Halloween Hairstyles for Men: 8 Looks for Hair and Beard

Saturday 31 October, just before seven: the party has been planned for weeks, the costume for exactly zero minutes. What saves the night: Halloween hairstyles for men – no wig and no makeup kit, just color spray, gel or wax and a plan for your beard. The look is done in 10–20 minutes, and by the time you sit down at the family table on All Saints’ Day, the color and wax are washed out again. Below you’ll find eight Halloween looks for men from the Joker to the Viking, three last-minute costumes and everything you need to wash it all out. How color spray works in general is explained in our guide to temporary hair color for men.

In short: style first, then spray on the color, then lock it in with hairspray – and wash it out before you go to sleep. For a color look you need three things: color spray, hairspray and a styling product for your hair length. Ideally, order by Thursday 22 October: we ship within 1–2 working days, delivery takes 1–3 working days, and Monday 26 October is Austria’s National Day, a public holiday.

Which look suits you?

• Short hair. Joker (messy), zombie, Frankenstein, devil with spikes.
• Bald head. Viking with a braided beard, Nosferatu, devil with a pointed goatee.
• Full beard. Viking, pirate, devil.
• No color. Vampire, Peaky Blinders.
• 10 minutes or less. Joker, vampire, zombie, Frankenstein.

8 Halloween hairstyles for men: hair, beard and time needed

Every look comes with a shopping list, the steps and a plan B for short hair, a bald head or a beard. How to apply the color cleanly is covered further down in the section on Halloween hair color.

1. Joker hair: green, slick or messy

Green hair, and everyone recognizes the Joker. On blond hair it turns a rich comic-book green, on dark hair a toxic shimmer – there, just accent the tips. Time needed: 10 minutes.

• You’ll need: Hair Color Spray Green, Hair Spray Extreme Hold and, depending on the version, Violet Venom gel wax or Ronin Dust powder wax.
• Here’s how: For the slick version, as in the 2019 film, work Violet Venom into towel-dried hair, smooth everything back, let it dry, then spray green on top in thin layers. For the messy version, as in “The Dark Knight”, sprinkle Ronin Dust onto the dry roots, pull the hair in every direction and spray only individual strands green.
• Short hair and beard: The messy version also works with short hair on top, and a well-groomed beard can stay.

2. Vampire hairstyle: slicked back in a wet look

Count Dracula wears his hair slicked back and shiny – it goes with a suit and needs no color at all. Time needed: 10 minutes.

• You’ll need: Gummy hair gel, a fine-tooth comb, Coconut & Olive Oil shine spray and, optionally, a dark eyebrow pencil.
• Here’s how: Spread Gummy through towel-dried hair, comb it firmly straight back, let it set, then mist shine spray over it. Trace the widow’s peak – the pointed hairline in the middle of your forehead – with the eyebrow pencil. For a hint of blood, spray a thin layer of red onto the ends of your hair and lock it in with Extreme Hold instead of shine spray.
• Short hair or bald head: Slick the short hair on top straight back. With a bald head you become Nosferatu, the bald vampire from the silent-film classic – a long, dark coat is all you need.

3. Zombie hair: fresh from the grave

Volume, clearly separated strands, a touch of decay. Time needed: 10 minutes.

• You’ll need: Cosmo Crush fiber wax, Hair Color Spray Green, Hair Spray Extreme Hold and a comb.
• Here’s how: Warm Cosmo Crush between your palms and pull your hands apart until threads form like a spider’s web. Work it into dry hair, pull strands out in all directions and backcomb individual sections toward the roots. Green on the tips only – that way it looks like decay, not like a football fan.
• Short hair and beard: Sprinkle Ronin Dust onto the roots and rub it in against the direction of growth with your fingertips; tousle the beard against the grain.

4. Peaky Blinders haircut: Tommy Shelby without makeup

For anyone who doesn’t really want to dress up. Time needed: 10 minutes plus a barber appointment.

• You’ll need: Desert Ronin water-based pomade, a comb, a flat cap and a waistcoat. Have your barber do the undercut with very short sides the week before.
• Here’s how: Warm a fingertip-sized amount between your palms, work it into the towel-dried hair on top, make a deep side part and comb it smoothly to the side. If the cap flattens the part, reshape it with a few drops of water.
• With a beard: Tommy wears barely any beard, his brother Arthur a bold mustache – if you have a mustache, you’re automatically Arthur Shelby.

5. Devil and demon: horns from your own hair

Red for the devil, purple for the demon. Time needed: 15 minutes; for horns you need about 8 cm of hair on top.

• You’ll need: Ultra Hold hair gel, Hair Spray Mega Hold and Hair Color Spray Red or Hair Color Spray Purple.
• Here’s how: Section off a piece of hair on each side of the top of your head, work Ultra Hold into the damp hair, twist each section into a point and blow-dry it. Set the horns with Mega Hold – that way they hold up under the color. Then spray on red or purple and finish with another quick layer of Mega Hold. With short hair, pull the hair on top up into small red spikes instead.
• With a beard: Shave your cheeks clean and trim the hair on your chin into a pointed goatee.

6. Viking: the beard is the costume

The best look for men with a full beard – and if you’re bald, you’re actually at an advantage. Time needed: 15–20 minutes.

• You’ll need: Beard & Mustache Care Oil, small hair ties and, for the hair on your head, Hair Color Spray Gold.
• Here’s how: A few drops of beard oil make the beard hair noticeably softer, so it’s easier to braid. Divide the hair on your chin into three strands, braid them and secure the end with a hair tie – if it’s not long enough, the beard stays wild. If the hair on your head is longer, braid it at the sides or tie it into a knot, and spray the tips gold. The gold goes on the hair on your head only, not on the beard.
• Short hair or bald head: Push short hair on top back with Ronin Dust, tips in gold. With a bald head you don’t need color spray – the braided beard carries the look on its own.

7. Frankenstein and Beetlejuice: flat-top and electrified hair

Two movie characters for short and medium-length hair. Time needed: 10 minutes.

• Frankenstein: Work Ultra Hold into damp hair on top, stand it straight up and blow-dry it upward. For the flat-top – flat as a board on top – press the surface into a straight edge with the flat of your hand. Add a green shimmer along the edges like the monster on film posters, then set it with Mega Hold.
• Beetlejuice: Electric Force matte paste gives volume without shine – as if your hair were electrified. Work it into dry hair, pull it up wildly, backcomb, apply green in patches and set it with Mega Hold.
• With a beard: Frankenstein goes clean-shaven; three-day stubble suits Beetlejuice.

8. Pirate look: salt in your hair, little braids in your beard

The Jack Sparrow look is all about texture, a bandana and beard details. Time needed: 15 minutes.

• You’ll need: Foam Wax Sea Salt, Cosmo Crush, beard oil, two small hair ties, a bandana and, optionally, a dark kohl pencil.
• Here’s how: Scrunch the foam wax into towel-dried hair and let it air-dry – that gives you the matte, salty grip. Twist individual strands with Cosmo Crush, tie the bandana on and braid two thin strands at your chin. If you like, line your eyes with kohl.
• Short hair: The bandana covers almost everything – here, the beard makes the look.

Last-minute Halloween costume: 3 ideas from your wardrobe

No costume in the wardrobe? These three come together from what’s already hanging there:

• Vampire in a suit. Dark suit, white shirt, collar up, the hairstyle from look 2.
• Peaky Blinder. Shirt, waistcoat, coat and flat cap, the side part from look 4.
• Zombie from the rag bag. Take an old shirt you were going to throw out anyway, rip it at the sleeves and hem, hair as in look 3.

Halloween hair color spray: how to apply it properly

Colored hairspray, often called Halloween hairspray, is temporary hair color for one evening: the pigments coat the outside of the hair instead of penetrating it like a tint. The rules for every color look:

1. Hairstyle first, then color. Work in your styling product and let it dry completely – the spray goes onto dry, fully styled hair.
2. Get dressed and cover up. Costume on, towel over your shoulders, shield your forehead and ears with your hand. Close your eyes and never spray toward your face. Only turn your collar up once the color is dry.
3. Shake and keep your distance. Shake the can for 30 seconds and spray in short bursts from 20–30 cm away – any closer and you get blotches.
4. Build it up in layers. Two thin coats beat one wet one; after each layer, let it dry for 2–3 minutes.
5. Lock it in. Extreme Hold keeps both color and hairstyle in place. For horns, spikes and the flat-top, use Mega Hold, the strongest hairspray in our range. After that, don’t run your hands through your hair.

Spray in a well-ventilated room and follow the instructions on the can. One 150 ml can lasts for 8–12 applications – enough for half your crew.

Which color works on which hair

On blond or light brown hair the colors give rich coverage; on dark hair they show up as a shimmer – there, highlight the tips and individual strands instead of the whole head. On dark hair, gold and pink come through strongest. If your hair is bleached or gray, test first on a strand at the nape of your neck. We don’t carry white, gray, silver or black as a spray. For more characters: Hair Color Spray Blue suits an ice-cold undead character, Hair Color Spray Pink a horror clown.

Halloween with a beard: work it into the look instead of painting over it

How do you put on Halloween makeup when you have a beard? Short answer: not in the beard hair at all – makeup clumps there and is a pain to get out again. Here’s the better way:

• Makeup on bare skin only. Forehead, eye area, nose and cheekbones above the beard line – the beard frames the look.
• Shape the beard. A pointed goatee for the devil, a braid for the Viking, two little braids for the pirate, wildly tousled for a zombie or werewolf. Beard oil makes the hair softer and easier to shape.
• Color spray for head hair only. We don’t recommend the sprays for beard or eyebrows – spray has no business near your eyes and mouth.

Timing tip: Movember starts on 1 November, and traditionally you start it clean-shaven. That makes Halloween the full beard’s last night, and the last shave comes the morning after. How it goes from there is covered in the Movember week-by-week guide; if you’re keeping your beard, you’ll find the routine in the beard care guide.

After the party: washing color, wax and fake blood out of your hair and beard

The basic rule: wash it out before you go to sleep, otherwise the color ends up on your pillow. If you can’t make it to the shower, put an old dark towel over your pillow and wash first thing in the morning.

1. Undo braids and backcombing. Carefully undo beard braids, and don’t comb out backcombed sections while they’re dry.
2. Rinse out fake blood first. With lukewarm water until it runs clear – details in the questions below.
3. Wash your hair. Wet it thoroughly with lukewarm water, which softens gel and hairspray. Shampoo, massage your scalp, rinse thoroughly – twice if you used a lot of gel. The color spray comes out with one shampoo; on very light hair with a heavy application, a second round may be needed.
4. Wash the beard separately. Gently massage Beard Shampoo into your beard and skin – it removes styling residue without drying out the beard.
5. Detangle and nourish. Detangle wet hair with a wide-tooth comb, and work a few drops of beard oil into your beard.

The Aqua line waxes, the pomade and the foam wax from this guide are water-soluble. How to wash out wax and gel without leaving any residue is explained in our guide Washing Out Hair Wax & Pomade Properly.

Face: remove makeup first, then care for your skin

Take off kohl, makeup and fake blood on your face that same night with makeup remover wipes or cleansing oil. Dab around the eyes, don’t rub, then wash again with a mild cleanser. In the morning, the Skin Cleansing Peeling Gel goes onto damp, cleansed skin: it removes dead skin cells and preps your skin for shaving. Then apply the Hand & Face Cream Pomegranate, which noticeably moisturizes your skin. If your skin stings or turns red, leave out the peeling gel; if it doesn’t calm down, have it checked by a doctor.

Shipping from Pichl bei Wels – for your mirror and the barbershop

Kabuto Katana is a Japanese-inspired barber and grooming brand; the name refers to the samurai’s helmet. Avida Cosmetics e.U. in Pichl bei Wels is the exclusive distributor for Austria. Orders are placed on kabuto.at and shipped only within Austria.

For barbershops: On party day, color styling after the cut is a quick extra in the chair – done in around 10 minutes. The cape stays on until the color is dry, and the customer can wash it out at home. The undercut for the Peaky Blinders look is best done the week before. How the partnership works for businesses is explained on the For Retailers page.

Common questions about Halloween hairstyles for men

Does fake blood wash out of hair and beard?

Usually, yes: fake blood from costume shops is generally water- or syrup-based. Choose one labeled “washable” on the pack and use only a few drops on the tips of your beard. Afterwards, rinse with lukewarm water until the water runs clear, then wash your hair with shampoo and your beard with beard shampoo, twice if needed. On light or gray hair a pink tinge can remain – so test on an inconspicuous spot first and never leave fake blood on to dry overnight.

Can you color your beard for Halloween?

Not with our color sprays: we recommend them for head hair only, because spray has no business near your eyes and mouth. We don’t carry white or gray as a spray anyway. For your Halloween look, shape the beard instead – a pointed goatee for the devil, a braid for the Viking, two little braids for the pirate. Makeup belongs only on bare skin above the beard line, not in the beard hair.

How long does hair color spray last – even in the rain?

Until your next hair wash: in dry hair, the color lasts all evening. Rain and sweat can partly dissolve the pigments, though, and then the color rubs off on your collar, hood and forehead. So you’re better off taking an umbrella than relying on a hood. For your pillow, the rule still applies: wash it out before you go to sleep.

Ready for the party? You’ll find all six shades in the hair color category, and gel, wax and powder wax under Hair Styling. Which texture suits your hair is covered in the hair wax guide – and the day after, the color and wax are out again.