Halloween is here and it’s time to get creepy, but if you planning has gone down the pan and there’s no time for a costume, then feat not – I’ve got two freakishly wicked looks that are surprisingly east to achieve…
We’ve all been there, a last-minute invite to a Halloween party with no time to shop, nightmare! But it’s easier than you might think to create a dream look with just a few of your staple make-up items, and a good rummage in the wardrobe.
Vain Vamp
Such an easy look to create, and works well with a number of outfits, be that vampire, witch, or all-round spooky sass-pot. You’ll want to start with a washed out base, so use the lightest (winter) foundation you have. The Kat Von Lock It Cream Concealer in White Out (£20, Debenhams.com) is a gem for blowing out highlights for a ghoulish appearance. Apply as you would a highlight, over cheekbones, nose, chin and forehead (or full face!) and blend in. Contour yourself some hollow cheek bones the lost boys would be proud of, and really go over the top. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil (£25, Debenhams) or the new PUR Contour Diaries palette (£28, Marks & Spencer) works well here.
Next you want to create some super-tired, worse-than-Monday-morning eye bags. Any eyeshadow with red and pink tones will be perfect, the new Urban Decay Naked Heat palette (£39.50, John Lewis) for example, or if you’re stuck, use blusher! Take a fluffy brush and blend out the colour over eyes, and under – unlike a daytime look, you can really go to town here and enjoy a slightly haphazard approach, as a general rule though keep the darker shades closest to the eye, and work outwards. Use a black khol and shadow to really add depth to the under eyes.
I painted on cat flicks for a vampy finish using PUR On Point Liquid Eyeliner (£16, Marks & Spencer), exaggerating the tail – if you’re struggling with liquid eyeliner though, check my Instagram for some how-to videos @thedayseyesuk. Eyebrows can also be accentuated with a dark pomade like Freedom Pro Brow Pomade in Chocolate (£5, Superdrug). For lips, a deep Mortisha plum like Sleek Matte Me liquid lipstick in Vino Tinto (£4.99, Superdrug) will look great, or to add a little sparkle, Glitter Lips (£12.50) provide water and smudge proof wear, in tons of colours, like the vampy Forbidden. A little dab of this glitter can also be used in the center of the lid, and – if you want to go all out, as veins/ blood trails from the eyes. Either use balm, or dedicated product like NYX Glitter Primer (£8, Boots), to carefully trace lines away from the eyes, tapping the glitter into place.
In my opinion, no look is complete (Halloween or otherwise) without a good pair of falsies, and the new KISS Lash Couture Faux Mink collection (£5.32, Superdrug) is just stunning. Perfectly fluffy, fluttery lashes. Here, I doubled up using Midnight and Gala.
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Demon Dolly
Just the right mix of cute and creepy, this demon dolly look works well paired with collared dresses, long socks and pig tails. Start with your usual base, then get ready to contour for exaggerated cheeks, and a sunken jaw. I used the Smashbox Contour Stick Trio (£29.50, Boots) to easily carve my outline, and buffed into the skin using a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (£5.99, Boots).
Bold blusher is a must for mannequin-Luke cheeks, the pinker the better. Charlotte Tilbury’s Cheek to Chic in Love is the Drug (£30, John Lewis) is a cool-toned pink just perfect for this, swirled into the apples of the cheeks with a small brush like the new Real Techniques Powder Bleu B02 Soft Finishing Brush (£22, Boots). Next up you’ll need a white kohl pencil for the waterline, and a liquid for painting under the eye to create the illusion of bigger dolly eyes. NYX do a white liquid liner for just £6 which can be picked up from Boots. After applying, carefully trace the edge with a black eyeliner – I prefer the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (£16, Debenhams.com) for precision work like this.
Finish with a smoky eye, then add lashes upside down to the bottom of the white painted “eye”. Eylure’s Enchanted After Dark range is perfect for bat-able lashes this spooky season, try #I Need my Beauty Sleep (£5.95, Boots) for bottom lashes. For a bargain flutter run to Primark and fill your boots with the Girls With Attitude lashes for just £3 a pop! Check out Mermazing for the fluffiest length.
For lips, go for a deep red or berry shade, in a dainty, condensed pout, exaggerating the Cupid’s bow. I used Sleek Matte Me liquid lipstick in Fired Up (£4.99, Superdrug), before carefully tracing the edges of the mouth and down each side of the jaw with an eyeliner. To finish, take a brown eye or brow pencil and twist a few freckles over the nose and cheeks