Halloween Beauty Tutorial: The Cool Witch
A witch inspired Halloween look. (Photo:Ben Ritter / Makeup: Regan Rabanal for MAC / Hair: Nate Rosenkranzusing Alterna Hair Care at Honey Artists)
It seems like most people look forward to Halloween, thrilled to get into a crazy costume and do wild makeup. But it’s never been my thing. I watched my friends plan for weeks on what they were going to wear and what they were going to do, while I was happy to sit it out. But thanks to my internship at Yahoo Beauty, when the chance arose to collaborate with MAC Cosmetics to create a unique Halloween look, I decided to go for it. I was excited to take the opportunity to channel another side of me. Originally I was aiming for a Maleficent inspired look, but after my horns never arrived (darn snail mail) I had to channel my inner Tim Gunn and have a “make it work” moment. My MAC Senior Artist Regan Rabanal collaborated on a look that would be inspired by Disney’s Maleficent combined with a cool Halloween witch look. The ever so talented Regan took to creating a masterpiece. Here’s how to get the look:
EYES
The eyes play a huge role in this look. Regan started by blocking out sections on my lid to colorblock eye shadow. On the top eyelid, Regan applied MAC Paint Stick in Process Magenta ($22), Rich Purple ($22) and Basic Red ($22) with a brush in different sections of the lid. On the bottom lid he used MAC Paint Stick in Cyan ($22) closer to the eye line followed by MAC Paint Stick in True Chartreuse ($22). To add to the sultry look, Regan mixed MAC Mixing Medium Eyeliner ($14) and MAC Glitter in 3D Lavender ($22) with a Q-tip together and applied to the top eyelid.
Pro tip: Mixing glitter with a Q-tip leaves you with less cleanup than using your regular makeup brush. To finish off the eye makeup, Regan lined the eyes with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack ($16.50), creating an exaggerated cat eye look by lining both the bottom and top of the eye.
BROWS
Brows are another huge component of overall look. In order to achieve the Maleficent or witch type of brow it is important to extend the brow towards the hair line. Regan used MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack ($16.50) to draw the brows upwards and out with a fine point at the end.
Lastly, for dramatic lashes that bring out your eye shape Regan used MAC 44 Lash ($17) for the top and MAC 20 Lash ($17) for the bottom of the eyes.
SKIN
Whenever you are planning to wear makeup, especially for Halloween, one of the best things you can do for your skin is prep it with moisturizer. To begin, Regan used MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect Lotion SPF 50 ($31) to provide a barrier between my skin and the highly pigmented products. Next, take the whitest foundation color you have and mix it with MAC Paint Stick Pure White ($22) and apply all over your face to create a lighter base color.
Pro tip: If you have a deeper skin color use something with a yellow or peach tone in it to bump up your skin paleness. Regan highlighted the cheekbones, nose, and lips with a little bit of MAC Crystal Avalanche Eye Shadow ($16) to bring out a subtle sparkle. Lastly, he contoured the face with MAC Paint Sticks in Deep Brown ($22), True Chartreuse ($22) and a little bit of Landscape Green ($22) to create a defined eerie look. Continue the contouring down into the neck.
LIPS
Regan applied MAC Lipstick in Russian Red ($17) and a liner that is long-wearing called Ms. Diva ($20), to sculpt out the lip into a rounded lip shape. To finish, he topped the lips with a mix of MAC Lip Glass ($15) and red Lip Glitter ($22).
HAIR
Whether you are planning on being Malifecent and wearing the horns or rocking a witch’s hat, don’t overthink the hair. If you are doing a bold makeup look try a simple hairstyle to not outshine the makeup. In my look, hairstylist Nathan Rosenkranz slicked my hair back into a simple low ponytail.
The quick DIY look:
If you are in a pinch for time or not all that crafty with a makeup brush no worries here are the important tips to remember to achieve a witch inspired look:
1. Focus on the eyes and the brows first. When creating a Disney inspired witch look, Regan says pay attention to the eyes because that is the most defining feature of the character. Therefore, you have to bring out the eyebrows and emphasize the lashes to create the drama.
2. Eyeliner, Regan notes that creating drama through the eye shape plays a huge role in the overall look.
3. Grabbing a few paint sticks is important. If you want to achieve a dramatic look, Regan recommends grabbing MAC Paint Sticks with a red tone instead of pink and using those paint sticks on your lips and eyes. In addition, he notes to create the ghoulish look be sure to grab MAC Paint Sticks in True Chartreuse, Landscape Green, and Pure White.
Related:
Halloween Beauty Tutorial: Morticia Addams
