Stories & Guides
Istanbul guides, event recaps, nightlife tips, and everything you need to make the most of the city.
The most popular Halloween makeup looks for men are a skull, the Joker, a vampire, a zombie and stitches. Even without makeup experience they take about half an hour, and the basic supplies are white and black face paint.
The most popular Halloween makeup looks for women are a witch, a vampire, a skull, Black Swan and the Corpse Bride. Most take under an hour, using everyday makeup plus white face paint and a dark lipstick.
Halloween masks come in three main types: full masks that cover the whole face (Michael Myers, Ghostface), half masks that cover the upper face and eye masks that frame the eyes.
The easiest Halloween makeup looks are a cat, a half-face skull, a vampire and stitches. All four can be done at home in under half an hour with eyeliner, white face paint and a dark lipstick.
The top Halloween costume ideas for men are Michael Myers, the Joker, Dracula, Thomas Shelby and Pennywise. The ten ideas below run from costumes made with a suit to ones that need a mask and makeup.
The top Halloween costume ideas for women are a witch, Morticia Addams, Wednesday Addams, Harley Quinn and Cruella de Vil. The ten ideas below run from easy to elaborate, each with the pieces it needs.
Easy Halloween costumes are built from clothes already in the wardrobe plus one or two added pieces: a cat, Wednesday Addams, Men in Black and a vampire lead the list of ten. Most are ready in an evening without buying a costume.
The most recognisable couple Halloween costumes are Morticia and Gomez Addams, Harley Quinn and the Joker, Beetlejuice and Lydia and a vampire couple.
In Istanbul, buy a Halloween costume from Kostumpartim, masks and makeup in Tahtakale, and pieces for a costume built from clothes in the Grand Bazaar or İstiklal's second-hand shops. The code SAUCY gives 5% off at Kostumpartim.
A proper Sunday in Istanbul usually means a park: a lawn for a picnic, a walking path, a café in something historic, ideally a Bosphorus or sea view. Nine that deliver, including Pierre Loti above Eyüp.
Netflix's Turkish slate worth watching in 2026, and the classics like Şahsiyet, Ezel and Kara Sevda that earned their reputation over years, with the official trailer for each.
From Tarkan and Sezen Aksu to Semicenk, Mabel Matiz and Ezhel: eleven artists who map Turkish music in 2026, and where to start if the whole scene is new to you.