Kim clearly took inspo from her favourite musical idols last year.

Amal Clooney and Cindy Crawford as Disco queens, 2017
At the Tequila Casamigos annual Halloween Bash.

Joanna Krupa as Sandy from Grease, 2017
At the Tequila Casamigos annual Halloween Bash.

Ellie Goulding as Dolly Parton, 2017
At amfAR’s Fabulous Fund Fair for Halloween.

Karlie Kloss as Marilyn Monroe, 2017
At amfAR’s Fabulous Fund Fair for Halloween.

Kim Kardashian as Cher, 2017
Kim K and BDD Jonathan Cheban dressed as Sonny and Cher at the Tequila Casamigos annual Halloween Bash.

Presley Walker Gerber and Kaia Jordan Gerber as 70s models, 2017
At the Tequila Casamigos annual Halloween Bash.

Jessica Alba as Eddie from Ab Fab at Kate Hudson Annual Star-Studded Halloween Bash, 2016
Jessica Alba dressed as Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous for Halloween in LA. Nails it.
Credit: Startraks Photo/REX/Shutterstock

Jemima Khan as Melania Trump at The UNICEF Halloween Ball, London, 2016
The journalist showed up at the UNICEF Ball with her orange date in tow, who was getting a little handsy. (The Michelle Obama notes that she has in hand are the perfect detail.)
Credit: Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock

Natalie Dormer as an undead Victorian at Jonathan Ross’s Halloween Party, 2014
The Game of Thrones alum showed up dressed as an undead Victorian with a slit throat - where's her King Henry VIII at?
Credit: Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock

Miley Cyrus as Lil’ Kim on Halloween, 2013
Miley Cyrus channelled another controversial musician Lil' Kim for the year - and even got her stamp of approval.
Credit: @mileycyrus / Instagram

Colton Haynes as Miss Piggy on Halloween, 2016
This boy is an American treasure. Colton Haynes of the CW fame came dressed as Miss Piggy, slapping on prosthetics to tie the whole look together.
Credit: @coltonlhaynes / Instagram

Katy Perry as a cheetoh at Kate Hudson’s Halloween Party, 2014
Katy Perry was flamin' hot as a bright orange cheetoh. The little handbag really makes the look.
Credit: GC Images

Bette Midler at the NYRP Hulaween Party, 28 Oct 2016
Bette Midler went meta on this one, returning to the limelight as her Hocus Pocus character.
Credit: Gregory Pace/REX/Shutterstock

Adele as The Mask on Halloween, 2016
ADELE. OUR QUEEN. OUR SAVIOUR. She showed up dressed as Jim Carrey's The Mask and we're still screaming over it.
Credit: @adele / Instagram

Beyonce as a Barbie on Halloween, 2016
Beyonce nailed it last year and came in a plastic perfect box, complete with immovable expression. Jay-Z also showed up as Ken and little Blue Ivy scampered around with a rock n' roll Barbie jacket.
Credit: @beyonce / Instagram

Jenna Dewan Tatum as a Unicorn on Halloween, 2016
This magical unicorn costume is proof that - yes - you can make anything sexy on Halloween. And we're loving it.
Credit: @jennadewantatum / Instagram

Kylie Jenner as Christina Aguilera on Halloween, 2016
Ring the alarm, Kylie's turning up the heat. Channelling Christina Aguilera in her music video Dirrty (how many rs are there in it again?), she really brought her Halloween game to the party.
Credit: @kyliejenner / Instagram

Cindy Crawford as Marilyn Monroe on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 1996
Now Cindy Crawford is already one classy dame, but when she donned the classic Marilyn wig and a sparkly white dress she upped the Halloween ante - forever.
Credit: NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Fergie and Josh Duhamel as Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette at Casamigos Tequila Halloween Party, 2015
Even though Fergie and her squeeze showed up as a couple, this Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette get-up would work independently too. We love the originality.
Credit: Getty Images for Casamigos Tequila

Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart as glam skeletons at Heidi Klum’s 16th Annual Halloween Party, 2015
J. Lo brought a dash of undead glam to Heidi Klum's party, dressed as a skeletal queen alongside her suitable zombified partner.
Credit: Getty Images for Heidi Klum

Paris Hilton as Miley Cyrus at a Halloween Party, Brentwood, Los Angeles, 2013
Relive the surreal joy that was Miley Cyrus at the VMAs with this cheeky number, courtesy of Paris Hilton.
Credit: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock

Iggy Azalea as Cruella De Vil at the VEVO Halloween Showcase, 2013
There is no touching this outfit. The coat, the hair, the ACTUAL DALMATIAN. Love her music or hate it, the girl looks good.
Credit: Getty Images

Heidi Klum as herself at her annual Halloween party in New York, 2016
Heidi Klum enlisted the help of 5 friends and transformed them into Heidi's 2.0 for her Halloween party in London.
Why dress up when you're outfit could be others dressing up as you? Think about it.
Credit: Rex Features

Chanel Iman as a mummy at Heidi Klum’s Halloween party in New York, 2016
Chanel Iman looks a yummy mummy at last year's A-list party. Take note; twisting material into a high pony and adding ice blue contact will save you from looking like you've accidentally rolled in loo roll. Instead, you will look like you've intentionally rolled yourself in loo roll, that's the key.
Credit: Rex

Katy Perry as Hillary Clinton at Kate Hudson’s annual Halloween, 2016
When it comes to Halloween costumes, Katy Perry fully commits. This year see her don full prosthetics which resemble Hillary Clinton at a Halloween bash in Los Angeles.
Credit: Rex

Emily Ratajkowski as Cleopatra at the BACARDI x Kenzo Digital ‘We Are The Night’ Immersive Haunted House Experience in Brooklyn, 2016
Emily Ratajkowski show us how to rock the Cleopatra look at Halloween. Grab a wig and dress head to toe in black and gold, and you're practically Em Rata... Easy.
Credit: Rex Features

Kim Kardashian as Poison Ivy at the Midori’s Green Halloween party at Lavo, 2011
Dressing as Poison Ivy to host Midori's Green Halloween party at Lavo in New York, Kim K nailed it, again.
Credit: Rex Features

Fergie as a child pageant star at Heidi Klum’s bash, 2011
The singer attended the bash as a child pageant star and it was creepy, really creepy.
Credit: Rex Features

Miranda Kerr as Ringmaster at her Halloween Party, 2011
Yummy mummy Miranda Kerr donned a revealing basque to play ringmaster at her Halloween bash in New York.
Credit: Rex Features

Rihanna as Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in New York, 2014
Ri Ri went for Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for her Halloween costume, painting herself green for maximum effect, and we expect to see plenty of people recreate this super-cool look for 2014.
Credit: Rex Features

Heidi Klum as old Heidi Klum at Heidi Klum’s annual halloween party, 2013
And here was us thinking Heidi couldn't top her past costumes. How wrong we were... From Cleopatra last year or her realistic ape costume with Seal, Heidi has never been one to fall back on her looks to make an impact with her looks but this year took the biscuit. The model and presenter attended her own party as an old woman. Made up by Oscar-winning make-up artists, she was covered from head to toe in veins and sunspots.
Credit: Rex

Poppy Delevingne as Harley Quinn at UNICEF Halloween Ball, 2015
Her sister, Cara, may play Enchantress, but its Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn that inspired Poppy. At the UNICEF Halloween ball in London, Poppy looked incredible dressed exactly like the iconic character, teaming ripped fishnets and dip-dyed pink and blue pigtails to finish the look.

Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit at her annual halloween bash, 2015
Heidi Klum literally doesn't hold back. If you're looking to recreate perhaps hold go on the rubber eyelids and a fake butt...

Emily Ratajkowski as Marge Simpson at Heidi Klum’s bash, 2015
You actually can't get this look wrong. Blue wig, green dress and beads. There, that was easy!
Credit: Rex Features

Ashanti as a Smurf Heidi Klum’s Halloween party, 2015
Ashanti looked cute and colourful in blue as a Smurf for Heidi Klum's Halloween party. Recreate by bathing in blue paint... No one will ask you who you're trying to be, that's for sure.

Gigi Hadid as Sandy from Grease at Heidi Klum’s do, 2015
Gigi channelled Grease's Sandy for her outfit to Heidi Klum's party. Recreate with rollers, leather and attitude.
Credit: Rex