Halloween is the only time of year when it’s perfectly acceptable to walk the streets dressed as your favorite ratchet celeb, stalwart civil right activist or comic book villain. In one of those, “they’re just like us” moments,” celebrities also like to partake in the make believe activities of the day and spare no expense to do show their spirit for the day.
While most of us don’t have the coins to go full throttle on a costume, we put together this list of some of our favorite A-list stars who have shared their creativity in costume concept and execution and posted their favorite snaps on Instagram and elsewhere.
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As we explore what goes bump in the night on All Hallow’s Eve, scroll through for some of the most epic celebrity costumes of all time.
Beyoncé
Queen Bey loves posing as fellow music icons for Halloween. From Janet Jackson to Lil’ Kim and Salt-N-Pepa, there have been pretty good ones over the years, but her flawless execution of legendary R&B singer Toni Braxton takes the cake. Oh, and that short pixie cut is everything!
Jhene Aiko
R&B songstress Jhene Aiko paid homage to the late Dorothy Dandridge last year by channeling her iconic character Carmen Jones from the 1954 musical film of the same name.
Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade took #RelationshipGoals to the next level when they dressed as defamed ‘90s act Milli Vanilli for Halloween. The couple’s somewhat uncoordinated dance routine completely sealed the deal.
John Legend & Chrissy Teigen
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen always set the bar high when it comes to the couples edition of Halloween. Inspired by the 1947 film Copacabana, Hollywood’s most beloved couple transformed into Carmen Miranda and Groucho Marx.
Ashanti
Even dressed up as Smurfette, Ashanti is still insanely gorgeous.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer’s love for the late, great Aaliyah runs deep. In 2015, Keke recreated baby girl’s iconic look from the “Try Again” music video. From the smokey eye to the rhinestone bra and choker, the “I Don’t Belong to You” singer nailed the entire look.
Rihanna
Rihanna rocks scales and green body paint in 2014 to dress as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Now that’s what dedication looks like.
Nicki Minaj
Rapper Nicki Minaj is known for fearlessly rocking bold looks on and off the stage, but in this case, she flaunts those world-famous curves to embody a sexy fairy princess for Halloween.
LeBron James
LeBron James is completely unrecognizable as the character Pennywise from Stephen King’s It. The three-time NBA champion took it one step further by eerily carrying a bunch of balloons around at one of his annual Halloween bashes.
Jessica Williams & Danielle Brooks
“Boo yow!” Livin’ large and takin’ charge, Jessica Williams and Danielle Brooks stole our hearts when they went as besties Mickey and Nisi from the infamous film, B*A*P*S.
Zendaya
Zendaya, you’re a genius. We never would’ve guessed that this spooky-yet-glamorous get-up was actually a filter, but we’re here for it! All the effort, none of the mess.
Kelly Rowland
“As if!” The beautiful Kelly Rowland stepped back into the ‘90s for this Clueless-inspired get-up. Ms. Kelly’s impression of Dionne Davenport was spot on!
Diddy
Diddy dressed as Prince for Halloween a few years ago goes making the history books as one of the greatest costumes ever.
Usher and Tyler Perry
Usher and Tyler Perry get a round of applause for going the extra mile to dress as musical legends Rick James and Run-D.M.C. Bonus points if Usher uttered these four words: “I’m Rick James, bitch!”
Trey Songz
Let’s be honest: Even dressed as Freddy Krueger, R&B crooner Trey Songz still makes the ladies swoon!
Cardi B
Cardi B embodied Disney villain Cruella de Vil at last year’s Bacardi Halloween bash. The “I Like It” rapper deserves major props for rocking a half-white, half-black wig and for bringing along a real-life Dalmatian to the festivities.
Chance the Rapper and Kirsten Corley
Chance the Rapper and his fiance, Kirsten Corley are adorable paying homage to the late rapper Tupac Shakur and his back-in-the-day bestie, Jada Pinkett-Smith. The Chicago native rocked a bald head and nose ring, while Kirsten stunned in a curly blonde wig.
EJ Johnson
Ciara