Great Ghoulish Halloween Looks
Halloween is just around the corner and if you’re anything like me, you’ve so far devoted a grand total of 10 minutes to thinking about your costume and precisely zero minutes actually procuring it. To me, Halloween always sounds great in theory, but I never seem to get around to pulling that awesome costume together.
What is your Halloween costume this year? (Photo: Beautyhill.com)
However, this year I’ve consulted D.C. area makeup artist Selah Marah Barnes, who has designed some amazing Halloween looks, which she has graciously shared with us along with step-by-step instructions. And, as Barnes demonstrates, these looks can be created with items already in your makeup bag (with exception of spirit gum and optional special effects blood). Check it out and be inspired!
Zipper Face
Zipperface (Photo: Selah Marah Barnes)
- Cut from an old zipper the outline of the zipper
- Find best placement for zipper. Using an eye pencil, sketch out where the zipper will be placed
- Take spirit gum (found in Halloween kits or at special effects stores) and apply a light layer onto the lining of zipper, press and hold to face
- Take special effects blood or deep red lipstick and color in opening of zipper. Make sure to color the lining of zipper a bloody color as well as the outer rim of zipper.
FYI, for best result thick special effects blood is needed.
Joker
The Joker (Photo: Selah Marah Barnes)
- Begin by very messily patting white powder all over your face. FYI, you want the powder blotchy.
- Take a black shadow or gel eye liner and begin to make deep circles around the eye and over the brows. Uneven circles are the best.
- Next, use a red lip liner to draw the outline for the joker smile.
- After outline has been drawn, fill in lips and outline with red lipstick and black eyeshadow to add depth and create the appearance of cuts.
Remember, this look is meant to be very uneven and blotchy.
True Blood vampire (vampires are always popular for Halloween)
True Blood inspired vampire (Photo: Selah Marah Barnes)
- Apply a red lipstick or thick red blood from a special effects store or Halloween makeup kit.
- Using a thin makeup brush, fill in under the eye with lines to emulate tears.
- Apply fake blood and let it drip naturally from a thin brush and run down your face. Deepen with black shadow to create shading and depth.
Tip: for a sexier “baby vamp” add gorgeous lashes to the look.
Halloween is the perfect time to try exaggerated makeup and let your imagination run wild. Even if creating a frightening visage is not your goal, you can emphasize your features while adding a supernatural (or historical) element to your look.
See more of Selah Marah Barnes’ work on Instagram @Makeupbyselam. In addition to special effects makeup, she also does wedding, fashion editorial, video and stage makeup. She can be contacted at sela.mbarnes@aol.com
