How to DIY the Most Popular Halloween Hairstyles, According to Pros
Spooky season is here, meaning it's time to start planning your costume—and, of course, your matching Halloween hair. Not sure where to start? No need to worry. We tapped a handful of hairstyling experts for tips on how to DIY the most popular Halloween hairstyles, plus how to decide on a coordinating costume.
As a starting point, “pick someone who already has similar hair to yours, then do some styling tricks—like wear a clip-in bang,” celebrity hairstylist Clayton Hawkins suggests (more on clip-in bangs below). It's the perfect year to try it: After the success of Barbie, the doll’s various looks are bound to take over Halloween 2023. But don't discount Wednesday Addams or Pamela Anderson, who should be equally popular.
Feeling inspired? Keep scrolling for expert-backed advice on how to DIY this year's most popular Halloween hairstyles, and get ready to screenshot.
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1/10Barbie Ponytail
It comes as no surprise that Barbie will be one of the biggest Halloween costumes this year following the success of Greta Gerwig's box office hit. Of course, we don't all have a hair department armed with wigs and hairpieces to create Barbie's larger-than-life looks, but it is fairly simple to DIY her signature ponytail at home. During Paris Fashion Week, hairstylist Eduardo Ponce re-created Barbie's classic sleek and bouncy ponytail on Paris Hilton.
“Before blow-drying, I prepped Paris’s hair with a cocktail of 7Seconds Detangler and Lazer Straight Relaxing Fluid. This mix is one of my favorites to protect the hair from heat,” Ponce said in a press release. “After blow-drying her hair, I sprayed U:Dry Fresh Dry Conditioner throughout before flatironing Paris’s hair for added smoothness and heat protection.”
To get a super-sleek base, Ponce applied Second Day Finishing Cream and Lé:Play Hairspray before pulling her hair back into a high ponytail and smoothing down any frizz or bumps. Secure the ponytail with a hair elastic and take a small section of hair and wrap it around the ponytail base. Secure with a bobby pin.
Create Barbie's signature flip using the flatiron and curl ends in an upward motion. For high shine and hold, he finished things off with Smooth&Shine Styling Crème and Sesssion-Max Spray.
COURTESY OF NETFLIX2/10Wednesday Addams’s Braids
Goth glam had a huge year, partly thanks to Jenna Ortega's role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix show Wednesday. Luckily, her signature braided pigtails are easy to DIY at home. (Bonus: For a step-by-step on how to copy Ortega's exact makeup look from the show, click here.)
To start, stylist Sophie Rose Gutterman recommends washing your hair with a hydrating shampoo and conditioner like MyHero Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner.
“Apply a small amount of Biotera Styling Mousse for volume to your roots,” she says. “Massage it into your hair to create added volume—this will help add desired fullness to the hair.”
Using a comb, create a straight center part and divide your hair evenly from your forehead to the nape of your neck. Secure two low pigtails on either side of your head with hair ties or elastics to hold in place.
Braid each pigtail all the way down to the ends and secure. To create volume, Gutterman recommends pulling on the sides of the braids for a fuller look.
Erica Parise/Hulu; Everett Collection3/10Pamela Anderson’s ’90s Blowout
Hulu's hit series Pam + Tommy prompted a surge in Pamela Anderson–inspired aesthetics, and so it's no surprise that so many fans are seeking to emulate the style this Halloween. If you don't know how to pull it off, you're in luck: Celebrity hairstylist Barry Lee Moe—the lead hairstylist on Pam & Tommy series and the creator of all Lily James’s looks for the show—told Glamour exactly how to master Anderson's beloved blowout.
“For this iconic bombshell look,” he says, “I prepped the damp hair with Unite’s Blow&Set Lotion, and in true Pam Anderson fashion, I used classic Velcro rollers in two different sizes, larger on top and medium through the sides and back, to set the hair.” He also notes that you should let the hair fully cool before releasing the rollers, then back-comb at the root to create a voluminous foundation.
From there, Moe smoothed out the top and secured the height before breaking up the rest of the curls to create definition and bounce. “The final step in this look is to piece out the bangs with GO365 Hairspray for that perfect Pam Anderson fringe,” he says, “and add a healthy coating of Session-Max Spray and 7Seconds Glossing Spray for the ultimate shine and long-lasting hold for all day and night wear.”
Instagram: @kirinrider4/10Maddy Perez’s Euphoria Hair Gems
Now that everyone's mastered Euphoria makeup, it's time for the series' equally iconic hairstyles to shine. And they're easier to DIY than they seem: According to hairstylist Becca Mader, you can re-create Maddy's bedazzled style with just two products, plus gems.
First, decide where you want to place your accessories. You can pull your hair completely back for a ponytail like Maddy‘s in the show, or opt for Mader's preference: middle-parted and down. Once you've selected the section of hair you're decorating, generously spray flexible-hold GO365 Hairspray to smooth and tuck your hair—either behind your ears if middle-parted, or up in a ponytail if pulled back—and secure these pieces with an elastic band for a budge-proof hold.
Next, take a 1.5-inch curling iron barrel and curl the ends of your hair under—if wearing it up, curl your ponytail; if down, style the ends—and apply 7Seconds Glossing Spray all over for a high-shine finish and to tame flyaways. Add your favorite color hair gems around your hairline, and you're good to go to Euphoria homecoming.
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection5/10Kang Sae-byeok’s Squid Game Bangs
This is the perfect Halloween look for anyone with short hair: All you need to pull it off is a slightly personalized clip-in bang piece. “Chop into the clip-in bang piece [with scissors] so that it’s jagged, and clip it your hairline,” says Hawkins. “Then use some hair gel to really separate the bangs.” (Pro tip: This also works for hair inspired by Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice!)
- CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images6/10
Sandy Olsson’s Grease Curls
Sandy is a timeless style icon, and what better way to pay homage to Olivia Newton-John than to honor her revolutionary character on Halloween?
To get the look, celebrity hairstylist Bridget Brager suggests re-creating her curls using the T3 Singlepass Curl 0.5". But first, prep hair accordingly: Start with freshly washed hair, and prime using heat protectant and mousse to pull out texture and body. “Rough-dry hair with AireLuxe hair dryer to achieve as much volume as possible,” she says. “Then clip back the bulk of your hair and begin styling small sections as close to your hairline as possible.”
“For an elongated, skinnier curl, hold the iron vertically and stretch the curl when you slide it off the barrel until it cools. For a more voluminous curl, holding the curling iron horizontally and cup the curl until cooled,” she continues. “Alternate the direction you curl: away from your face and toward your face. The best practice is to follow your natural hair pattern, and hold the curling iron vertically to create an elongated curl.”
Finally, be sure to twist your hair while wrapping it around the iron. “Don't worry about it being completely flat against the barrel,” she says. “This will result in a more natural set to the hair.” Happy Halloween, Sandra Dee!
John Lamparski7/10Beyoncé’s Mystical Mermaid Braid
Ultra-lengthy braids are supremely in vogue, and Halloween is the perfect time to try the trending style. All you need is a clip-in hair extension ponytail that matches your hair color and texture, and follow the following advice.
“To style, pull your hair up into a high ponytail and spray Maxcontrol Spray throughout,” says celebrity hairstylist Hayley Heckmann. “Next, rub Conundrum Paste into the palms of your hands and start to braid: This will make sure any frizz and flyaways are tucked away!”
©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection8/10Fran Fine’s The Nanny Bouffant
The higher the hair, the closer to Halloween candy. That's how the saying goes, right? But really, Hawkins insists this Halloween is all about volume, and The Nanny's Fran Fine's hair is the ultimate voluminous inspo. “This a great chance to turn an inexpensive Halloween wig into a slay hairpiece,” Hawkins tells Glamour. “To get the look, start by brushing all of your hair with Tangle Teezer Ultimate Detangler and throw it up into a snatched high ponytail. If your hair is super thick, twist your hair into a bun and secure with bobby pins. If your hair is on the finer or shorter side, grab a hair donut and cut it in half. Pin that split donut to your crown to create a DIY Bumpit.”
“Next, grab a wig in your hair color, and pin the wig on top of the bun or bump it to create that Fran Fine volume,” he continues. “Use your Tangle Teezer The Ultimate Teezer comb to tease the wig for super-high height, then grab a headband and cover where the wig begins. The result is 1997 realness!” *cue Fran Fine's laugh*
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX9/10Queen Charlotte’s Bridgerton Updo
Queen Charlotte's coiffure is one of the more complicated on the list, but the end result is definitely worth it. Hawkins actually created a similar style himself: Here's how he pulled it off.
“I started by grabbing a synthetic curly gray wig and wrapping a ton of elastics around it. This became the ‘wig cage,’” he says. “Next, I sprayed giant French hair pins with Big Sexy Hair Fun Raiser Volumizing Dry Texture Spray—this hack helps the pins become slip-proof—and pinned the curly wig cage to the crown of a gray human hair lace-front wig. A generous coating of Big Sexy Hair Spray & Stay Intense Hold Hairspray to lock it in and our base was set.”
Hawkins then went in meticulously curled the entire lace front wig, excluding the hairline, with a half-inch curling iron, spraying it with Big Sexy Hair Fun Raiser Volumizing Dry Texture Spray as he went along. Once finished curling, he pinned and sculpted the curls up and onto the wig cage, using tons of texture spray on the pins and onto the updo. “Once that was complete, I coated the hairline in Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray to the point of damp saturation and curled the hair under into ringlets using a 1-inch iron and pinned them into place.”
Finally, Hawkins curled the nape of the neck with the 1-inch iron and completed the look by pinning vintage pearl buttons throughout the whole wig. “The result is rococo realness.”
Instagram: @theestallion10/10Megan Thee Stallion’s Sailor Moon Buns
Whether you're inspired by Sailor Moon or Baby Spice, you can never go wrong with double buns or pigtails. To achieve the style in pigtails, color and wig expert Daved Anthony Munoz suggests using the cult favorite Texturiza Spray to add volume, texture, and fullness to the look, and applying Smooth&Shine Styling Cream to smooth dry and damaged ends and add high shine.
Separate your hair into two parts atop your head, and create two ponytails with hair elastics. Then, either leave the tails as they are, or take things one step further for Megan Thee Stallion's double-bun look: Wrap each pigtail around the hair elastic until all of the hair is swept around the tie, and secure each with bobby pins. In the name of the moon, you're ready to slay Halloween.
