We Tried It: The Hottest Halloween Makeup Looks of ’15

‘Tis the season for Halloween costume hunting and digging to the back of your brain (or the back of your closet) to see what you can whip up quickly—and creatively! Ladies, I can guarantee you aren’t the only ones pondering that “What am I going to be for Halloween?” question since last year’s celebration, so let me help you out with a couple fun and easy DIY Halloween looks that are sure to impress. I recently got to spend the day with the amazing and talented Jessica Scantlin at Blushington Makeup and Beauty Lounge‘s newest location at The Village at Westfield Topanga in Southern California recreating some of this year’s hottest Halloween makeup looks: “The Hunger Games: Beauty District Part I” and the “Drop Dead Gorgeous Skull.” (Note: Having an abundance of makeup wipes will help your life immensely.)

Courtesy Nicole Sands

Courtesy Nicole Sands

Halloween makeup look: The Hunger Games: Beauty District Part I
Level of difficulty: 7/10
Jessica started off this bold look with the eyes. She brushed on ‘Peony’ pink blush by Jouer and then lined the crease of my lid with a shimmery semi-dark purple (she suggests ‘Cassis’ by Stila). She went back to the center of my eyelid to blend the peony pink with a light mineral pink called ‘Chic’ by Girlactik, and set it all with a glistening nude ‘Kitten’ by Stila eye shadow.

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Now that the shadow was done, it was time for liner (which, I confess, is always tough for me!). For the lower lash line, Jessica drew on a pink lip liner (yes, lip liner on the eye! She used one by Kevyn Aucoin, but any pink lip liner will do). Moving to the top lid, she sketched a black wing with an eyeliner brush and Stila’s ‘Onyx’ smudge pot for a clean line (note: This product is no longer available in the U.S., but you can sub any black gel liner).

Once the eyes were completed, it was really time for me to channel my inner District 12-er (Katniss’ District, obviously, but feel free to choose your own based on whatever type of Hunger Games fan you may be). For the face makeup, Jessica mixed white face crème paint with a very, very light colored foundation (you don’t get the opportunity to look as ghostly white as you can very often, so own it). She then set that with powder and added a very light undereye concealer (Kevyn Aucoin in shade 02) to camouflage away those dark bags of mine. To create that chiseling contour, she brushed Jouer Bougainvillea (but any rose-pink blush will do) along my cheekbone.

The last step is the reason I had to explain away my hot pink eyebrows at work the next day. Just kidding—I was able to scrub it out afterwards thanks to lots of face wipes. On the brows, Jessica painted on a hot pink lip stain (she used ‘Como’ by Stila) with an angled eyebrow bush. She explained that she used the lip stain rathar than eye shadow because it would “hold better,” but feel free to use either one. Then, add the same color lip stain (or eye shadow) in the top crease to complete the look!

Finally: What’s even better than full faux lashes? Two pairs on each eye! Jessica applied one pair as you would regularly, then placed the second pair about a half centimeter away from my natural lash line.

In the (sort of) words of Effie Trinket, “Happy Hunger Games! And may the (makeup) odds be ever in your favor.”

Courtesy Nicole Sands

Halloween makeup look: Drop Dead Gorgeous Skull
Level of difficulty: 5/10
First things first: GET THAT FACE SCRUBBED. After going through basically a whole pack of face wipes, Jessica turned me on to this ahh-mazing face wash that literally melts anything on your face right off: Eve Lom balm cleanser.

Once I had a fresh face, it was time to perfect this beautiful skeleton look (never thought those two words would be used in the same sentence). Jessica started off by making my face glow. She used Becca ‘Moonstone’ and ‘Pearl’ all over to create a metallic look on my skin, and then set it with liquid foundation similar to my skin tone (she used Ellis Faas) and two shades of mineral powder foundations—a lighter color and a dark bronzer-like hue (Jessica used Becca Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation in ‘Bamboo’ and ‘Café’).

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For the eyes, Jessica started out by drawing a thick circle around my eye from my eyebrows down to my mid-nose with a dark blue crème eye shadow (‘Avant Garde’ by Jouer) and filled it in with Girlactik’s navy eye shadow. She, then added Stila’s Kajal eyeliner in ‘Onyx’ to the top of the inner-part of the circle and smudged it out with some black eye shadow, as well as lining my waterline with the same black eyeliner. Towards the bottom of the circle, Jessica mixed white and blue crème face paint and worked it in to the darker top-half to create a gradient look (think ombré, but on your eyes instead of your hair). She set the whole eye with a bright blue eye shadow (she suggests the blue-aqua color in the Stila ‘Eyes Are the Window’ Body Palette).

Then, Jessica drew black circular dots around my eyes with black eyeliner (she used Stila ‘Stingray’ Smudge Stick), and also three on the bottom of my lip down to my chin, one above my lip and two on my forehead in a vertical line.

Stack on the two sets of lashes, throw on your flower crown (not to brag, but Fleurish hand-designed mine at their DIY flower bar) and you’re ready to rock n’ roll!

The verdict (or let’s say, the only thought that has been going through my head): Why wasn’t it Halloween two weeks early?! I mean, I seriously had the most perfect makeup job ever! Although I don’t think I’ll be using either of these two looks on myself this Halloween, considering these pictures are now all over the internet and it’s against the unofficial “girl code” to repeat a costume, I ran into a couple friends at Blushington who have already put in their requests.

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? Will you be trying either of these two fun looks?

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–Nicole Sands