The 6 Top Halloween Costumes — & How To Score Them With Just Makeup

I learned at a very young age that Halloween costumes are expensive. The moment you realise that you can thrift for your own Carmen Sandiego outfit (instead of dropping £70 on a polyester version in a half-opened pouch), the game changes. I stopped trolling Party City's catalogue, and redirected my attention to the power of makeup instead.

Revolving your entire look around an intricate display of cosmetic talent can be tricky, but well worth the process. On the downside, the top-trending looks for this season will most likely take you a lot longer than throwing on some red lipstick and calling yourself Marilyn Monroe. But the pay-off will collect more compliments than Selena Gomez's Instagram account.

According to Pinterest, this is the year of originality — and a new wave of pop culture icons. For example, Pennywise from the new adaptation of It is trending 941% more than ever before. And it looks like galaxy freckles are no longer an under-the-radar fad, but this year's most versatile look. Here's the best part: We bet you could master most of these looks with beauty products you already have. And if you're truly makeup challenged, a local counter should be able to accommodate your request with a few of the inspiration images we've collected here.

Click ahead to check out this year's most popular Halloween looks.