With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time to think about costumes again. Every year, we’re faced with the same choices when it comes to our Halloween make-up looks. Create an artistic masterpiece which is beautiful to behold, or use your make-up skills to really freak people out? Here at Her Campus Exeter, we decided to put together three examples of each to try and help you make your decision.
Black Swan
A classic look, the Black Swan will be one of the most effortlessly chic costumes you’ll ever put together. The makeup won’t require you to have an endless list of products to hand, but instead relies mainly on black liner and eye shadow. Start off by applying white face paint or extra pale foundation to create a base, use your liner to sketch out a feathery pattern around your eyes, and finish with a bold, dark lip. Follow one of the many YouTube tutorials if you need more guidance with the eye-makeup. Pair your look with a black tutu and tiara, or just a plain black dress for a more basic look, and you’ll be good to go.
Mermaid
Dressing as a mermaid for Halloween is a great way to inject a bit of colour into your costume this year. Creating your scaly masterpiece isn’t as hard as you’d think. Start off with an aquatic eye makeup look, focusing on pale greens and blues and use false lashes for a seductive finish. Then grab an old pair of fishnet tights, hold a section to your skin and dab across your face in the same shades you used on your eyes. The shadows will mix together and create a beautiful scaly pattern, and you can use some shimmery shades for an extra splash of watery sparkle. Complete your look with shell jewellery and if you can brave them, coloured contact lenses.
Pop Art
If you’re keen to make a big effort on your make-up look, the Pop Art face could be for you. This design requires more attention to detail than others, but the end result will be worth it. This look also allows you to spend almost no money at all, as you would just have to wear colourful clothes you already own. If you’re at a loss, there are several YouTube videos that show you how to achieve this dotty look. In principle, it is all about accentuating your features using black liquid liner to really create that cartoonish aesthetic. Be prepared to need a lot of patience for all those little red dots, but don’t be put off, once you’re finished, your costume will be picture perfect.
Ventriloquist’s Doll
This classically creepy look is all about creating illusions with your make-up, of both wider eyes and a gaping mouth. Use a white creamy eyeliner or face paint underneath your lower lash-line to extend your eyes, and use red lipstick, black eyeliner and more white face paint to create a doll-like mouth. Add lots of blusher and false lashes and the look will be complete.
Clown
One of the freakiest Halloween characters has to be the clown. This look will be sure to give your friends a few scares, and doesn’t need too many different products. The main element of the look is the wide mouth and sharp teeth, which can be created with a deep red lipstick outlined in black, with a dark, shadowy black centre and bright white pointy teeth. Red and purple eyeshadows can be used to develop a bruised look around the eyes, and more black liquid liner creates the ultimate harlequin style eye make-up.
Skeleton
The way to make this look extra-creepy is to really focus on the detail of the skeletal face. Using only black and white face paint or liquid liner, and black and grey eyeshadows, this design is minimal on the products but demands lots of focus. The main part which will take up most of your effort and time is the jaw and mouth, as each tooth needs to be accentuated with shadowing. Once you’ve nailed the look, however, you’ll have the most striking costume of any Halloween party you visit. Pair with a monochrome outfit and you’re sorted.
Hopefully this guided tour of just some of the looks you could try out this Halloween has given you some inspiration. Put your make-up skills to the test and create yourself a low-cost costume that will impress regardless of whether you go for arty and striking or all-out scary. Good luck re-creating some of these ideas, and enjoy all the partying.
Photo Credits:
Black Swan: https://pullquotesandexcerpts.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/1531.jpg
Mermaid: http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2014/10/Mike_C/SheKnows_US/1053563/fina…
Pop-Art: http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_widt…
Ventriloquist’s Doll: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8e/b4/90/8eb490d8ebcf8ad29ad3d…
Clown: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f3/2c/c4/f32cc46739a954e15da98…
Skeleton: http://www.barnorama.com/wp-content/images/2012/03/skeleton-makeup/02-sk…