October 8, 2013 By Angie Nelson Leave a Comment

How to Make Your Halloween Makeup Last

Halloween is an occasion where you can unleash your alter ego onto an unsuspecting public and no one will bat an eyelid. Whether you choose to dress up as zombie cheerleader or a Kardashian, a crucial part of transforming yourself is makeup. However, it can be tricky making it last throughout the night and maintaining that photo-ready finish. Here are some top tips to make sure that your makeup makes it well past the witching hour.

Not to prime is a crime – especially when it comes to Halloween where you may face back to back apple bobbing and trick or treating – so don’t skip out on the priming stage. By its very nature Halloween makeup is dark and dramatic which means a lot of black and red tones. As you are using such dark colours any mistakes or sloppiness will be extra noticeable so take the time to prepare your face by using an overall face primer and dedicated eye-shadow primer.

Get creative about how you use your existing makeup products. You don’t have to go out and buy a whole host of products to create a unique long-wearing look. For example, if you want an easy fuss-free gothic look then black lips are always a statement and can be incorporated into a variety of costumes. Rather than buying a black lipstick use eyeliner and use it to fill in your lips to create a deathly pout – if you have a waterproof one then even better! Another idea is to use lip stains around the eyes for the perfect zombie like sunken in sockets.

Stick to gel or cream formulas rather than powders. Getting ready is half the fun of going out so make it easy for yourself and opt for cream and gel formulas rather than having to deal with fallout of powder eyeshadows and pigments. Whilst powders are great for smoky eyes and subtle looks Halloween calls for an altogether more graphic makeup which makes gels and creams the perfect products to work with. Products like Maybellines Colour Tattoos or MACs Paint Pots are fantastically pigmented and they really do not shift! If you are intent on using a certain color or shimmery eyeshadow then at the very least use a long lasting cream color as a base and use it on top to maximize is staying power.

Try to avoid “ghost face” unless that’s a look you are actually going for… The “ghost face” this article is referring to is where a photo is taken with flash and you end up looking ghostly pale due to having used products containing SPF. The SPF in your makeup is essentially reflecting back the particles of light of the flash which gives you an otherworldly pallor. If you are intent on capturing your Halloween night on film then make sure you are photo ready and forget the SPF – it will negate all the amazing detailed makeup that you did!