Halloween Costumes Using Eyeliner
10 Easy, Cool-Looking Costumes You Can Make With Eyeliner
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Some people plan their Halloween costumes months in advance, and then there are those who prefer to take a fly-by-night approach. Well, this one is for the procrastinators. It's possible to pull off these simple designs even if you only have five minutes to create a frightening makeup look. All you need is eyeliner! Whether you have a pencil, gel, or liquid liner on hand, you can create a mix of unique Halloween styles.
Glamsquad's head of makeup artistry, Kelli Bartlett, broke down everything you need to know to create a last-minute costume using this eye-makeup essential. If you still need some inspiration, the Glamsquad team will be giving free advice at select Ricky's NYC locations this week. You can also log on to the app to schedule a Halloween-themed hair and makeup service from home. Sure, you may not win the award for best costume, but you'll be able to stand next to Frankenstein without looking too normcore.
Source: Reddit user ellyrose-, Corbis Images, Reddit user JOJO94, Facebook user Amanda Chapman Photography
1 Masquerade Makeup
You'll need to dig out your thinnest liquid eyeliner pen for this intricate Halloween mask. To get a similar swirled design, start with a stencil. "The craft store sticker aisle is your best friend," Bartlett said. "When you remove a sticker the shell is still intact, and that's an instant stencil. I've also used Scotch tape to map out strong lines and sharp borders of a mask."
Use Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner ($20) to draw the design. If you make a mistake, apply a dab of moisturizer on a Q-tip to erase. It will cause less irritation than makeup remover when working around the sensitive eye area.
2 A Clockwork Orange
Becoming the psychotic criminal from A Clockwork Orange movie, Alex DeLarge, doesn't even require a false-lash strip (even though that will elevate your costume to a 3D level). Just draw on Twiggy-esque lower lashes using a liquid liner pen and throw on a bowler hat.
3 Black Swan
Re-creating Natalie Portman's troubled ballerina character from Black Swan is all about the eyes. You essentially want to create a wing over each eye, and it all starts with an inky gel eyeliner like Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner ($24) because it can be easily layered to get a blackout effect.
Start by creating a vertical line down the side of the nose, then extend it up over the brow and outwards in an angular shape. Next, bring the liner up around the tear duct and on the lower lash line. Finish it off with dashes of liquid liner at the edges to give it a winged effect.
"Liquid liner pen is good for creating feather-like strokes because it has a very precise tip," Bartlett said. "If you want to add a unibrow or whiskers to the face or even create very fine lines for stitches, it's perfect."
4 Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin was the comedy king in the black-and-white film era, so this costume is all about high contrast. Use a jet-black waterproof liner like Make Up For Ever Artist Liner ($19) to give brows a bold, masculine shape. Coat eyelids in the black pencil, bringing the color along the bottom lash line, too. This will give lids a slightly smoky effect (yes, guyliner was even cool in the early 1900s). For Charlie's signature mustache, draw a triangular shape from nose to cupid's bow. Make sure to keep a strict Willow-only policy when it comes to Instagram filters to really get the silent-movie effect.
5 Scary Skull or Day of the Dead
Skull makeup requires a lot of detail, but you really need very little to get the look: foundation and eyeliner. Start by covering your entire face in foundation including your lips. First mark over the eye sockets, cheek hollows, and tip of the nose with black gel eyeliner.
"Once that gel liner dries down it's definitely going to flake up on you," Bartlett explained. "But by adding several sheer washes of black with a fluffy synthetic brush, it will allow you to build up the intensity." Then, outline two rows of teeth where your lips would usually be visible with a eyeliner marker like Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner ($19).
6 Leopard or Cute Kitten
Got a cat-ear headband ($11) lying around? Try this leopard makeup for a last-minute fix. All you need is a brown and black eyeliner pencil. Start by outlining your spots in black, then filling them in with a brown pencil. Finally add whiskers and a heart-shaped nose. Voilà , you're ready to roar through the Halloween costume contest.
7 Cleopatra
When it comes to re-creating Cleopatra's Egyptian beauty look, all that matters is the eyeliner! As pharaoh she was known for her graphic kohl-eyeliner looks. Start with an extreme wing and build another linear design in the crease of the lids. You also want to accent arches with a bold brow and balance it all with a nude lip hue. Try MAC Eye Kohl ($16) for this particular costume.
8 Jack Sparrow
This makeup palette is part rock star, part pirate. You'll need two separate eyeliner products to get Jack's dusty, smudged eye-makeup look. Use a pencil to create the dark circles underneath the eye and around the top lids. Then, take a fine-tip liquid liner to draw in each hair of the mustache and beard.
"If you want a 5 o'clock shadow, use your black pencil as well as your favorite brown eyeliner," Bartlett said. "Rub that on the back of your hand, and use a makeup brush with a stiff fiber to pick up the product. To apply, use a stippling motion, which creates texture on the face."
9 Infected
You'll need a mix of navy blue and black liquid liner to get this infected makeup look. The spidery veins should flow at odd angles and branch out from the eyes and neck. You can also use the black eye pencil you already own to give your pout an inky color.
10 Bambi
This fauna costume can easily be done with your everyday makeup essentials, including a dark brown eyeliner and a black gel pot. Fill in brows with the brown color and extend the line down each side of the nose. Then, use your jet-black gel to coat the tip of the nose, the top lip, and create a winged liner look. For the pale spots, use highlighter or a light foundation shade.
