If you’ve ever seen a really amazing make-up job, then you may be like me… one part amazed, and two parts intimidated. However, with a little practice, some stunning (…or shocking, depending on your preferences) Halloween make-up can be yours this year.
You just have to remember to be bold, daring and to use a steady hand. There are lots of very simple make up tips that anyone can use with. For instance, I helped my niece dress up for Halloween with her entire face painted to represent the classic Dia del los Muertos or Mexican Day of the Dead. In American culture, some people refer to them as “sugar skulls.” When my neice came to me with the picture of the make-up she wanted, I was overwhelmed. We’re talking some heavy-duty artistry…or so I thought.
As it turns out, it was one of the easiest make-up jobs I’ve ever done. So what was the trick? Lots of black liquid eyeliner. That’s it. Start by coloring the entire face white, then color in the area around the eye sockets with a color, blue, purple, red, black… whatever strikes your fancy, and once that’s done, just use the eyeliner to create designs all over the face. Spider webs, a black skull nose, skeleton teeth. When you’re done with that, viola you add some glitter and a rose in your hair and you are uber-spooky. The basic principle here is to go bold, and be creative and daring with your choice of color palate.
For kids, who may not be as patient while sitting in the make-up chair, you can use some simple face paint. Add a few flames on the cheeks of a boy in firefighter costume, or some orange eyeshadow and green eyelashes for a pumpkin costume.
Once you’ve had the fun of the reaction of friends and family when they see you with some extreme make-up, you’ll be hooked and will want to go bigger and better every year. You just need the tips to get you there.
My Top 10 Halloween Make-up Tricks
- Start with a clean face
- Practice, practice, practice
- Allow plenty of time for minor mistake fixes
- Be patient
- If using tacky glue, adhesives, false hair, teeth, or prosthetics, make sure you’ve made it all stick! You don’t want your nose to fall off halfway through the night.
- Take extras like make-up remover wipes, and extra touch-up make up if you’re going to have a long night.
- Go BOLD! The rule of thumb here is when you think you’ve got on too much make-up, add more.
- Glitter, jewels, false eyelashes and other items are a great way to give your costume an extra pop.
- Make up kits are a great, inexpensive way to get macabre colors into your palatte without spending too much.
- HAVE FUN! Halloween make-up allows you to be anyone for a day and to take on a new persona, so why not enjoy it?
About Emma Rae Curtis