Whether your costume requires you to attach a creepy prosthetic to your body; or something a little less spooky and a little more stylish, like a sultry smoky eye; or you’re trying to achieve that perfect “undead” look with makeup, here are the top trends – and some of the worst offenders – in makeup for Halloween 2009!
Makeup Mistakes
Whatever you do when it comes to makeup this Halloween, don’t just run to the corner store and buy that cheap neon stuff every retailer tries to unload on shoppers. This Halloween is going to be all about vampires (obviously, with so many people obsessed with Twilight, Vampire Diaries, etc.). That white, clownish store-bought makeup will never let you recreate the same look as you see in the movies. Go to an actual professional store – the makeup is way better and not as expensive as you may think. Also, buy regular foundation to wear underneath the professional makeup – just make sure it’s three shades lighter than your normal skin tone.
Very Vampire
If you want to achieve that perfect “undead” look using makeup on your skin, stay away from sticks of cheap Halloween makeup that goes on really unevenly and wears off way too quickly. Since you're going to be out and about all night, trick-or-treating, dancing and, probably, sweating, make sure to get a quality powder to set your face – like a translucent powder. And use waterproof if you can. Then, get some jet-black waterproof eyeliner and mascara – perfect for any costume that’s supposed to be very scary, since it won’t be running down your cheeks halfway through Halloween night!
Another good thing for vampires is getting your hands on the actual lipstick used in Twilight: Ms. Behavin' by BeneFit. Softly pat it in under your eyes and use a little on your lips for that really great dead look. You can also go for dark, dark purple lips. Red is played out and done – all the vampire shows and movies are going for a different look.
For guys who want to do the vampire thing, do the foundation trick above and then use purple eye-shadow with a thin brush to paint veins popping out from your eye like Stephen from Vampire Diaries. And girls, if you want to be Twilight shimmery, mix a pinch of silver body shimmer in your foundation for a silvery glow that’s creepy at the same time.
Prosthetic Pro
Don’t just buy a fake nose or a pencil to go through your head without making sure it comes with a good set of instructions and all the adhesive product you’ll need to make sure it’s not going to come loose from your skin and fall off. In terms of realistic application, visit YouTube and search for a how-to video with step-by-step instructions on applying a prosthetic Halloween costume accessory. Here’s a video we found on how to apply a nose for a witch costume:
Stylish Spook
Not everyone wants to dress up as something gross and creepy on Halloween. If your costume requires something more stylish – while still being spooky at the same time – we suggest trying one of the biggest trends in makeup this fall: a smoky eye. Use an eye-shadow base because shadow will go on easier. Use grays and purples that blend rather than black, which shows mistakes more. Soft grey and purple is good – just make sure you have a good blending brush to complete the look.
When you’re applying the shadow to your eyelids, keep most of the darkness on the lid of the eye, and don't go up to the eyebrow. Use fake eyelashes for an amazing effect – go for crazy-long, jet-black lashes. Colored or glitter lashes won't show up in pictures but black will.
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