In this post I’ll be sharing VOL. 3 of our 2023 Halloween makeup, costumes, and DIY series. The theme this week is: Creepy Characters
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Welcome to VOL.3 of #FrightFemmes – today we are amping up the creepy factor with 3 different looks that are sure to have your skin crawling.
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 share weekly themed makeup and costume ideas with the hopes of inspiring others to tap into their creative flow all season long. This year, we’re also including lifestyle DIY projects, so there’s a little bit of magic for everyone to enjoy! Be sure to follow the official @FrightFemmes page on Instagram to keep up with our looks and projects… we’ll be posting content daily and can’t wait to see you there!
Pulling inspiration from nostalgic scary storybooks, this week we have tapped into some mysterious and bizarre energy to come up with some extra frightening Halloween makeup looks that appear to have crawled right out of a nightmarish campfire tale on Friday the 13th.
The LOOKS:
+ Caro (The Haunting)
+ Ruthmarie (The Dot)
+ Laura (Despair & Decay)
Caro – The Haunting
Caro was inspired by images and characters from the spooky scenes illustrated by Stephen Gammel for the 1980s classic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. This book is brimming with spine-chilling short stories that are accompanied by equally terrifying artwork. Here she created an amazingly intricate full facepaint makeup look based on the cover of the book. With so much detail and layered paint techniques, it’s truly a chilling character look that would fit right into any haunted house or Halloween gathering.
For more behind the scenes and details about Caro’s look, check out her post here!
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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 – The Dot
This week Ruthmarie takes us on the brink of gore with this spooky look inspired by “The Dot” – one of the short stories found in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. She used SFX (special effects) makeup techniques to create the spider infested wound on her face complete with crawling critters that you can almost feel scattering across these images. I love the intensity of this look paired with the moody film-like photo editing technique.
For more behind the scenes and details about Ruthmarie’s look, check out her post here!
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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 – Despair & Decay
Comparison is the theif of joy, and she’s lived a life full of it. Never content with her own reflection, her green with envy attitude has left her rotting from the inside out.
You may remember my Classic Clown look from a few years back. It was one of my favorites and I’ve been itching to create another version ever since – perhaps her more dark and mysterious step-sister. I also think this would totally work as a coordinating duo costume with your bff if you both want to be clowns with opposite characteristics!
For this week’s creepy MUA theme, I envisioned a clown character that would belong in the same realm as the creepy nostalgic storybooks from the past – with those nightmarish short stories that felt dark and mysterious but with a more editorial twist. Aiming for a “green with envy” theme, I used a few simple products to pull together this creepy clown makeup that captures a sad and eerie aesthetic.
To enhance the look of despair, I created a reverse eye makeup look, which has been on my list of editorial MUA techniques to try out. And added a layer of gore with spikey decaying floral elements bursting out of the skin in place of the classic clown circle cheeks.
Keep up with me and my #FrightFemmes looks via Instagram @laurajadeprado
Putting together the Despair & Decay Creepy Clown look:
Makeup:
- Reverse eye makeup – Create a sad downturned eye by placing black eyeliner and eyeshadow underneath the bottom lashline. Extend it down and out towards the outer corners. Use black face paint and a bit of water to create tear-like streaks. On the eyelids, add just a small amount of contour for dimension. You also want to omit adding mascara on the top lashes to really enhance the bare look.
- Ombre clown nose – Using a mix of green eyeshadows, use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to create an ombre color gradient. Starting with the most intensity on the tip of the nose and then fading out towards the edges. Use a super pigmented black felt tip eyeliner to create the classic black clown nose dot.
- Smile mouth – Use a similar color gradient technique to create a diffused upper lip, and extend the corners of the mouth slightly angled upwards. Then use black eyeliner to outline the middle of the bottom lip only. Purse your lips together and apply a metallic green or gold eyeshadow to add dimension while also enhancing that “crusty” decayed look.
- Sad brows – Every sad clown needs sad brows. Simply elongate the inner corners of the brows upwards to create a super exaggerated expression. I love using a thin felt tip eyeliner for this to create those precise hair-like strokes.
- Subtle pointillism – Since this look is inspired by illustrated stories, I wanted to include a few details with mall dots to mimic the pointillism art style. It also adds a sketchy and more editorial mood to the overall look. Simply use a tiny detailing brush or a fine tip liquid liner to draw on a few dots around the eyebrows, cheeks, nose, and mouth areas. This is much easier than it looks, as there is no need for precision and almost always looks best with a slightly loose hand.
- SFX cheek elements – To add a slight level of gore, you can create the cheeks using the simple liquid latex and tissue paper method. I always come back to this as it’s so easy and accessible. (Tip: if you don’t have liquid latex, just use eyelash glue!) Start by applying a thin layer of latex over areas of the cheek that you want to “build out” then place a layer of ripped tissue paper over it. With a small brush, apply another layer of latex over the tissue, making sure to fully saturate the edges. Repeat this process until you have several layers of latex and tissue built up. Wait until it is almost fully dry. Then take a pair of small scissors and carefully cut a slit into the center of the latex and tissue mound. Then take a pair of tweezers and start pulling at the edges until you like the overall shape of the wound. This will create that lifted skin 3D effect. Finish by painting the inside of the wound with black, and adding some foundation around the outside edges to help blend with the skin. For this look, I cut up a few dried blue thistle flowers and glued them inside the open wounds using eyelash glue. The spikey dramatic flowers add so much movement and intensity to the look.
Outfit + Styling:
Take the classic clown attire to a more dark and eerie level by layering multiple black tutus and ruffles around the neck. You can add items like satin ribbon flowers or ruffle collars for added detail and dimension.
The exaggerated pigtail hairstyle is perfect for unruly locks, as I think the messier the better. You can use a texturizing spray and a boar bristle brush to tease the pigtails, adding volume and fullness. Finish the look with satin ribbon tied in bows around the pigtails. Keep the ribbon strands extra long for added drama.
For the rest of the outfit, I would style this with a simple black turtleneck unitard paired with black and white striped knee length socks and some chunky mary jane shoes. I would also create tons of green satin ribbon bows and pin them to the top of the socks, sides of the waist, etc. Then carry around a small hand mirror – again adorned with long strands of ribbon.
That wraps up our FrightFemmes CREEPY CHARACTERS theme. Stay tuned for fresh new content from myself, Caro, and Ruthmarie… coming up next week!
In the meantime, follow along on Instagram @laurajadeprado for sneak peeks at upcoming Halloween makeup and costume inspo + other lifestyle-related content.
You can also check out my Halloween Pinterest board for tons of costumes, home decor, and party inspo… updated daily! As well as my Amazon Storefront where youโll find my favorite Halloween and seasonal finds!
Xx- Laura
PS โ Want to recreate your own version of a makeup look, costume, or DIY project? Weโd love to see it! Use the hashtag #FrightFemmes and tag us @frightfemmes on Instagramโฆ weโll be picking our favorites to feature throughout the month of October!
UPDATE: CLICK TO SEE ALL CONTENT FOR OUR 2023 SERIES
VOL.1 | VOL.2 | VOL.3 | VOL.4 | VOL.5
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