Pro Tricks on Halloween Makeup Application and Removal
Halloween makeup doesn’t have to be tricky. (Photo: Getty Images)
Halloween’s greatest trick? Applying straight up grease paint, sticky fake blood, and craft-store glitter to the skin and emerging acne-free and radiant after the costume comes off. But hey, if Halloween queen Heidi Klum can do it, so can we.
To uncover industry secrets to wearing hardcore makeup like a pro, we sought the advice of some major players: Christien Tinsley, an Academy Award-winning special effects makeup artist who has worked on dozens of films and shows including American Horror Story and Men in Black 3; McKenzie Westmore, an actor and host of special effects makeup competition show Face Off, who is not only a founder of Westmore Beauty, but a member of Hollywood’s most prominent makeup artist dynasties; and Las Vegas showgirls Sarah Sutter and Dani Flahive, who perform in Jubilee at Bally’s Las Vegas, who treat us with their tips for applying and removing the scariest of makeup.
Apply like a pro
Create stay-put makeup
When it comes to applying heavy Halloween makeup and fake blood that lasts all night, bypass your usual pre-application super moisturizers and primers that are often requisite for dewy makeup looks. “You want your skin to be as dry as possible [before applying Halloween makeup],” says Westmore. “The more moisture your skin has to it, the harder it is for your makeup to stay put, so don’t use a lot of moisturizer prior to application so the fake blood and heavy make ups will stick.”
Lash out the Vegas way
Many of us use primers to help eyeshadow stick (we love lightweight and water-resistant Sigma Beauty Eye Shadow Base ($13). But as Flahive notes, these products can serve as a great building block to create stay-put lashes. “When prepping my eyes for lashes every night, I make sure I use a primer to keep my shadow and eyeliner in place,” she says. “I apply a thick line of black eyeliner and then apply my lashes with a small thin line of glue.” Sutter also applies liner before lashes, preferring dark lash glue to better blend with her makeup look.
Apply prosthetics like a pro
If pulling out the stops and applying prosthetics, Westmore suggests using a primer on the skin to protect it. Because cream and grease makeup best adheres dry skin, try a mattifying primer, like Pur Minerals Color Correcting Primer in Lavender ($31), which moisturizes skin, but still dries matte. Or do like Tinsley, who creates special effects makeup for films like True Grit and shows like Behind the Candelabra: Use lotion or SPF to protect skin before gluing prosthetics. “If doing a major effect, you commonly want the skin clean and dry so it will accept and hold the makeup better,” he says.
Shine like a showgirl
We were shocked to learn that showgirls don’t wear glitter makeup on stage; “It can be distracting under stage lighting,” says Flahive. But that doesn’t stop them from sparkling after hours. Her showgirl secret for wearing glitter outside of work — and making it last all night? “Use your fingertip to dab some hairspray on the skin, followed by a gentle shake of loose glitter,” she says. “This allows the glitter to stick effortlessly.” Rene Furterer Vegetal Strong Hold Finishing Hairspray ($29) delivers serious hold and contains hydrating glycerin and vitamin B5, which may be more gentle on skin.
For sparkling eyelids and lips, fellow showgirl Sutter layers glitter on top of cream shadows and lip gloss, “so the glitter has something to stick to,” she explains. “The lip gloss will take the glitter easily and keep your lips from getting dry, so you do not have to reapply it later.” Finally, for a dense application, use a brush or finger to tap — not sweep — glitter onto lips and skin, as rubbing a brush back and forth creates sparse shimmer.
Take it all off
Banish body makeup
It may take hours to turn skin Donald Trump orange or into a Carrie-esque bloodbath. Thankfully, breaking up highly-pigmented body makeup and fake blood is simple ordeal — both Westmore and Tinsley rely the same drugstore find to get the job done. “Honestly the best thing that I found to remove all that heavy Halloween makeup at the end of the night is to jump in the shower with the big bottle of baby oil,” says Westmore. No baby oil handy? No worries. Tinsley says that most makeup removers work very well to remove grease and cream-based makeup. Our indulgent pick? Sisley Eau Efficace Makeup Remover, ($125). “The basic ingredient that works very well is Isopropyl Myrastate, which is essentially baby oil without fragrance,” he says. “Grease paints are oil based. Like-minded products break down each other, so you need a oil to remove an oil.”
Strip lashes
If your costume calls for major lashes, Sutter offers this tip for painless removal: “Gently pull the eyelash off of the eye from the inside [corner] out,” she says. “Most of the glue will stay on the eyelash itself.” Flahive turns to organic extra virgin coconut oil, like VMV Hypoallergenics Know-It-Oil ($10), to remove lashes and waterproof liner. “Coconut oil is less expensive and works better than cleansing wipes or store-bought makeup remover and it smells like a tropical vacation,” she says. Bonus: The oil not only breaks down tough-to-remove makeup and lash-glue, it moisturizes skin as well.
Cleanse, then cleanse again
Westmore’s secret to wearing heavy stage makeup and keeping skin zit-free? Cleanse deeply, even after dousing your skin with baby oil. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much else to do to protect skin from breakouts except washing very well before bed,” she says. “Baby oil will remove anything, however after getting all your makeup off, it’s best to thoroughly wash with the great cleanser.” Though skin may look free of glitter, fake blood and other makeup, it’s likely that pore-blocking debris still remains. Double cleanse the face, neck, and décolletage, starting with a cleansing oil, like CosMedix Purity Solution Nourishing Deep Cleansing Oil ($35), to rid skin of remnant makeup and dirt, followed by an anti-inflammatory cleanser, like Context Daily Facial Cleanser ($30) to wipe every last trace of your alter-ego away.
Restore hydration
Let’s be real — after partying all night, then going through a multi-step cleansing process to rid your skin of heavy makeup, most of us are going to be too knackered to soldier on with a full, night time skin care regimen. While there’s no crime in skipping toners and serums for the night, keep moisturization in the mix — after rigorous cleansing, our skin is likely to be particularly parched. “That’s when you want to apply your best moisturizers so that your skin can look beautiful in the morning,” says Westmore. Try a cream stocked with proven skin-hydrators, like hyaluronic acid and ceramides found in Caudalie Resveratrol [Lift] Night Infusion Cream ($76) to keep it from looking ghoulish in the AM.
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