Glam Halloween Makeup
Halloween always creeps up on me. Every year I swear I’ll actually come up with an interesting costume that somehow never quite materializes. The best thing for us last-minute Halloween types, I’ve learned, is to focus on looks you can easily create with make-up. Instead of trying to terrify the neighborhood tykes with a ghoulish visage, try one of the following fool-proof, classic glamorous looks that you can throw together and enhance with makeup already in your procession (or extensive collection, for some of us!).
Geisha
The stylized beauty of the geisha is one of the most iconic images associated with Japan. Fortunately, the distinctive snow white face, crimson and black lined eyes and lacquer red bee stung lips of the geisha is not difficult to emulate, and if you already have a kimono in your closet, just add a wig, wooden Japanese clogs and follow these makeup steps:
Face: Create white foundation by apply white cream foundation. Apply to your entire face; covering even your eyebrows. Set with rice powder or corn starch. For a traditional geisha look, apply the white base and powder to your throat and the nape of your neck.
Eyes: For a traditional geisha look, line your upper lids with black liner. Apply red eyeliner or eyeshadow to the inside corners of the eyes and as eyeliner along the bottom lash line. If you’re attempting a more modern interpretation of the geisha, you can add more black liner to create a smoky eye blended with red eye shadow.
Lips: Cover your natural lip line with the white cornstarch blend and concealer. Carefully draw in a traditional “cherry mouth” with crimson lip liner, keeping inside your lip line, as classic Japanese beauties had tiny but shapely bow-lips. Fill in with red lipstick to complete the look.
Sexy Witch
Be a bewitching witch this year. No hocus-pocus required, just a bit of makeup and a little creativity. All that is required for this timeless look is a slinky black dress, witch hat and a few accessories. Achieve the rest by following these steps:
Face: Apply your usual foundation that matches your natural skin tone. Lightly enhance your cheeks with light pink blush — the focus will be on the eyes and lips so keep the cheek color muted. Dust your face with loose powder.
Eyes: Smooth your eyelids with light, silvery-gray or green eye shadow, blending well with your blending brush. Next, apply charcoal eye shadow with a sponge tip applicator inside the crease of the eyelid and extend the color out from the corners of the eyes. To add a deeper, more mysterious look, wet the sponge tip applicator a little and apply more of the dark color. This will deepen the shadow and create a haunting, smoky eye look. Line both your upper and lower lash lines with a black eyeliner pencil. Follow with false eyelashes—try bejeweled lashes for a dramatic effect.
Lips: A deep, dark lip works best for this look; try an oxblood or black. Add some sparkle powder to your lower lip and décolletage if you’re feeling daring.
Lady Pirate
Truth be told, I seriously doubt that history’s most notorious she-pirates bothered with makeup, but who cares about historical accuracy on Halloween. All you need for this costume is a puffy shirt, a pair of breeches (or a long skirt if you’re planning to take the pirate’s wench route), your trusty blunderbuss, parrot and requisite bottle of rum. And don’t forget your makeup. For a traditional pirate look:
Face: A bit of bronzer for a weather-beaten face is all you need — as exemplified by Johnny Depp as that bonny buccaneer Jack Sparrow.
Eyes: Once again, the Captain Jack Sparrow look is spot on, which calls for liberal use of black eyeliner. Smudge the eyeliner and dark brown or gray shadow under your bottom lashes to create that weathered appearance that one inevitably acquires from squinting at the sun over the mizzen mast.
Lips: Don’t bother with lipstick — just a swipe of lip balm and you’re ready to hoist the Jolly Roger.
Sexy pirate variation:
Face: Add a circular wash of rose-tinted cream blush, with minimal blending to resemble a proper 18th century doxy.
Lips: A brazen shade of red lipstick ’tis all you need. At this point you’ll be ready to swashbuckle the evening away, me hearties.
A native Washingtonian, Beauty Blogger Lia Phipps is an interior designer with an irrepressible, life-long fascination with health and beauty. When she is not selecting fabrics and paint colors for clients, she occupies herself with trying new products and dispensing beauty advice to friends, acquaintances and anyone who is willing to listen to “Tips from Phipps”.