Trust Me: You Need to Try This Butterfly Makeup for Halloween (2024)

Welp, summer has officially ended. And while there are certainly things I’m going to miss (like spicy margs, and that dewy glow my skin gets after a day at the beach—with SPF 50, ofc), I literally cannot wait for fall. Because honestly, I barely wear makeup during the summer; I just cannot handle taking the time to apply it every morning, only to sweat it all off by the end of the day. So when October hits, it means I can finally crack open my makeup bag again and partake in all the fun fall makeup trends, including one you’re about to see all over IG: butterfly makeup.

Your own feed has probably seen more than a few rogue butterflies lately, but ICYMI, butterfly makeup is exactly as it sounds: butterfly-inspired eye and face makeup, complete with glitter and neon eyeshadows galore. And no, it’s nothing like the face paint you used to beg your mom for at carnivals (but wow, such a trendsetter). I’m talking about cute little butterfly wings at the corner of your eyes and intricate, full-fledged butterflies that span the width of your face. You could truly wear this look wherever you want, but it would also make for some truly epic Halloween makeup, IMO.

Ready to put your artistic skills to the test and ~transform~? Thought so. Keep scrolling for 13 of the best butterfly makeup tutorials to help you get there.

1.Warm-toned butterfly makeup

YouTuber RaggedyRoyal will walk you through exactly how to blend the orange, yellow, and pink shades together in this butterfly makeup look, so don’t feel overwhelmed just by seeing the pics. But heads up that this one involves a cut-crease eyeshadow look, so you’ll need a white or pearlescent white cream eyeshadow to create the sharp contrast between the lower and upper half of your lid.

2. Purple butterfly makeup look

This butterfly makeup starts with a basic layer of foundation, finished brows, and the outline of the butterflies drawn with a small eyeshadow brush and brown eyeshadow. She’ll take you through creating the transition from light purple to dark purple, which creates a really cute blended effect. Liquid eyeliner and shades of purple and pink eyeshadow (they use the Bperfect Cosmetics Stacey Marie Carnival XL Pro Palette) will be key for this look.

3. Neon-orange butterfly makeup

You’ll only need one shade of neon-orange eyeshadow plus a liquid eyeliner to create this pretty neon butterfly makeup makeup. And to make sure your colors really ~pop~, start with a foundation or concealer base one or two shades lighter than your usual shade before starting the butterfly.

4. This simple butterfly eye makeup

If you’re into the butterfly idea but don’t want the bright colors, hi, welcome to your new fav tutorial. YouTuber Marjory Adelaida breaks down exactly how to recreate the simple black outline of the butterfly wings and inner details, without any oranges, pinks, or purples. The simplicity is so sweet and leaves room for your lipstick (even if it’s just a neutral shade or tinted lip balm) and eyebrows to stand out. It’s as low-key as butterfly makeup can get.

5. A classic monarch

The trick to drawing diffused butterfly wings around your eyes is all in the order that you apply the makeup. First, choose the colors you want to incorporate (for a classic monarch butterfly, go with golds, oranges, and yellows). Then, use a fluffy blending brush to cover the lid with the different yellow shades, bringing the shadow outside of the outer corner of your top and bottom lashes. Once you've applied your color, go in with a black liquid eyeliner to create the shape of the wings and add details and designs. For the finishing touch, glue tiny pearls with eyelash glue to create the white spots.

6. Purple and blue butterfly wings

For a really sharp wing, follow the same steps as above, but swap out that fluffy brush for a small, compact eye makeup brush for more precision placement of the shadows. Then, follow along the edge of the pigment with your liner to outline your wings and fill in the designs you want. To get perfect white dots, this YouTuber has a genius hack: Use a nail dotter tool. Dip the point of your tool into white liquid eyeliner and tap it onto your eyelid to create your designs. For the final step, load up your lashes with a colored mascara in a matching blue shade.

7. Baby-blue butterfly wings

For these teeny-tiny wings, start with the eyeliner first to draw out your shapes, and then follow with the eyeshadow and a fine-tip brush to fill it in with your color. To add a cool gradient like this, use multiple brushes (a brush per shade) when applying so you can blend the pigments without making the color muddy or getting it outside the lines.

8. Winged cut crease

Already mastered the cut crease? Then you can do this butterfly makeup look, promise. If you want pigment that really stands out and lasts, use colored eyeliner in a gel formula and apply it like you would a cream eyeshadow. Once you have your colors placed, layer bright, shimmery or glittery eyeshadows on top to add dimension. Then, use your black and white eyeliners to define that cut crease and design those wings.

9. Butterfly eye mask face paint

If you struggle with getting classic winged eyes to look symmetrical, then you might look at this makeup look and consider it impossible. But there's a simple trick: This YouTuber uses a brow pencil to first lightly trace the shape of the wings before laying down any bold pigment or dark liner. Once you have your shape mapped out, then you can go back with costume makeup and start applying your color. To set the cream makeup, blend matching eyeshadow shades over the top. Once your colors are set, you finish with the black outline and designs and white dots.

10. Fluttery butterfly makeup

If you've read the above tutorials, you know how to use makeup to create butterfly wings by this point. But if you really want to take your look to the next level, add fluffy, voluminous false lashes to make your eyelashes flutter just like an actual butterfly's wings.

11. One-winged butterfly

If you don't have the patience it takes to create to symmetrical winged eye looks, just go with one! It looks just as good (see tutorial above for proof). For a look like this, focus the pigment on the outer corner of your eye, but split it between your upper eyelid area and your lower. For this smokey eye butterfly look, the more blended and diffused the pigment, the better. Instead of tracing outside of the pigment, bring the eyeliner in slightly when you draw your wings for a more diffused look.

12. 3-D butterfly wings

Butterfly makeup isn't just for eye makeup. You can draw those butterflies anywhere you want on your face. And if you want to create the effect of a butterfly flying around you, add a 3-D effect. Just start by drawing your butterflies with eyeliner and eyeshadow, then blend a brown eyeshadow around one side of the butterfly to create a realistic-looking shadow.

10. Butterfly princess

For a slightly more subtle eye look, only draw the butterfly wing along the upper lashes and leave the lower lashes bare. Then, use all that extra time and energy to paint your upper body with butterfly motif. Pro tip: Switch to body paint for this part or you'll go through a zillion felt-tip eyeliners to get the right amount of coverage.