10 Easy Halloween Makeup Tricks From a Former Body Painter

You may be wondering if applying foundation or your regular makeup before the paint messes with your results, but I can assure you it doesn't. You can (and should) apply your normal face makeup beforehand, minus the bronzer and blush. This gives the paint something to stick onto, along with minimizing the appearance of imperfections.

There are a lot of different paint options to consider, but the best thing to keep in mind is your skin type. The most popular and easy-to-use paints are water-based since all you need is water to activate them. You can use alcohol-based paints if you want a more realistic effect, but they can be irritating on sensitive skin (and are not as beginner-friendly). Then, there are cream paints. While creams are pigmented and easy to use, many don't like them because they move around a lot and are hard to set, especially if you have oily skin.

While it may be tempting to start off with the brightest or boldest paint color, you'll want to start with the lightest color as your base. This makes the rest of your colors come out more vibrant and makes it easier to blend throughout the process. Even if you're look features primarily darker colors, use some light colors to add depth. If you need an example: think about a clown makeup look. You'd start with a white base, then add a yellow or orange around the cheekbones, nose, and so on. Next, you'd add red as your defining color, then add more depth with blacks and browns.

Before you get to shading, you'll need to outline. If your costume requires more work than the typical eye and lip paint or makeup, it's good to outline where and what you'll want to paint on your face and body. You can do this with light to dark brown eyeshadow or eyebrow pencil that you can then cover with paint.

One of the biggest complaints new makeup artists and body painters have is, "How come my paint is coming out so streaky?" It's simple: you need to paint your base in a criss-cross motion, like a bunch of tiny Xs or Ts. This helps with layering and keeping the look consistent. I originally heard this tip from popular body painter, Madeyewlook.
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Don't limit yourself to just body paint. There is so much you can create with a makeup palette, too. If you're still having a hard time mixing paints, try out eyeshadows after you apply your base. It sets the paint in place and adds depth depending on what shade of paint you use. If you want to use shadow, apply a darker version of the paint color underneath, followed by some black eyeshadow. For lighting, add a lighter shadow of the colored paint, followed by either white eyeshadow or white paint blended in with your fingers.

Instead of liquid latex, which can be a headache to use and doesn't always give a seamless finish, try scar wax like — this Ben Nye Nose & Scar Wax ($20) — instead. It may be a bit messy to apply, but it's able to look as smooth as possible. For smaller pieces, like elongating the cheekbones, nose, and small details around the face, scar wax is your best friend (and makes it easy to paint over).

If you're either doing bruises or a zombie bite, poke holes all over your makeup sponges with your fingers. It's simple, just rip tiny holes and it gives the best texture to unsightly body paints. Not just any sponges, but those triangular beauty sponges. An old beauty blender will work just fine too.

When creating wounds, don't forget to show irritation in the area. Apply your go-to blush around the perimeter, to give the most natural look. However, if you're not a blush fan, be on the lookout for a more red, cool-toned shade to give the illusion of irritation. Even if it's a small vampire bite, this will ensure it will look as realistic as possible.

A general rule of thumb is that while metallic paints are gorgeous, they're incredibly hard to manage. They are difficult to blend, nearly impossible to cover with other paints, and are generally a pain. So if you're using metallic paints, make it the last step in your routine.