See Celebratory Mardi Gras Beauty Looks From Around the World

Coney Island once had a huge Mardi Gras celebration of its own, so in homage to it, there's now a yearly event called the Mermaid Parade, with wild body paint and great costumes.

Why, there's a mermaid now.

Is that you . . . Scariel?

Rio's carnival is the ultimate in glitz and high-end costumes. This samba queen's amazing demon headpiece and costume are some of our favorites.

This look features gorgeous bright yellow feathers and enough diamanté to make a Vegas showgirl jealous.

Last year, Gisele Bündchen was back home in Brazil, heading up a float of her own.

Seeing this woman dance in all her finery makes us wonder just how much a sparkly headpiece weighs.

The Rio festival's big headpieces are brilliant, but Haiti has its own cool, inventive approach.

Glitter is big, no matter where in the world you're celebrating.

As in the US, face paint plays a large role in Haitian Mardi Gras celebrations.

African, Caribbean, and European traditions blend in Haiti's Mardi Gras celebrations, creating a rich syncretic tradition.

Yup, Mardi Gras is popular in Germany, too.

Each year in Sydney, Australia, there's an enormous Mardi Gras celebration that focuses on the country's LGBT community.

The makeup and styling are quite impressive.

Don't forget the wigs and body paint.

This green glitter lipstick is absolutely perfect for Mardi Gras.

In Sydney, even pets get into the spirit.

In New Orleans, some of the oldest Mardi Gras groups are the "Indians," primarily African-American social clubs whose members wear gorgeous feathered costumes and head floats with such storied traditions that they've become an ingrained part of the city's heritage.

During Mardi Gras, one of the most common face-painting techniques is duo tone. It looks particularly good if you use a third color as an accent for your lips and eyes.

Rhinestones, wigs, and Southern decadence, oh my.

If the traditional Mardi Gras colors (purple, green, and gold) don't interest you, there's always going the Old Glory route.

American Mardi Gras has developed a culture of costuming that's a little different from other places. Instead of focusing on glamour and glitz, you'll see Raggedy Anns, vampires, zombies, bedraggled Southern belles, cowboys, gangsters, skeletons, and all manner of fun styling.

If you ever get invited to come along with one of the Mardi Gras krewes, just remember to dress to match your group's colors.