Morticia Addams makeup is gothic glamour, not a costume face. Porcelain skin, dark smoky eyes finished with a long, sharp wing, high arched brows and a blood red matte lip, framed by very long, straight black hair. It takes about 25 minutes, needs no face paint, and it is the rare Halloween look you could wear to a dinner. Here it is step by step.
What makes it read as Morticia
The character lives in three details: the porcelain base, the long sharp wing, and the blood red lip. The hair, dead straight and jet black with a center part, frames them. Where her daughter Wednesday is flat and deadpan, Morticia is fully sculpted and polished, and that contrast is what makes a mother and daughter pair work.
For the daughter's look, see our Wednesday Addams makeup guide, and for the rest of this season's characters, the trending Halloween costumes roundup.
Morticia Addams makeup, step by step
1. Build a porcelain base
A foundation one shade lighter than your own, applied thinly and buffed in, then set with a translucent powder. Flawless matters more than pale, so conceal carefully before you powder.
2. Sculpt with a cool contour
A cool taupe contour under the cheekbones, along the jaw and at the temples, blended well. Morticia's face is sharp, and the contour is what gives the pale base its shape.
3. Arch the brows high
Brush the brows up and draw a higher, sharper arch than usual in a dark brown or soft black. This is what makes the face look knowing and a little amused.
4. Smoke the eyes
A matte charcoal or deep brown blended through the crease and along the lower lash line, darker at the outer corners. Keep the inner lid slightly lighter so the eyes do not close up.
5. Draw the long wing
With black liquid liner, draw a long, sharp wing that extends past the outer corner toward the end of the brow. Take it further than you normally would. Add a full coat of black mascara or a pair of wispy lashes.
6. Paint the blood red lip
Line with a deep red pencil, fill completely, and press a blood red matte lipstick on top. Blot, then apply a second coat. Keep the edges crisp; this is the one precise detail of the whole look.
The hair and the dress
Morticia's hair is very long, dead straight and jet black, with a center part. Flat iron it smooth and add a light shine serum. If your hair is shorter or lighter, a long black wig is the fastest route. You can preview the length and the color on your own photo first: a straight long style with a jet black shade is close to the look.
The dress is a long, fitted black gown with long sleeves that flare at the wrist and a hem that trails on the floor. Carry a single long stemmed rose and the costume is finished. A pale, cool nail color, or deep red to match the lip, and a single silver ring are the small details that make it look deliberate rather than store bought. If you want to keep the black hair past October, our hair ideas by season guide covers deep winter shades.
Pair it with a vampire or a witch
Morticia's makeup sits right next to a glam vampire look: the same pale sculpted skin and dark eyes, with a deeper crimson lip. Our vampire makeup guide walks through it if someone in your group wants the more obviously spooky version.
See Morticia on your own face first
A long sharp wing and a blood red lip suit some eye shapes and skin tones far better than others, and it is hard to judge from a photo of someone else. HairGlam's Halloween Studio puts the Gothic Matriarch look, sleek black hair included, on a photo of your face in seconds. Your first 4 Halloween looks are free, on iPhone and iPad. Try Morticia Addams makeup on your own face in HairGlam before you buy the red.
Try Morticia Addams makeup on your own face
Your first 4 Halloween looks are free. 39 face paint and costume looks, no mess, nothing to wash off.
Character names describe costume looks only. HairGlam is not affiliated with the shows or films mentioned.
Questions people ask
What makeup does Morticia Addams wear?
How is Morticia makeup different from Wednesday's?
What hair do I need for a Morticia costume?
Can I wear Morticia makeup outside Halloween?
Read next
Hair ideas by season: what to change in fall, winter, spring, summer
Wednesday Addams makeup: the deadpan look, braids and all
Vampire makeup: an easy look in 6 steps, and the hair that sells it
Trending Halloween costumes 2026: 10 character makeup looks
Harley Quinn makeup: the smudged pink and blue look, step by step
