We’re all quite tired of seeing scantily clad young women in bars during Halloween. I recently found a photograph from the 1940s online, which I found so amusing. It was of a family going out for trick-or-treat, with their faces covered in canvas bags with holes cut out for the eyes. Their scarecrow outfits were baggy and torn. One of them was holding an axe. It looked like it was straight out of an American horror movie—the good kind.
The glamorized themes of Halloween celebrations in modern times almost made me forgot that Halloween really was a day to dress especially frightful, not slutty or cute. I wonder how many people that witty family slashed that night.
Legendary special effects artist Rick Baker, the man behind Michael Jackson’s “werecat” look in the “Thriller” music video and the Grinch’s naughty sneer in “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” a man with seven Academy Awards under his belt, brings his movie makeup magic to MAC with a unique collection featuring products chosen to create three Halloween looks, designed exclusively by him: Bride, Day of the Dead and Zombie.
Here’s an easy-to-follow guide on how to recreate this look for your Halloween celebration, and how to use the products for regular occasions, too.
‘Bride/Spider Queen’
Wear this look with a dark- colored outfit and an elaborate headdress to complete that Queen of the Dead ensemble.
Face
1. Apply Pure White Chromacake to cover the entire face area.
2. Fill the nose area, and draw the rose and leaves on the chin with Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil.
3. Use Basic Red Acrylic Paint to fill spider’s body on center of forehead, add color to rose petals on chin, and to color flower shape around eyes.
4. Fill in the teardrop with Hi-Def Cyan Chromagraphic Pencil.
5. Draw the legs and outline of the spider, its web, the scrolls on both sides of the web and mouth and the teardrop with Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner.
6. Use Pure White Acrylic Paint to create highlight inside the tear drop.
7. Use Dusty Purple Eye Shadow to create depth under cheekbones
8. Use Pure White Chromagraphic Pencil to highlight the spider’s back
Eyes
1. Use Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil to sketch around the orbital bone and line the inside of the eyes.
2. Apply Carbon Eye Shadow with a 266 brush to outline the circles around the eye and shade under them. Carefully fill the sketched-out orbital area.
3. Apply Lime Eyeshadow to the eyelid using 242 brush. Apply a small amount of Moss Eye Shadow from the eyelid to the orbital area and blend.
4. Use Landscape Green Acrylic Paint to outline flower shape around eyes and fill in rose leaves.
5. Use Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner to finely line the upper eyelid. Use Haute & Naughty Lash to coat upper and lower lashes. Apply 44 lashes on upper lash line.
Lips
1. Use Pure White Chromagraphic Pencil to fill in lips.
2. Use Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner to add the “teeth.”
‘Day of the Dead’
Because Halloween is one of the rare times your eye bags can look acceptably undead.
Face
1. Drip Dirt Monster FX from the hairline. Spatter it across the face using a 204 brush.
2. Apply Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil to sketch in under eye bags.
3. Use Black Black Paint Stick to shade both sides of the neck and around the jawline.
4. Use Pure White Paint Stick to fill in lines on forehead, cheekbone, nose and anywhere flesh is exposed. Apply with a 242 brush for good blending.
5. Apply Pure White Chromacake, using the 189 brush to stipple texture over the face.
6. Add a few drips of Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner directly from the bottle to accentuate the black line work: nasal folds, forehead lines, under eye bags.
Eyes
1. Line inside the eye with Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil
2. Shade under the eye with Black Black Paint Stick (using 244 brush).
3. Apply Pure White Paint Stick to the eyelid using 244 brush.
Lips
1. Use Pure White Chromagraphic Pencil to fill in the “teeth.”
2. Add Pure White Acrylic Paint to add dimension and finalize details with Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner.
‘Zombie’
Face
1. Apply White Face and Body Foundation using a 190 brush.
2. Contour cheekbones with Omega Eye Shadow.
3. Use Currant and Brick Lip Pencils with Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner to create stitches and staples on face.
4. Use Mylar Eye Shadow to set the skin and on cheekbones to highlight.
Eyes
1. Apply Bitter Eye Shadow on the lid, inner crease and brow bone.
2. Apply Brun Eye Shadow on the crease to create dimension.
3. Apply Omega Eye Shadow on the crease and under the lash line.
4. Use Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil on top of lash line and in waterline, using the 209 brush to buff and smudge.
5. Apply Club Eye Shadow using the 252 brush on top of the pencil, and wing it out into the crease.
6. Line the top lash line and add a wing to the end of the eye with a Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner.
7. Use 48 lashes for top lash lines for emphasis.
Lips
1. Line the lips with Currant Lip Pencil.
2. Apply Cyber Lipstick to fill in the lips.
Tips for non-Halloween occasions
You may use the Pure White Chromagraphic Pencil to make your eyes look bigger. Line the waterline with this white liner, then line the lash line with a dark brown or black liner to add dimension.
The Hi-Def Cyan Chromagraphic Pencil would look refreshing on the beach during the summer, or for an especially colorful look for the holiday season!
The Rapid Black Penultimate Eyeliner is perfect for those who love the cat’s eye. It is liquid and glides on easily on the skin. It is easy to travel with, and because it’s pen-style, no sharpening is required.
The Invisible Set Powder will set your makeup to last for hours. It also has a clear finish, so it can be used on different complexions—perfect for makeup lovers and professional makeup artists alike!