Here are three simple Halloween makeup looks to create your perfectly spooky costume. Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash. Thumbnail photo by Ksenia Polovodova on Unsplash.
Picture this: You’re old (I’m looking at you, upperclassmen), you’re broke (@ every college student ever) and it’s the day of Halloween. No costume? No problem! Makeup can be a great and easy way to create a perfectly spooky Halloween look while using products and pieces you already own.
Before we jump in, a slight disclaimer: I am in no way a beauty guru; in fact, I’m practically the opposite (as in, I need my roommate to do my eyeshadow for me whenever we go out). So, these makeup looks will definitely air on the simplistic side, which is good in a time crunch and on a budget. So, without further ado, here are three simple but fun Halloween makeup looks that should have you covered for all of Halloweekend.
Vampire
No fake blood required (although bonus points if you happen to have some lying around). Being a vampire is a perfect last-minute costume, because it can be done completely with makeup.
Since you want to look like you’re dead, contour your cheeks, nose and forehead lightly with a gray eyeshadow; this will deepen your cheekbones and give you that sallow, haunted look. For the eyes, place a deep red or maroon shade in your crease and blend it out to create a bruised look. Then, add black eyeshadow to your lid and blend that out to the corner, as well. Make sure to blend the two shades, but don’t make it too perfect; we’re going for dead vampire, not perfectly polished beauty queen.
Add the maroon shade to your bottom lash line and extend it almost to your cheek. This will really emphasize the bruised look. Also, add the black eyeshadow to your bottom lash line and smoke it out. If you want to get really fancy, draw deep red and blue veins extending from the bottom of your eye onto the tops of your cheek. For this part, you can use either eye shadow and a tiny brush or a colored liquid eyeliner.
Finally, lips. I would go for a deep, dark red to keep with the vampire theme. If you want to add fake blood and fangs, go for it! But, if you’re like me and refuse to purchase anything for Halloween this year, this makeup look will allow you to become the vampire of your dreams (or maybe more accurately, nightmares). Throw on an all-black outfit and you’re good to go!
Clown
I don’t know about you, but clowns really scare me. But they also make for a super easy last-minute Halloween look! For this option, you can use any colors you want to create your clown face, but I personally like the idea of just using black and white.
To turn yourself into a clown, start by using a black liquid eyeliner and draw long, skinny triangles above both of your eyebrows (and fill in these triangles). Next, you’ll want to recreate this same triangle shape but extending from both of your lower lash lines (try to have these triangles line up with the triangles above your eyebrows).
Put black eyeshadow to the outer corners of your eye and white eyeshadow on the lid and blend. For the lips, fill in your lips normally with lipstick (which could be a black lipstick to keep with the monochromatic look, but who has black lipstick? I would probably use red, but it’s up to you). Then, simply extend the corners of your lips out using that same shade of lipstick to create a creepy clown smile. Add any black or white clothing, and you’re done!
Euphoria
This costume is not only quick and easy, but also extremely trendy. “Euphoria,” the HBO show starring Zendaya that came out over the summer, got attention for its incredible cinematography, emotional storyline and astounding performances. Oh, and also its ridiculously fabulous costumes and makeup!
Whether you have a favorite character or just want to recreate a general Europhia-inspired look, this is a great last-minute Halloween makeup option. You can really add your own personal style to this one: All you need to achieve the “Euphoria” look is a brightly-hued eyeshadow, a ton of glitter for both the face and the eyes and confidence. Add rhinestones or sparkles if you have them! If you want more concrete inspiration, check out the Instagram of Doniella Davy, the head makeup artist for the show.
In all honesty, you don’t need to have watched the show to use this as your quick Halloween fit. Just throw some glitter on your face and you’ll be good to go (I highly recommend watching, though). Color coordination is key in the show, so depending on what color eyeshadow you do, wear a shirt in the same hue. Put it all together and you’re finished!
Bonus: If you go for this option, you’re sure to get the most bomb Insta pics.
All of these looks can be achieved in 10 to 15 minutes using products and pieces you have in your closet without completely looking like you threw it together in 10 to 15 minutes, all with pieces from your closet—and that may be the biggest Halloween trick of all. Happy Halloween!
Lucie Turkel is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at lucie.turkel@uconn.edu.
