Halloween Costume Cosmetics

Tired of cutting holes in your bed sheets? Sick of always losing the costume contest to the kid dressed as a banana? The Gateway is here to help you gorge yourself on candy in style. Have your best Halloween yet with our cosmetic costume tips and tricks for making your ensemble worth its weight in mini Tootsie Rolls. All of the items we used are available at your local drugstore, costume store or deserted graveyard.

Keep in mind that we couldn’t do a tutorial for every “costume face” out there, but the ones we did create are adaptable and can be tweaked to fit your chosen theme. Just swap out certain colours or subtract/add one or two steps as needed.

Halloween only comes around once a year, so take a chance and go bold with our Skeletor or Queen of Hearts face makeup. These looks cover your whole face and can’t be missed, so get ready for some traffic stopping stares. Feeling catty? Follow our Black Cat tutorial for a less time-consuming but still attention-stealing feline visage. It involves less face paint and more (c)attitude. Or maybe you’re looking for a low maintenance costume that will have the ladies looking faster than you can say Twi-hard? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Take a look at our step-by-step Edward Cullen tutorial to become the hottest vamp on campus. Not so into the undead look? Try your hand at our version of feisty foliage with Poison Ivy. This costume how-to is the closest thing to everyday makeup with a few pumped up elements.

Whatever you dress up as this year, remember to have fun with it and be creative. And whether you’re shooting for scary, spooky or sexy, have a safe and happy Halloween!

NOTE: Before you start slapping on makeup, make sure you prep your entire face with moisturizer and a silicone-based primer to make your look last.

Skeletor

1) Take a white, creamy face paint and apply a thin layer to the entire face with your fingers or a foundation brush. Let it dry down completely.

2) Add another thin layer of white face paint, focusing on areas that got less coverage during the first round.

3) Take a small sponge or brush and load it with black face paint. Gently dab the paint around the eyes, going up to the browbone on top and about an inch below your lower lids on the bottom. Try to follow the natural shape of your eye area by letting your bone structure be your guide.

4) Using that same small brush or sponge, create a medium sized black triangle below each cheekbone. The sides of the triangle don’t have to be equal, but it should be thinnest at the top.

5) Blend the black triangles into the white paint so that the cheekbones are defined and the cheek area turns from black to gray.

6) Add a third layer of white paint to even out your skeleton complexion, ensuring there are no gaps. Don’t cover your new “cheekbones” though!

7) Take a thin eyeliner brush and dab it into the black paint. Starting at one corner of the mouth paint “tooth lines” all the way along the lips. Don’t extend too far down, and correct any squiggly lines with a dab of white paint.

Queen of Hearts

1) Take a white, creamy face paint or gel and apply a thin layer to the entire face with your fingers or a foundation brush. Let it dry down completely.

2) Add another thin layer of white face paint, focusing on areas that got less coverage during the first round.

3) Take bright cyan blue face paint and use a small sponge brush to apply it to your eyelids. Extend the paint over your own eyebrows, but don’t go above them. You want your brows to be completely covered in blue. Try to keep your lines crisp.

4) Using black face paint and another small brush or sponge, draw on new, thin eyebrows about half an inch above your natural ones. Follow your natural shape and again try to keep the lines crisp.

5) Touch up any patchy areas of white paint with one last layer on the face.

6) Load a lip brush with red lipstick and sketch and fill in a heart shape on the center of your lips. Use your natural cupid’s bow (center of your upper lip) as the top of the heart. Don’t go outside your lips with heart shape if possible.
 

Edward Cullen

1) Apply your foundation and concealer, and fill in your brows before starting to create your feline features.

2) Take a medium sized eyeshadow brush and apply taupe eyeshadow on your lids and in the crease area to give definition.

3) Use that same taupe eyeshadow to add stripes on the side of the nose, under your cheekbones and on the sides of the forehead to contour your face. Blend the stripes in well — they should be mere shadows of colour by the end.

4) Take a highlighter or white eye shadow and add it to the area right above your brows and directly below your eyebrow arches to open up the eye area.

5) Load a small, dense eyeshadow brush with black eyeshadow and start to create the shape for your cat eyes. Cover the entire lid and wing out the shadow past your natural eye shape. Feel free to really exaggerate the wing shape — the bigger the wing, the more intense it looks.

6) Line your eyes with liquid black liner right at the lash line, following the shape you created with your eyeshadow. To lock in that deep, inky black, go over the cat eye shape with liquid liner, filling in gaps and evening out the lines. Crispness is key here, so take your time.

7) Add two or three coats of mascara to lashes and black pencil liner (or liquid) to your bottom lash lines. Connect that liner to the rest of the “wing” at the outer corner of the eye.

8) Fill in your cat nose with a black eyeliner pencil. Make an almost heart-like shape on the tip of the nose and the nostrils. Fill in as much of the shape as you can, and make sure to extend the colour down to area between your upper lip and nose. Add little whisker dots to your upper lip area.

9) Add whiskers with your black eyeliner (optional).

10) Contour your cheeks with blush, bronzer and a chiseled cheek brush.

11) Set your face with translucent powder to preserve your look.

12) Use a lip brush to fill in your lips with a bright red lipstick or gloss.

Black Cat

1) Using a sponge or foundation brush, apply a light layer of foundation two or three shades lighter than your natural skin tone.

2) Apply a very thin layer of iridescent glitter (gel or loose powder) all over the face to mimic Edward’s sparkle effect.

3) Fill in your eyebrows with brow powder or a brow pencil a shade or two darker than your hair color.

4) Set the face with translucent (or foundation matching) powder to ensure the glitter doesn’t travel or disappear.

5) Add a purple/mauve eyeshadow to your under-eye area, creating sheer, dark circles.

6) Sculpt your cheeks with bronzer under your cheekbones and a shimmery highlighter or light blush on the top of the cheekbones. Use an angled blush brush for precision.

7) Add a light pink/lilac lip stain to the lips to make them stand out a little bit. Don’t go overboard — it should look natural!

Poison Ivy

1) Apply your foundation and concealer, and fill in your brows with shades that match your skin tone and hair colour.

2) Swipe a layer of eyeshadow primer on to your lids.

3) Take a medium, grass green eyeshadow and apply it all over your lids and outer brow area with a small eyeshadow brush. Add a thin line of it under your lower lash line as well.

4) Using the same brush, apply a brighter yellow-green eyeshadow to the inner half of the lid and the mid-section of your browbone. Blend the two shades to get rid of harsh lines. Add a little of this colour to the inner half of your lower lash line.

5) Take a deep green eyeshadow and a small sponge or brush and apply it to the outer half of your eyelid and your upper lash line for definition.

6) Use a gold eyeshadow on the inner section of your browbone and the inner corner of the eye to highlight.

7) Blend, blend, blend these shades so that they create a smooth colour gradient.

8) Add two to three coats of mascara to your lashes.

9) Brighten your cheeks with a pinky-coral blush, cream or powder formula.

10) Set your face with translucent powder to keep your colours looking fresh and to stop migration/smudging.

11) Add a flashy red lipstick to your pout, using a lip brush for precision.

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