People either love Halloween or loathe it (I fall into the latter category). But for most, Halloween is a time to channel the alter ego, dress up in sexy attire, and go crazy with face paint and loads of hairspray. After all, hair and makeup is a must for getting into character. And the more creative your costume, the more preparation it takes. A few years ago I made my friend into a Roy Lichtenstein painting (click here to see) – it took 6 hours to perfect those dots!

Here are some favorite inspirational images of celebrity Halloween looks that are sure to draw attention (and perhaps even win you “best costume”… if you’re the competitive type):

Alexa Chung as Marie Antoinette

Katy Perry as Freddie Mercury (genius!)

Eliza Dushku as a gangster

Heidi Klum as an exposed dead person (although incredibly crafty, this looks very complicated)

Debra Messing as the Bride of Frankenstein

Elettra Wiedermann as a cool looking zombie

Ashley Greene as a peacock

The perfect Halloween palette to take you from your every day to the unrecognizable is Make Up For Ever’s 12 Flash Color Case. It contains 10 matte face paint shades and 2 metallics to mix and match and blend for a long-lasting, fabulous look. And as the night draws to a close and you’re ready to get out of character, a heavy-duty makeup remover is in order. I suggest Simple Skincare’s Cleansing Towelettes and Eye Makeup Remover as they are made for sensitive skin (and won’t your face be irritated enough from all of that paint and glitter?). Tackling makeup removal post Halloween is never an easy feat, but Simple’s products will be gentle to your skin.

*top image – Heidi Klum as Indian goddess Kali