DIY: Halloween Makeup

Boo.

Happy Halloween! We
might be scared of ghosts, goblins and things that go boo in the night, but we
love taking in the wide array of costumes that come with this pseudo-holiday, especially those that display some
wit and artistry. And, boy, are we ready to indulge in the treats of the
season.

While we all have an
inner geek or diva to tap for costume inspiration (and know how we want to dress our pets too) most of us aren’t trained
special effects makeup artists. Not to fear! We’ve found some tricks up our sleeves that are sure to earn you extra treats tonight. Check out these great
tutorials from the fourth floor and beyond:

Fake wounds:

Not for the faint of
heart. All you need is a little bit of flesh latex, fake blood, red, taupe,
brown and black makeup, a sponge, toothpicks and Q-tips to make an incredibly realistic
gash or laceration like the one below.

1. Clean the area you want to build a wound on of dirt and oil.
2. Apply flesh latex to the area and use Q-tips to create the shape of an open wound. Trick one: to add more detail/jagged edges wait until the latex is semi-dry and sticky, then use toothpicks to mould it. Trick two: to create the illusion of a deeper wound, use tissue paper with the latex to build up the outer area of the wound (note: this will require more drying time).
3. Once the latex is dry, use the sponge to apply coloured makeup. Add shading that calls to mind bruising or putrid, rotting flesh.
4. Add fake blood to the centre of the wound and smear some outside it.

Image Source.

Eye-popping alterations:

Are you channelling a cartoon character or starlet from Hollywood’s golden days this year? It doesn’t take much outside the standard makeup kit to make your peepers pop. If you don’t have these around you may want to pick up: false lashes, lash glue, black liquid liner and a white eye pencil. The more committed may want to pick up some eyebrow wax and sealer.

1. Apply concealer and foundation to create a smooth skin finish.
2. Apply eyeshadow as usual, using your character for inspiration to determine colour and intensity.
3. Line the top of the upper lash line with a black liquid liner (again using your character’s look as a guide: for example, thicker for Betty Boop and thinner for Marilyn Monroe) and the inside of the lower lash with the white pencil.
4. Fake lashes: Glue on your falsies. For the beginner, we recommend strips rather than singles. Before applying the lashes hold them up to the lashline you are applying them to – you may need to trim the length so they fit comfortably. If you’re using professional eyelash glue, apply it to the base of the fake lashes and wait for it to get tacky before pressing them on (most drugstore glue brands will be tacky right away). Position the falsies and wait a couple minutes for them to fully dry before applying mascara.
   *Tip: use a foaming face wash to remove the eyelashes. If you wash the glue off the base after removal and reform the falsies before leaving them to dry they can be used again.
5. Brand new brows: Either use eye shadow and/or a brow pencil to fill the eyebrows in so that they have the distinctive linear quality of a cartoon character or cover the eyebrows and draw the preferred shape on with liner. Covering the eyebrows can be a tricky process that requires patience more than anything. First, use a professional eyebrow wax followed by a sealant or a glue stick to cover over the brows. The best bet if you’re using a glue stick (just make sure it is washable and water-based, you MacGyver) is to coat the brows in the direction of hair growth and allow the glue to set in several thin layers since they go on smoother and dry better. Once the brows are fully dry, cover them over with foundation and follow with a loose powder. Now you’re free to draw on new brows or even affix a feather or bit of lace. *Tip: don’t lose those real full brows trying to remove the makeup after. Press a warm, damp wash cloth to the area to loosen up the sealant before attempting to remove it with soap; you can add eye makeup remover to the mix as well. If you’re nervous it doesn’t hurt to test the product somewhere else first!

Image source.

Remember this is a fun holiday – it’s not about perfection. For most of us the opportunity to go crazy with makeup only comes around once a year so we are itching to try something new. Here are a few more inspiring tutorials if you’re feeling ambitious: