Halloween Make Up Tips

You don’t need a full-blown costume to make a splash on Halloween, just a good make up artist. Connecticut-based make up artist Christen Gundersen, has been posting regularly on her facebook page since she first got the Halloween bug back in August! Take that party dress and transform yourself into a Zombie pinup, pull out that wedding dress for a Tim Burton-esque bride, the beauty is in the make up.

You can get inspiration of the spooky and Steampunk variety on pinterest, and on more basic makeup techniques for costuming on the Makeup by CG blog.

For the zombie look: Makeup by CG recommends the mixing of red blood and black zombie blood for a more realistic wound. After color has been achieved, the trick to making it look wet and real is Vaseline and blending. You can achieve that after life look by lightening the color of your face, whilst simultaneously darkening the eyes. Don’t be too liberal with the whitening, Zombie clowns just aren’t fun!

For the steampunk look: Contrast is your friend. Bright lips, dark hair. Light hair, dark lips. The opposing colors will bring out the juxtaposition of old and new that is associated with steampunk. If you aren’t afraid of a little adhesive, try attaching some small metal gears to your face, metallic is your friend.

General tips to keep your Halloween make up in place:

– First make sure your face is clean, oil-free but moisturized, then prime away.

– You not only need to prime your face, but your eyes too. Makeup by CG prefers powder blushes and shadows over creams. Creams can smear, melt, and run more easily.

– When lining your eyes, try liquid liner instead of a pencil. Pencils have a wax base, when wax heats up it melts, a no go for costume night. If you do use a pencil, it is a good idea to set your liner with a coordinating shadow color.

– Make sure that your lips are moisturized well and exfoliated before applying lip color.

– Line your lips before your lipstick. This helps to stain the lips, keep the color lasting longer, and helps keep color within the lines better.

– Once you achieve the look you want, make sure to use a setting, translucent, or blotting powder.

If it’s more than tips you’re looking for, and you are in the Connecticut area, you can book yourself in for a Halloween transformation party. Makeup by CG has a wide variety of props. You provide the main costume and they provide hair and make up to channel your inner monster.  You can bring friends and adult beverages to this event, music and atmosphere provided.