Beauty / Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass

Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass

Beauty Oct 27, 2025

by Meena Khan | Beauty Editor

Halloween is a holiday that is a vibrant mix of creativity and spookiness. It is usually associated with children, but I do not think that they should have a monopoly on the fun. Us adults can also partake and to add extra oomph to our dress-up looks, and below are three Bollywood-inspired Halloween makeup looks for you to try!

Sadhana – Ghostly, Eerie Beauty for the Halloween Work Look

Woh Kaun Thi, is a haunting film, in which yesteryear superstar Sadhana portrayed a ghost… or was it a twin, or both? This taut, black and white mystery showcased Sadhana at her haunting best, and part of the draw was her impeccable make-up. The look is so pristine that it verges on eerie, but you have a look that debuts perfectly for the workday. When lunch time rolls around and people will indulge in some fun, put on the mask and leave people bewitched.

Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass | Sadhana in Woh Kaun Thi. Movie still. — Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass | Sadhana in *Woh Kaun Thi*. Movie still.

Below are the key elements to the look:

The brows should be defined and arched. I am a fan of the Benefit Cosmetics Ring Around A Brow 3-Piece Brow Gift Set because it contains a trio of products that will help you to achieve perfect eyebrows. I use the built-in a stoolie brush of the Precisely, My Brow Pencil to lift the brow hairs and then fill in the sparseness at the base of my eyebrows with the pencil part, and to add a couple of millimetres at the tail of each brow to achieve the sixties look. To ensure that my eyebrows look, full, I draw in a few microscopic hairs where there is some minor spareness in the body of the brow using the Precisely, My Brow Detailer, and I then set my handiwork for the day by combing through my brows using the 24-HR Brow Setter.
Learn how to Look Haunting Bollywood Style! Benefit Cosmetics Ring Around A Brow 3-Piece Brow Gift Set. Photo Credit:www.benefitcosmetics.com
I curl my eyelashes using the Lived Tinted Legacy Eyelash Curler because it grabs every tiny hair and lifts them without any pinching.

**Learn how to Look Haunting Bollywood Style! Live Tinted Legacy Eyelash Curler.** Photo Credit: www.livetinted.com

3. I pull my eye taut and then draw a thin black line along the upper lashes using a liquid liner (it provides a clean edge that is essential for the look), such as the Vasanti Cosmetics Cleopatra Black Liquid Liner. I allow the line to dry and the draw a second line that is parallel to the first one, making the overall line a tad thicker.

I allow that line to dry and then I open my eye add flick that is 60 degrees to upwards from the outer corner of the eye. I draw a second line to make the flick look thicker. To add a touch of ominousness, I line the waterline using Vasanti Cosmetics Kajal Waterline Eye Pencil in Black.

4. I finish the eyes by applying a mascara that add both volume and opens the eyes to expose a maximal amount of sclera. Revlon So Fierce! Eyes Wide Open^TMMascara is one to try because its LiftLash formula that delivers weightless texture for lifted maximum volume.

5. The skin is uniform, but I suggest adding a touch of glow so that you bring forth your bone structure and when the light hits the cheeks it looks equal parts eery (because there is no flush) and angelic (because of the light refraction). Ctzn Cosmetics Globalm is a dewy, universally flattering product that you dab onto the cheeks and under the arches of the brows, to add luminosity ad you are done!

6. Since the eyes are strong and haunting, the lips should be soft and diffuse to complete the ghostly effect. I suggest using a coloured, glowy lip product such as Tula Skincare ‘Glaze, which plumps and treats the lips while imparting a hint of colour.

7. Wear the eye mask at lunch and join in the fun!

Vidya Balan – Crazed Yet Focused For The Halloween Party Look

Vidya Balan is a thespian who is celebrated for the intensity of her performances and variety of roles. In Bhool Builaiyaan, she takes on a dual role (a popular storytelling tool in Bollywood horror films). In her role of Manjulika, the heartbroken dancer who haunts the earthly realm and is focused on revenge, Vidya channeled the angst and ferocity of a broken heart, and part of the impact of her role was due to the beauty look.

Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass | Sadhana in Woh Kaun Thi. Movie still | Vidya Balan in <em>Bhool Builaiyaan.</em> Movie still. — Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass | Sadhana in Woh Kaun Thi. Movie still | Vidya Balan in *Bhool Builaiyaan.* Movie still.

Here is how to achieve the crazy yet focused look of Manjulika:

The rage and heartbreak are unstable, strong emotions, so the hair needs to be messy and wavy to reflect this turmoil. I suggest blow-drying the hair using a volumising product such as Fable & Mane Moisturizing Volume Spray so that the hair has lift and spring. Once the hair is dry, tie the hair in loose braids and leave it in for a few hours. After releasing the braids, back comb the top of the hair so that the hair looks drier, unruly.

2. The eyes are all about shadow and smoke, and the Clé de peau Cream Eye Color Solo in Smoky Soot Black is a great product to achieve the look. The creaminess means that you can tap your clean ring finger into the pot and then dab it the shadow around the eyes. After tapping the circumference of each eye once, continue tapping from the tear duct to the cheeks, to mimic the path of tears.

3. The lashes are not lush but still defined, so a tubing mascara such as the Clinique Lash Power™ Mascara Long-Wearing Formula defines the eyes without outdoing the trail of grey tears.

4. An angry ghost does not have time for a perfected complexion or luscious lips, so I recommend using a beige or pink lip balm such as Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm Vanilla Beige (light to medium skin tones) or Brown Sugar (dark skin tone).

Konkona Sen Sharma – How to Haunt While Trick or Treating

Konkona Sen Sharma is an award-winning actress who has spoken out against colourism. Her considerable talent was put to good use in a multi-faceted role in the horror film Ek Thi Daayan. As the seductive witch who yearned to regain her powers, Konkona painted a frightening portrait of the power dark magic. This look is easy to create and can be striking even if you are wearing a fall coat and running shoes. You can join in the fun with a few quick swipes of colour, and the chaperone the youngsters.

Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass | Konkona Sen Sharma In Ek Thi Daayan. Movie Still. — Get The Look: Bollywood-Inspired Halloween Makeup Masterclass | Konkona Sen Sharma In *Ek Thi Daayan*. Movie Still.

The face is deathly pale, but to look scary go the sallow route by which I mean, apply a matte foundation such as Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Matte Powder Foundation which does not betray a hint of gleam, and then on top of that coverage, dab on some baby powder on the raised points of the face, as you would bronzer, making sure to blend the edges into the skin.

2. The eyes are intensely dark, like black holes, with a scant amount of sclera visible. To ensure that the sclera is muted, use an unapologetic obsidian shade such as Ready Set Jet Color Stacks Skincare Infused Stackable Eye Shadow in City Nights. Dip a smudger brush into the black shadow and then trace the shape of each eye. To add intensity, add more shadow on the mobile lid. Remember that since we want to minimise the whiteness, mascara is not used because that lifts the eyelashes.

3. The lips should look like lifeless. My inner 90’s teen is jumping for joy as I type these next words. I suggest using a cool-toned neutral liner such as MAC Cool Spice (light-to-medium skin tones) or Stone (dark skin tones) to fill in and shape the lips.

Follow the liner with a matte lipstick that falls in the cool nudes range, such as MAC Folio, Yash and Acting Natural.

Attend the Monster’s Ball

Halloween is my favourite time of the year because it is fun, creative and yummy. Our three Bollywood heroines’ looks evoke discomfort in different ways, and they each have role to play in how we celebrate.

I have so many memories of getting dressed up, and I missed that as I got older. I felt self-conscious about infusing Halloween into my work look because I did not want to appear to be outlandish but Sadhana’s look demonstrates how you can evoke tension while appearing pristine.

Vidya’s look is all about emotion and how make-up and hair can convey inner turmoil which can evoke leeriness in people. They know that you are not a crazed ghost, but dark eyes coupled with sooty shadow and mussed hair ensures a few millimetres of recoil from party guests!

Being the chaperone means that you remain in the background but Konkona’s witch look shows how a only a few products can evoke fear, as make-up can mute light, and the effect is amplified as you walk in the dark with only a few streetlights and stars to provide illumination. You have a chance to dress-up without having to invest too much time and effort.

Meena Khan | Beauty Editor

Author

Meena (@meenalaregina) always loved the idea of exploring the non-conventional idea of beauty. Having grown up as a pimply chubby teenager, she wanted to see the change in the world that best reflected your uniqueness as well. Her well-received collection of blogs where she tries on various beauty p...

COMMENTS

From TIFF50 to Festive Season: South Asian Glam Looks You Can Recreate

How To Glow Like A Diya: The Ultimate Diwali Beauty Guide