Halloween is just around the corner, but not all of us are a dab hand with a sewing machine.
Lots of kids love to celebrate the spooky spirit by getting into costume and face painting is an easy way to dress them up for Halloween without the time and energy that goes into making a fiddly costume. Or of course, splashing the cash on a generic shop-bought one, guaranteed to be worn by at least one other child from the neighbourhood.
Chances are your little one has a good idea of what they'd like to be this Halloween, but since you're not Neil Buchanan (probably), your safest bet is to follow a tried and tested YouTube tutorial, for easy halloween face painting.
And just because we've got your back, we've rounded up 40 of the best and easiest to follow tutorials on YouTube for even the fussiest of monsters (or ghosts, or pirates, or zombies...).
Hello Kitty by International Face Painting School
Not exactly scary but cute as a kitten. Watch here.
Pennywise the clown from It, by Derek Boston
Something a little scarier to terrorise the neighbours with. Watch here.
The Incredible Hulk, by International Face Painting School
What kid doesn't love Marvel? Watch here.
Werewolf, by Rachel the Geordie Face Painter
Professor Lupin, eat your heart out. Watch here.
Frozen tiara by Fairy Julianne Gippsland
We can imagine this one will be VERY popular. Watch here.
Zombie by Ashlea Henson
This one's great for adults, too. Watch here.
Sugar Skull by International Face Painting School
This one might take a few practice rounds. Watch here.
Sadness from Disney's Inside Out by International Face Painting School
We love this nod to a Disney cult favourite. It's easy peasy, too! Watch here.
Pirate by SophiesTips
Arghhhh, me mateys! Watch here.
Frankenstein by CraftyWitch FX
It's aliiiiiiiive! Watch here.
Unicorn by Snazaroo at Hobbycraft
Unicorns will neeeiiighver go out of style. Watch here.
Dog by FacePaintcom
For those who want to dress up as their fluffy family member. Watch here.
Vampire by Shonagh Scott
An easy take on the classic Halloween costume. Watch here.
Pumpkin face by Ashlea Henson
Nothing to see here, just your friendly neighbourhood pumpkin. Watch here.
Dragon by Fairy Fox Design
Rawwwrrrr! Watch here.
Sparkly fox by Fairy Fox Design
Great for little ones who are fascinated by the forest. Watch here.
Camouflage by Face Paint com
Wait, has anyone seen Timmy? Watch here.
Poppy from Trollz by Crafty Pam
Hands up if you know a little'n who was OBSESSED with Trollz? Watch here.
Witch by Helen's Face Painting
Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.... Watch here.
Spider Man by International Face Painting School
Not just for Halloween! Watch here.
Disney's The Good Dinosaur by International Face Painting School
Another Disney favourite for girls and boys. Watch here.
Cheetah by FacePaintingTips
Try swapping out the pink shades for blues or greens. Watch here.
Pikachu by MarvelousMasks
Pika, Pika! Watch here.
Classic clown by iVillage
WARNING: Not for easy-halloween-face-painting-coulrophobes. Watch here.
Creepy doll by Amanda Lee Makeup
Sure fire way to give your kids nightmares for life. Watch here.
Spider's Web by DIY Kids FacePaint
This is actually much easier than it looks. Watch here.
Zombie by Creatification
If your little one wants to be a zombie this year, then we've got them covered. Watch here.
Disney's Moana-inspired island scene by International Face Painting School
Will Moana take Elsa's crown this year? Watch here.
Lion (two versions) by SophiesTips
Choose between two versions of this easy lion. Watch here.
Minnie Mouse by International Face Painting School
We love the classic red version of Minnie's bow, too. Watch here.
Easy skull by lisajoyyoung
The cutest skull we ever did see. Watch here.
Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles by Facepaints 4u
For kids and kids-at-heart alike. Watch here.
Rainbow butterfly by Fairy Fox Design
Perfect for the littlest fairy in your family. Watch here.
Stormtrooper by International Face Painting School
A stormtrooper with a twist. Watch here.
Tiger by Fairy Fox Designs
The REAL King of the Jungle, if you ask us. Watch here.
Rainbow fairy mask by Fairy Fox Designs
Sugar and spice, and everything nice. Watch here.
Dinosaur by FacePaint Forum
Have you got a budding paleontologist in your family? Watch here.
Sonic the Hedgehog by Silly Heather
Perfect for when you're short on time. Watch here.
Rainbow Kitty by Silly Heather
Purrrrrr! Watch here.
Batman by Derivan
Simple yet effective, and takes no more than ten minutes. Watch here.
CHECK OUT: the worst celebrity Halloween costumes that totally missed the mark
HALLOWEEN WORST DRESSED slider
1 of 20Daisy Lowe
We just thought you'd go for something a bit more original than a PVC catsuit and a couple of drawn on whiskers, Daisy!
2 of 20Isla Fisher
There was just A LOT going on in Isla's costume back in 2013
3 of 20Jess Wright
OK, we know it was 2011... but still, Jess, the sexy dead cheerleader look just doesn't sit well with us
4 of 20Katy Perry
We can't work out whether Katy's cheeto Halloween costume from 2017 is amazingly cool or just amazingly irrelevant. Hm.
5 of 20Lily Allen
Just... what are you even supposed to be dressed up as here, Lily?
6 of 20Mariah Carey
Maybe the concept of sexy-ween was more acceptable in 2009, but we just don't see anything angelic about Mariah's angel costume here
7 of 20Coco Austin
We know you love to flaunt your curves, Coco, but this... really?
8 of 20Paris Hilton
- It's dark. No need for sunnies. 2) What's spooky about Minnie Mouse?
9 of 20Suki Waterhouse
We're just confused by Suki's costume choice from last year
10 of 20Tara Reid
Oh, Tara... just no.
11 of 20Rob Pattison and Kristen Stewart
Well this is a major throwback pic but this is what we meant by 'sticking on a mask and hoping for the best'. We were just expecting something a little more creative from the Twilight stars.
12 of 20Sacha Baron Cohen
He's the man behind Borat and Ali G, so naturally we were expecting something much more hilarious than this outfit
13 of 20Scott Disick
The lord dressed up as American Psycho's Patrick Bateman - but all we see is him looking his normal self with the addition of a plastic axe
14 of 20Paris Hilton (again)
I'm a mouse, duh?
15 of 20Heidi Klum
Heidi may be the undisputed queen of Halloween these days, but back when her annual Halloween ball first began in 2000, she wasn't quite up to the same standards.
16 of 20Joe Jonas
We're entirely unsure what Joe Jonas is supposed to be here. A sushi chef? Niche.
17 of 20Ellie Goulding
Clearly Ellie wasn't au fait with cultural appropriation back in 2015 when she wore this problematic Native American costume.
18 of 20Alexa Chung
The sentiment is commendable - calling attention the plastic in the ocean, natch – but we can't help feel Alexa could have paid slightly closer attention to detail?
19 of 20Princess Beatrice
Considering she's an actual Princess, Bea could have made slightly more effort that this weird head/face accessory and nylon wig added to an otherwise totally normal outfit. What even is she?
20 of 20Rihanna
It's Rihanna, so obviously she looks pure FIYAH in her sexy PVC corset, but what's with the face paint?
Where to buy face paint for halloween
Your best bet to buy pre-made face paint is to head online. From Amazon to eBay and even ASOS, there's numerous sellers on the internet who can cater to all skin types, colour palettes and price ranges for everything from the Incredible Hulk to a rainbow princess.
For those who like to do their shopping on the high street, Argos have a good range all year round and your local superstore branch of supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's will be sure to have them in their 'seasonal' aisles (along with the sweeties to hand out to trick or treaters).
For more specialist paints on the highstreet, check out Snazaroo at Hobbycraft.
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How to make face paint for Halloween
For parents on the more creative side who don't mind a little (ok, a lot) or mess, it's easy to make up your own face paints at home, and it can be a great activity to do with kids ahead of the big day. Home made face paints are less toxic than shop bought versions and will save you money, to boot.
One simple way to make DIY face paint is to mix equal parts cornstarch with an unscented face lotion, and a small amount of baby oil, before adding dye to colour.