Halloween has triggered a £23m spike in cosmetics sales between 2017 and 2018. Halloween related makeup and fancy-dress demands have increased and has resulted in market growth. Research has hinted at the role played by social media as well as influencers in the influx of Halloween makeup sales.

Children cutting holes into bedsheets to dress as ghosts is no longer what most of the United Kingdom considers as sufficient Halloween dress-up. More and more adults are actively engaging with the occasion and there has been an increase in cosmetics as well as costume sales.

Halloween parties give adults the excuse to dress up like they did when they were children. Ahead of October 31, it is not only cosplayers who go hunting for costumes and makeup products to make their looks realistic. From celebrity Halloween parties to Big Bang theory episodes, pop culture has embedded the concept of dressing up for Halloween into the minds of millennials.

Halloween 2016
A woman with her face painted to look like the popular Mexican figure called "Catrina" paints the face of a man in Monterrey, Mexico Daniel Becerril/ Reuters

While many costumes can be put together at home, cosmetic products need to be sourced from stores. Enthusiastic revellers can try to improvise the red pants and suit for their Joker costume, but without buying the face-paint, the look is incomplete.

The Deadline News shared the findings of cosmetics comparison site Cosmetify. Cosmetify concluded that sales for Halloween 2018 was 36.5% higher than sales of cosmetics for Halloween 2017. It shared that in 2017, the industry witnessed an inflow of £63m for Halloween, which increased by £23m resulting in sales worth £86m in 2018.

The company which partners with Boots, Superdrug, The Perfume Shop, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, and John Lewis allows users to compare beauty products of different brands. The site revealed that ahead of October 31 the site typically experiences a spike in search for Halloween makeup. Visitors to the website ahead of Halloween predominantly visit the dedicated Halloween page to look for makeup tutorials. While there are still many who speculate on the damage caused by Halloween makeup to one's skin, using reputed brands addresses the concern.

BBC pointed out that body painters and makeup artists like Edinburgh based Ellie have made a career out of Halloween makeup. Ellie pointed out that the interest in the UK for Halloween makeup has been sparked by American makeup influencers.

United Kingdom