The Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes

By Mari Kasanuki
Updated: Oct 27, 2017 @ 3:03 pm
beyonce/Instagram

Hollywood pulls out all the stops when it comes to dressing up and Halloween is no exception. And judging by Instagram, the holiday is always a smashing success.

In 2016, some families opted for group costumes: Beyoncé and Blue Ivy were Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson while Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson dressed up as Danny and Sandy from Grease in all-black ensembles and '60s hair. Kate Upton and Justin Verlander also took on the unforgettable characters. Gigi Hadid reminded us that you can make Halloween chic, as she transformed into a Cub Scout, and Heidi Klum, who always hosts the hottest costume party of the year, multiplied herself—literally. 

As if she'd known that one of 2017's biggest films would be It, Madonna dressed up as the terrorizing clown, giving us the spooks for weeks. Another favorite? Adele as Jim Carrey's The Mask?

VIDEO: The Most Unforgettable Kardashian Halloween Costumes

So how have the stars pumped up the Halloween volume this year? Vanessa Hudgens dished about her look, saying she planned to transform into Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, a latex-clad masterpiece that's bound to turn heads.

Scroll to see 100 of the best celebrity Halloween costumes ever. 

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1 of 100

Adele

adele/Instagram

For Halloween 2016, the singer dressed as Jim Carrey’s The Mask from the 1994 comedy classic. Her costume consisted of a zoot suit, polka-dot tie, and a strikingly realistic mask.

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Jessica Simpson, Eric Johnson, Maxwell Drew, and Ace Knute

jessicasimpson/Instagram

The Johnson clan went all out for Halloween, with Maxwell dressed up as a parrot and Ace as an octopus. As for mom and dad, they looked incredible as Danny and Sandy from Grease in all-black ensembles and '60s hair.

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Josh Duhamel, Fergie, and Axl Jack Duhamel

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The actor opted for an Incredibles costume, while the singer and their 3-year-old son coordinated in Harley Quinn and the Joker outfits.

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Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Blue Ivy

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Queen Bey slayed the Halloween game as "Black Barbie" in a black-and-white striped swimsuit and retro cat-eye sunglasses. Her hubby Jay Z dressed up as Ken in a black tuxedo, while their 4-year-old daughter Blue Ivy was totally mesmerized by mom and dad.

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Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and Silas

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The trio gave a nod to Timberlake's new movie, Trolls, by dressing up as characters from the animated film. "When you make your whole family dress up as characters from the movie you're in but your wife secretly loves it and your son won't keep his troll wig on," the musician joked.

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Taylor Swift and her squad

taylorswift/Instagram

The songstress did Halloween right with a Deadpool costume, thanks to the man behind the mask, Mr. Ryan Reynolds. Swift dressed up with squad members Martha Hunt, Gigi Hadid, Lily Donaldson, Camila Cabello, and more. "Happy Halloween from Deadpool, a Cub Scout, Martha Brady, a space cadet, a granny with a lost cat, black swan, and a birthday girl dressed as a cat," she wrote on Instagram.

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7 of 100

Gigi Hadid

AKM-GSI

The model was an adorable Cub Scout for Halloween and dressed in a blue button-up, green velvet pants, and chukka boots. Accessories like a bandana scarf, suspenders, and a brown hat totally made the outfit.

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Ariana Grande and Mac Miller

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The pop star and her new beau capitalized on 2016's Pokémon Go craze by going as Eevee and Pikachu. Grande looked adorable in long ears and a fur-embellished piece.

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Heidi Klum

Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan

Klum's costume was very different at her 2016 Halloween party. While she herself was recognizable, it was hard to distinguish the model from the five clones of herself that she created (with help from prosthetics).

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Gabrielle Union

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The Almost Christmas star looked (and felt!) sexy in a black, red, and white costume inspired by British Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton.

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Ciara and Russell Wilson

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The newlyweds and expectant parents injected humor into All Hallows' Eve by going as presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

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Jacob Tremblay

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The Room breakout star and his hot dad were too cute as Maverick and a mini Maverick from Top Gun. "I feel the need for ... candy!" he hilariously captioned this photo.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar

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The Buffy star looked hot as DC Comics villain Poison Ivy in a green strapless mini with a tulle skirt. She completed the costume with green and black striped tights and a red wig.

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Madonna

madonna/Instagram

Her Madgesty took the scary route by dressing up as a terrifying clown in a mask, rendering her almost totally unrecognizable. "Clowns are people too!" she captioned this 'gram.

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Gwen Stefani

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The singer put a gory twist on an Alice in Wonderland costume while trick-or-treating with her sons, sporting fake blood dribbling down her chin.

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16 of 100

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander

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The engaged couple rocked their Grease costumes, making a convincing Danny and Sandy. Upton looked gorgeous with blonde ringlets in an off-the-shoulder black top, while Verlander was a stud in a leather jacket.

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Hailey Baldwin

haileybaldwin/Instagram

The model made the perfect Barbie, donning a pink one-piece, fishnet tights, and high socks. She completed the look with a matching headband, high ponytail, and pink pout.

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Channing, Jenna Dewan, and Everly Tatum

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The Tatum clan gave a nod to a Disney fave in their Beauty and the Beast costumes. "Two belles and a beast," Jenna captioned this sweet photo of the fam.

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Olivia Culpo

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The brunette beauty donned an adorable monkey headpiece and matching brown lip on Halloween night. "No monkey business!!" she wrote.

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Katherine Heigl

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The Grey's Anatomy alum and her daughters dressed as blood-thirsty vampires feeding on the Beast, aka her hubby Josh Kelley. "It was a wicked night for the Kelley girls," she wrote.

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Vanessa Hudgens

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The High School Musical alum took the plunge in a lace-up black bodysuit as a scary skeleton. Her boyfriend Austin Butler joined her in matching face paint, making for one terrifying un-dead couple.

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Alec Baldwin

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The actor and his adorable clan were caped superheroes on Halloween: They dressed as the family from The Incredibles.

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MIndy Kaling

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The actress was a protective godmother on Halloween, dressing up as the beekeeper to her godson's bee.

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Gisele Bündchen and Benjamin

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The model hilariously dressed up as the Luigi to her son's Mario and donned a green hat, overalls, and a mustache. "When your son wants to be super Mario but no one wants to be Luigi. This is what you do," she joked.

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25 of 100

New Girl Cast

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The cast of Fox's hit show got into character on Halloween by recreating the players of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Zooey Deschanel was a spot-on Marcia Clark, while Lamorne Morris dressed up as Christopher Darden. Jake Johnson was Robert Kardashian, Hannah Simone was Judge Lance Ito, and Max Greenfield rounded out the pack as Robert Shapiro.

26 of 100

Lindsay Lohan

lindsaylohan/Instagram

The Mean Girls star was an impeccable Harley Quinn on Halloween. She channeled the Suicide Squad character with dip-dyed pigtails, wacky makeup, a blue and red bomber, and, of course, a baseball bat.

27 of 100

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, and Tina Knowles

beyonce/Instagram

Three generations of the Knowles family crushed the 2016 Halloween game with these Salt-N-Pepa-inspired costumes. Bey channeled Sandra "Pepa" Denton, while Tina and Blue dressed up as Deidra "Dee Dee" Roper and Cheryl "Salt" James from the "Push It" music video.

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28 of 100

Kylie Jenner

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In 2016, the youngest Kar-Jenner nailed her Christina Aguilera "Dirrty" costume, complete with extra-long dip-dyed hair extensions and facial piercings. Kylie showed off her killer bod in a red-and-white striped bikini top, cheeky red shorts, and matching chaps.

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Kendall Jenner

AKM-GSI

The model proved that even a simple costume can be totally sexy with her plunging latex dress, thigh-high stockings, and combat boots. She completed the killer look with black lipstick, layered chokers, and a waist-defining corset.

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Naomi Watts

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Watts celebrated the haunted holiday with two little ones in tow: She went spooky as a bloodied ballerina, while the kids were a dead bride and a beheaded man.

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Bette Midler

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Midler got nostalgic for Halloween and resurrected her character Winifred Sanderson from the beloved classic Hocus Pocus.

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Jessica Alba

AKM-GSI    

The actress pulled off the ultimate BFF costume with her friend Kelly Sawyer, dressing up as Patsy and Edina from the movie, Ab Fab—wine bottles in hand!

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Kourtney Kardashian and kids

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For one of many Halloween costumes this year, Kourtney rocked a red and white Power Ranger suit. Mason, 6, wore a black ensemble, while 4-year-old Penelope looked cute in pink and 1-year-old Reign was an adorable red Ranger.

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34 of 100

Jennifer Lopez's Kids

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Eight-year-old Emme rocked a fierce catsuit for Halloween, while her twin, Max, went as Bowser from Mario. "HAPPY HALLOWEEN," Lopez captioned the cute photo.

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Nicole Richie

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The fashion designer and her friend went as magicians Siegfried and Roy in sparkly outfits and glitzy gold leggings.

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Neil Patrick Harris and family

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The How I Met Your Mother star and his clan may have pulled off the best group costume yet. Six-year-old Harper made a fierce Marilyn Monroe, while proud pops Harris and David Burtka dressed as Groucho Marx and Charlie Chaplin. Harper's twin, Gideon, rounded things out as a handsome James Dean.

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37 of 100

Ivanka Trump's kids

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Five-year-old Arabella and 3-year-old Joseph dressed up as characters from the Disney Junior series PJ Masks, while 7-month-old Theodore looked adorable as Mickey Mouse.

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Martha Hunt as Elvira Hancock from Scarface

Michael Stewart/Getty

The look for less:

When the Moons Out Maxi Dress ($20; nastygal.com)

Wear it forever:

Michelle Mason Strappy Wrap Gown ($897; farfetch.com)

39 of 100

Kylie Jenner and Tyga

kyliejenner / instagram

Jenner got an early start on All Hallows' Eve and rang in the spooky holiday with a "Dead Dinner" at her house. The 19-year-old went as a sexy contoured skeleton, while her boyfriend, Tyga, was unrecognizable in an all-black outfit and creepy skeleton makeup.

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40 of 100

Cindy Crawford and Family

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The supermodel and her stunning family pulled off the ultimate group costume by dressing in head-to-toe punk rock outfits. Crawford accessorized her wild look with orange highlights, while her look-alike daughter Kaia Gerber went glam in a pink bouffant and black winged eyeliner. Her son, Presley Gerber, slicked back his brown hair, while dad Rande showed off blue spikes.

41 of 100

Shay Mitchell

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The Pretty Little Liars star channeled her inner biker chick in a "last minute" costume.

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Kourtney Kardashian

AKM-GSI

Somehow, this mom of three made her dead bride costume look utterly sexy in a short lace dress and thigh-high white stockings.

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43 of 100

Kate Hudson

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The star went retro for Katy Perry's '50s-themed bash and showed off her incredible abs in a crop top and printed skirt.

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Katy Perry

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The pop star was unrecognizable as presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton with prosthetics, a blonde wig, and a red pantsuit.

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Khloé Kardashian

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The reality star was a totally convincing Storm from Marvel's X-Men and looked fierce with silver hair and light colored contacts.

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46 of 100

Victoria Justice

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show star nailed her Beetlejuice costume in a green-tinted wig, dark lipstick, and a sexy striped outfit.

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Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

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The hot couple coordinated at Perry's "Hudson High" birthday party. Perry went as "Principal Hudson" for the Grease-themed bash with a high yellow bouffant 'do, while Bloom looked adorable in a red letter jacket and short gym shorts.

48 of 100

Alessandra Ambrosio

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The model gave us costume inspo as Jessica Rabbit and showed off her amazing bod in a strapless sequined high-slit gown. She paired the look with a matching wig, purple gloves, and pointed-toe pumps.

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49 of 100

Ariel Winter

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The Modern Family star made spooky look sexy as a zombie nurse. She paired contoured white and red face makeup with a white wig and a nurse costume for the creepy costume.

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Halle Berry

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Berry went all out as a skeleton for Halloween: She wore realistic face paint and a wild red wig with her black and white costume.

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Bella Thorne

bella

The actress pulled out all the stops for a zombie cheerleader costume and showed off her killer abs in the process.

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52 of 100

Amy Schumer

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The comedian and her boyfriend Ben Hanisch among the many friend groups who went as the children from the summer's hit Netflix series Stranger Things. But instead of dressing up as Eleven herself, Schumer hilariously gave her boyfriend the honor.

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Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas

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The longtime friends and recent tourmates took a walk down the yellow brick road as Dorothy and the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz.

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Jenna Dewan Tatum

jennaldewan / instagram

This sparkle enthusiast made all our glittery unicorn dreams come true with an epic, Pinterest-worthy costume. Dewan Tatum painted her hair silver and added colorful extensions for a long ponytail "mane," then glammed up her face with major sparkle and topped off the look with a unicorn horn.

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55 of 100

Nina Dobrev and Taylor Lautner

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These stars had the same idea of dressing up as silver-haired Ryan Lochte from the 2016 Rio Olympics. Lautner showed skin in a half-zipped warm-up jacket while Dobrev went all in with a "shirtless" tee.

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Mindy Kaling

mindykaling/Instagram

Leave it to the pop-culture-savvy Kaling to make her Halloween costume timely. The Mindy Project star went as Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenberger from the 2016 movie, Sully.

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Jacob Tremblay

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Proving once again that he's wise beyond his years, the Room star dressed as Marty McFly from Back to the Future. "Only the adults knew who I was," he joked on Instagram.

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58 of 100

Demi Lovato, Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea

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Rapper Iggy Azalea (far right) showed she has quite the sense of humor. After Snoop Dogg said she looked like Marlon Wayans of White Chicks, she dressed up as the character for Halloween 2014. Certainly she had Demi Lovato (far left), who went as Lucille Ball, laughing. She posted this picture to her Instagram saying, "Me, @jlo & @thenewclassic who had me dying tonight with that costume."

59 of 100

Debra Messing

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Debra Messing dressed up as Kit from the classic baseball movie A League of Their Own while her son, Roman, channeled Al Capone.

60 of 100

Neil Patrick Harris

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Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, and twins Harper and Gideon dressed up as classic Batman characters: the Riddler, the Joker, Catwoman, and the Dark Knight himself.
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61 of 100

Hailee Steinfeld and Sarah Hyland

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Sarah Hyland dressed up as Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick while Hailee Steinfeld took on Miranda Sings, an Internet character created by YouTube personality Colleen Ballinger.

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Adriana Lima

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Adriana Lima and her family went as characters from The Little Mermaid (the Disney movie turns 25 this month!).

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Alessandra Ambrosio

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Alessandra Ambrosio channeled her wild side as a snow leopard this Halloween.
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64 of 100

Kelly Osbourne

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"On this hallows eve I am going as #MargotTenenbaum! What do you guys think?" Kelly Osbourne captioned this photo. "I hope I did you justice @gwynethPaltrow!!!"

65 of 100

North West

kimkardashian/Instagram
"My little stinker is waiting to show daddy her costume. Halloween has started early this morning," Mom, Kim Kardashian, wrote about North's adorable skunk costume.

66 of 100

Nina Dobrev

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"Its all about CAPTAIN CANADA. Killing the villains with Kindness," Nina Dobrev said about her take on the Marvel character Captain America.
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67 of 100

Rita Ora

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It's a Barbie world for pop star Rita Ora, who attended the Death of a Geisha costume party in London.

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Rihanna

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Who knew Leonardo wore a corset? Riri went as a gilded version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (her pals were dressed as the other characters) while out and about in New York City.

69 of 100

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

Premiere/Rocstar/CPR/BJJ/Stoiano/FameFlynet
Blood-sucking never looked so good. The hot music couple wore coordinated vampire costumes to Kate Hudson's annual Halloween party in Brentwood, California.
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Lea Michele

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The actress, who posted this photo to Instagram, made for a sexy little red riding hood.

71 of 100

Kim Kardashian and North West

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Fashion flock! The reality star dons a bob as editor in chief of Vogue Anna Wintour, while little North dressed up as Andre Leon Talley, her makeup artist Joyce Bonellie as Grace Coddington and Bonelli's son as a mini Karl Lagerfeld.

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Kim Kardashian

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Not content with just one costume, Kardashian is a fright with her second costume: a gorgeously spooky skeleton!
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73 of 100

Beyonce and Blue Ivy

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Pop royalty! Beyonce is in full Janet Jackson mode while Blue Ivy dresses as Michael Jackson.

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Taylor Swift

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Swift got creative with her costume, dressing up as a hybrid between a unicorn and Pegasus, or a "pegacorn" as the singer captioned her costume on Instagram.

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Heidi Klum

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Known for her spectacular costumes, Klum didn't disappoint this year with this maximalist butterfly getup, which she wore to her 15th annual Halloween party.
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76 of 100

Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn

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The mother-daughter duo and their gang of friends dressed up as the crew from Sons of Anarchy for Hudson's Halloween bash in Los Angeles.

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Katy Perry

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For Kate Hudson's Halloween Party in Los Angeles, the singer was on fire in a Flamin' Hot Cheeto costume, complete with a red bodysuit, red hight-top converse, and a Hot Cheetos purse.

78 of 100

Kate Hudson

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Hudson complemented her new pink locks with Day of the Dead face paint in a bright palette of pink, blue, and white. She finished the look with an oversized rose in her hair.
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79 of 100

Naya Rivera