(Warning: this post includes images of realistic special effects makeup that may be disturbing for some people)

It’s October, which means it’s HALLOWEEN!! Well, not quite yet, but here are some spooky makeup looks to get your costume ready (if you’re still trying to think of a costume, check out these titles).

First, let’s go over some tools you might use in your Halloween looks. You can find these at costume shops, online, and some drugstores:

• Liquid latex- good for sticking things to your skin, or creating fake skin. (WARNING: latex must be peeled off to be removed, so be careful of facial hair or sensitive skin)
• Scar wax- good for creating raised wounds and sculpting facial features
• Crème color- used to color wounds or other facial features. Eyeshadows can work too, but won’t be as deep or last as long.

Now let’s get creepy!

Missing Eye Makeup:

You’ll need: liquid latex, crème color in red and black, fake blood or petroleum jelly, black tights or pantyhose

How to:

• Cut a circle big enough to cover your eye and eyebrow out of the tights
• Dab some liquid latex around your eye and over top of your brows (careful not to get it in your eyebrows or eye!)
• Stick the circle onto the latex. Stretch it out enough that you can blink comfortably and see through it.
• Dab some black color around the edges of the circle, and layer red on top of the black.
• Dab the fake blood or petroleum jelly on the circle and around the edges until you have a look you like.

Wounds and Burns:

You’ll need: liquid latex, scar wax, crème color (various), toilet paper (1 ply) or tissue

How to:

• Separate a piece of scar wax for the area you’re covering- the deeper or larger the wound, the more wax you’ll need. It’s easiest if you spread out the wax into the general shape you want before you attach it.
• Dab some liquid latex onto the area you want the wound to be, wait a couple seconds, then add the scar wax.

   

Get creative! For cuts and gashes, lay down a larger area of wax and carve into it. For raised scars, you can make small ropes of wax and lay them down. You can also use larger amounts of wax to make prosthetic noses, warts, whatever you can think up! Make sure to smooth the wax down near the edges so it blends in with your skin. Dab on crème color and blend.

  

The key to realistic wounds is color .  Add greens and browns to create combinations. Layer black underneath a decaying effect. Red to create depth, especially in the center of the wound.

• For burns, or other wounds that need peeling flesh effects, dab some liquid latex down and then layer toilet paper on top. Rip at the toilet paper until you’ve created the look you want. You can also skip the paper and just tear the latex, depending on how torn you want the skin to look.
• Secure the toilet paper with another layer of latex.
• Once the latex is dry, add a layer of foundation to match your skin, then layer crème color on top. You can also add Vaseline or fake blood for a “moister” looking wound.

Here’s a look I did with just drugstore makeup, if you don’t want to shell out for special f/x products! (I didn’t have any deep colors for the lips- the more pigmented the products you use, the better it will look)

Doll Face:

• Use a shade of foundation a shade or two lighter than you normally use. The more matte, the better. Set with powder.
• Using white eyeliner, line your waterline. Use white eyeshadow or crème color to add a semi-circle under your eyes, dabbing some on your bottom lashes.
• Line your upper lash line with black liner, extending the edge out past the corner of your eye. Line underneath the white semi-circle and draw lashes. Add mascara to top lashes

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• Add two small circles of blush on the apples of your cheeks. Draw freckles with brown eyeliner if you want.
• For lips, line slightly above the lipline and end a bit before the corners of the mouth. Dab concealer on the parts of your lips that don’t have liner. Fill in with lipstick.

• Voila! For a variation on this look, add a black line from each corner of your mouth down to your chin- ventriloquist dummy!

So there’s a few looks to get you started. I hope you have fun experimenting with makeup and creating your own styles. Show off your look at one of CLP’s Halloween parties and get into the holiday spirit!