The horror scene arguably has some of the best merchandise available for its fans. Collectors can covet special edition slipcovers of Blu-Rays, action figures, t-shirts, enamel pins, and everything in between. In recent years, this merch mentality has taken over the world of cosmetics. Now more than ever, makeup lovers can express their love of scary movies through their daily beauty routines.
This relationship makes perfect sense. After all, special effects makeup makes blood, rot, slime, and other forms of demise come to life on the screen. Why not invite that same sense of morbidity into your bathroom vanity? While some companies have always targeted alternative cultures, like punk, gothic, and scene, few offered cosmetic products specifically for horror lovers. LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs was a trailblazer in today’s horror makeup craze. Their trademark Coffin Shape Design palettes made them an instant hit for fans of creepy since 2012. The brand conjures up unique shades of eyeshadow, lipstick, and contouring powders with horrific packaging and quirky names.
Cosmetic Coffin Shape Design ® By LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs
This blueprint influenced other brands to lean more heavily into their theming and let their love of the genre come through. Brands likeHorror Lashes specialize in false eyelashes that come in movie-shaped cases. Wicked Sisters Cosmetics and Bad & Bruja Lashes design collections inspired by their favorite horror flicks, like The Lost Boys and Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Dark & Glam Beauty even sells a Ghostface foundation sponge. If there is a theme to be done, these creative companies will certainly make it happen.
Gaining film licensing for the product is also sought in this realm. Creature Cosmetics is a relatively young company and has already landed officially licensed collaborations with Re-Animator, Trick ‘r Treat, Sleepaway Camp, and Evil Dead II. This indie brand takes theming to the next level with collections of lipsticks in syringes, weapon-shaped accessories, and branded VHS travel bags. Vampyre Cosmetics sells the official Vincent Price palette in an ultra-vibrant design in the legend’s likeness. This attention to artwork, product names, and packaging makes these beauty items so much fun for buyers. None of this would translate if it weren’t for the horror fans behind the brands. When fans create for fellow fans, serious magic happens.
Mega beauty brands were also quick to realize the appeal of horror in popular culture. Smashbox, Revolution Beauty, and Kylie Cosmetics have all collaborated with beloved franchises such as A Nightmare On Elm Street, Beetlejuice, Bride of Chucky, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, and more. Cult brand LASplash even carries a permanent collection of monster lipsticks.Hot Topic keeps continuous stock of horror-themed products of nearly every variety, eyeshadow and press-on nails included.
This merch movement couldn’t have come at a better time. Nowadays, you can purchase horror-themed anything, and it’s no longer hard to obtain or seen as weird (most of the time). Horror cosmetics garners its own niche group of collectors that experience FOMO just like the rest of us when an exciting new collection drops. This type of collecting comes with tremendous amounts of creativity and devotion, with the added bonus of being functional for everyday use. Horror really does have something to offer every kind of fan, even those who want to look drop-dead gorgeous.
