In this post I’ll be sharing VOL. 3 of our 2021 Halloween makeup and costume inspo series. The theme this week is: ZOMBIES
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
This week’s theme of #FrightFemmes (Vol.3) is one of my faves! It truly wouldn’t be a Halloween makeup and costuming series without… ZOMBIES.
If you’re just joining us, click here to read the intro post… but, here’s a quick recap in a nutshell:
The #FrightFemmes collab is an ode to our love for all things Halloween… especially, the makeup & costuming. During the month of October, I’m teaming up with Caro from @blonde2brunette and Ruthmarie from @the.vintage.raven to create over 15 different Halloween looks. We’ll be sharing themed looks weekly, with the hopes of inspiring others to try out some new MUA techniques or costumes. Follow the hashtag #FrightFemmes on Instagram to keep up with our looks and some extra fun Halloween content.
We had so much fun tapping into the spooky side this week… and once again, I just LOVE that all three of us have such a different take on our zombie looks: from vintage glam, to classic horror, and even a bit of gore!
The LOOKS:
+ Caro – Billy Butcherson
+ Ruthmarie – Pinup Zombie
+ Laura – Zombie Pirate
Caro – Billy Butcherson
For more behind the scenes and details about Caro’s look, check out her post here!
โขโขโข
Keep up with Caro and her #FrightFemmes looks via her Instagram @caropozo + her lifestyle blog @blonde2brunette / blonde2brunette.com + her shop @thesugarcottage_ / thesugarcottagemiami.com for gifts, event design, and so much more! For video content, check out the Blonde2Brunette YouTube channel for all things party planning, gardening, MUA, and beyond!
Ruthmarie – Pinup Zombie
For more behind the scenes and details about Ruthmarie’s look, check out her Instagram: @the.vintage.raven and keep your eyes peeled for her makeup, hair, and costume tutorials on her Youtube channel!
โขโขโข
Keep up with Ruthmarie and her #FrightFemmes looks via her Instagram @the.vintage.raven + blog thevintageravenblog.com, and her shop @preciselyplanners / RMSewingEmporium for sewing planners and more creative goodies! For video content, check out The Vintage Raven YouTube channel for upcoming creative projects!
Laura – Zombie Pirate
Keep up with me and my #FrightFemmes looks via Instagram @laurajadeprado
For this week’s theme, I was inspired to create a “sunkissed” zombie pirate. The overall coloring is more warm toned. I imagine this is the beginning stage of a pirate at sea turning undead… becoming blistered by the sun and severely dehydrated.
DIY the look:
Makeup + Hair:
- shadows + highlights – I prepped by applying a heavy layer of foundation, and skipping any concealer. You want your skin to look as textured and imperfect as possible. After the base makeup, I used a combination of brown, taupe, and black eyeshadows to heavily contour the eye sockets, cheekbones, nose, and even brought that down to my neck and clavicle. Then I added more dimension by applying a lighter concealer to the areas that I wanted to appear more protuding (cheeks, chin, brow bown, etc.)
- crusty lips – To create the look of dry, sunburnt lips, I pursed my lips together tightly and applied a light concealer mixed with a bit of white face paint. The took some brown eyeshadow on a fluffy brush and swept it over the lips. For extra shading, I used a maroon lipliner to further enhance the creases.
- special FX wounds – My super easy (+ beginner friendly!) tip for special effects gore makeup: toilet paper and lash glue! This is the technique I’ve been using for years and it’s the easiest method I’ve found. Start by mapping out a rough shape of the wound. Next, apply a thin layer of lash glue to the area that you’d like the wound to be. Then start applying layers of ripped up toilet paper. Let the lash glue dry a bit between layers. Once it’s about 75% dry (it should feel slightly tacky) you can carefully take a pair of tweezers and start “ripping” open the wound by pulling the paper/glue apart. Next, add a base of black cream makeup + fake gel blood to the inside of the wounds. Lastly, use brown and black eyeshadows to create more shading around the wound.
- final touches – To complete the look, I recommend wearing black nail polish. My favorite is Sally Hansen in the color Black Out. Add some black and brown eyeshadow to the skin around the nails for an extra zombie-fied vibe. Apply red liner to your waterline to create the illusion of dry, irritated eyes.
To style the hair, I recommend unwashed, very frizzy hair! Use dry shampoo and a teasing brush to add more texture. I also twisted small pieces of hair together and added the beaded clips and small brass ear cuffs.
Outfit + Materials:
- thrifted blazer or vest
- embroidery thread
- pirate hat
- black felt
- black elastic
- glue gun + glue sticks
- decorative craft feathers
- assorted wooden beads
- assorted silver beads
- scrap pieces of yarn
- jump ring + scrap piece of chain + hoop earring
To make the eye patch, I measured the area around my eye socket and drew out an upside-down triangle shape (roughly). I then used this as a pattern by cutting it out and tracing it onto the black felt. Once the shape was cut out of felt, I glued 2 ends of a piece of black elastic to the two top corners of the eye patch so it fit snugly around my head.
For the main part of this costume, I was originally on the hunt for a leather jacket or vest… but this corduroy blazer was the closest I could find at the thrift store. I wanted something textured and brown to play off the pirate hat. To transform the jacket, I cut the sleeves and shoulder pads off. Then used a bone-colored embroidery thread to add a blanket stitch around the collar and armholes. (click here to see a great tutorial for blanket stitch!)
Moving on to the accessories. For the nosering/earring, I used an open jump ring as the nosering, then attached a piece of scrap chain to a small gold hoop earring.
To make the “hair” pieces, I strung assorted wooden and silver beads onto some yarn and then tied the top of each beaded strand to a hair clip (you could also use bobby pins or anything you have laying around) so that I could attach it to my hair underneath the hat.
Finished everything off by adding a feather to the pirate hat, and layered on some other pirate-looking jewelry: pendants, rings, and this cool sword earring. I’m all about the little details with this look.
STYLING:
To complete this zombie pirate look, I would pair this with some oversized pants cinched with rope at the ankles, or a pair of distressed/cut-off leather shorts. Add a white flowy button-down with balloon sleeves (layer a corset belt over everything to create a more cinched waist). And lastly, throw on a pair of boots for the finishing touch!
That wraps up our #FrightFemmes ZOMBIE theme. Stay tuned for the next round of themed looks from myself, Caro, and Ruthmarie… coming up next week!
If you missed last week’s post, click here to see our Disney CRUELLA inspired looks!
In the meantime, follow along on Instagram @laurajadeprado for sneak peeks at upcoming Halloween makeup and costume inspo + other lifestyle-related content.
Looking for more inspo!? Check out my Halloween Pinterest board for tons of costumes, home decor, and party inspo… updated daily! ++ You can always find all of my Amazon faves for Halloween makeup & costumes, and spooky-chic home decor in my storefront lists!
Xx- Laura
PS – Want to do your own version of a makeup look or DIY costume? We’d love to see it! Use the hashtag #FrightFemmes to share your look with us on Instagram… we’ll be picking our favorites to feature throughout the month of October!
UPDATE: click to see each week’s final looks
vol.1 | vol.2 | vol.3 | vol.4 | vol.5
PIN THIS FOR LATER
