6 Celeb-Inspired Halloween Makeup Tutorials to Help You Channel Your Faves

Date October 24, 2016

This time of year can lead to serious costume stress with people scrambling for last-minute Halloween costume ideas. But instead of freaking out and wasting countless hours scouring every thrift shop in town, why not try a different angle this year: makeup! Create your own costume using the makeup you probably already have in your kit and let your face tell the story. You can get totally creative with your look without relying on finding a hard-to-locate piece that will make or break your costume.

Challenge 103: How will you channel your fave movie character or celeb this Halloween? See the answers now! »

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Katie Elwood
Vancouver | Katie Elwood

I decided to channel Elsa from Frozen this year for Halloween. This tutorial is an easy makeup and hairstyle that definitely completes any Elsa costume!

To achieve maximum volume for hair, first curl and pin the whole head to set while applying makeup. Tip: make sure to backcomb the front sections before curling and pinning. Next move on to makeup. I recommend starting with eyes in case there is any fallout from the dark shadows. This will avoid a messy clean-up situation. Since the main goal of any Halloween makeup is staying power, first apply Urban Decay’s “Primer Potion”on the eyelids. Next use a shimmery cream shadow all over the lid up to the brow bone. Pick a bright purple shade and pat on all over the lid and lightly sweep into the crease. Then take a bright pink shade and blend out in the crease. If needed, clean up the shape of your eyeshadow with a Q-tip to have a more defined look. Next, line the eyes with black liner and apply your fave strip lashes to really make the eyes pop. If you have had any eye-shadow fallout, clean up with makeup remover before you start your foundation. After foundation, set with powder and apply a bright pink blush to the cheeks. Follow with a soft pink lipstick. Lastly, I recommend setting with Urban Decay’s “all nighter” setting spray.

Now onto hair! Take all of your pinned curls down and comb out your hair. Add a bit of extra back combing to the top and then smooth into your desired shape. Next use two or three bobby pins to secure at the back of the head. Then take all of the remainder loose hair and pull to one side. Braid the hair in a regular braid and secure with a clear elastic. To make your braid extra thick, gently pull it apart. Lastly, spray hair with a long-lasting hair spray and pin any stray hairs. Optional: take this look up a notch and pin little crystal snowflakes throughout the braid for the full “Elsa” hairstyle.

Happy Halloween!

Products Used: Makeup – Laura Mercier “Oil Free Primer”, Laura Mercier “Silk Creme Oil Free” Foundation, NARS “Radiant Creamy” Concealer, Laura Mercier “Translucent” Setting Powder, Urban Decay “Primer Potion”, Shu Uemura “G White” Cream Shadow, NARS Eye Duo “Jolie Poupée” Eye Duo, MAC Eyeshadow “Passionate”, Bobbi Brown Gel Liner, Duo Lash Glue, Shu Uemura Lash Curler, Shu Uemura Eyelashes “Slant Black”, Laura Mercier Blush “Lotus Pink”, Laura Mercier Lip Pencil “Baby Lips”, Laura Mercier Lip Glace “Baby Doll”, Urban Decay “All Nighter” Setting Spray. Hair – Clips, (for setting hair), Garnier “Big Volume” Hairspray, BaByliss Nano Titanium 1 1/4 inch Curling Iron, Clear Hair Elastic Bands, Bobby Pins.

Colleen Conroy
Vancouver | Blush Rouge

This time of year I love to think about amazing characters that have adorned the big screen in our favourite movies. Having been invited to a Haunted Greek Temple party for Halloween this year, I set out to think of which Greek tale I wanted to live out. Medusa, the monstrous Gorgon with snakes as hair and eyes that could turn you to stone, seemed absolutely perfect (seen in such movies as Clash of the Titans and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightening Thief).

I wanted to create a shape with my eyes that mimics the angle and sleekness of a snake. I started by drawing a thick white line with an eye pencil below my lower lashes. Then, I outlined that with a black gel liner. I set this with green eye shadow to have a shimmer of colour. On my lids I did a white shadow all over, with a strong cut crease consisting of green, grey and black shadow. I used the black gel liner to create a solid line above my top lashes with a slight wing. The look was then topped off with full glamorous lashes.

Since Medusa turns others into stone with her gaze, I chose to wear white out contacts to emphasize this power of hers. I styled my hair in tight curls to have a snake like look and wove in plastic snakes, pinning them into place.

Products used: Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in White, MAC Chromaliner in Black Black, MAC Eye shadow in Humid, Loréal Colossal Mascara in Black, Ardell Glamour Lashes in Gisele Black.

Ellie Somfelean
Montreal | My Beauty Box

For Halloween I decided to play it somewhat safe and channel one of my favourite singers, Iggy Azalea. I have been told I look like her previously, and this made the look that much easier to achieve, which is great for when you are trying to come up with a costume in a hurry.

Iggy’s look always features flawless skin with a strong contour and highlight, a simple cat liner and bold lips. I used a coppery shadow on the lid and a liquid liner to draw a thick line all along the eye and flicked it with a cat line. I used a cream bronzer to contour, a peachy blush and two highlighters, a pink and a golden one on top of the cheekbone. For the lips I decided to go with a bold, matte pink.

The piece de resistance are my hair extensions which I simply wrapped around a high pony to get more volume and long blonde tresses just like Iggy’s

Products used: Stila Got Inked Liner, Estee Lauder New Dimension Contour kit, NARS Dual Intensity blush in Jubilation, Lise Watier Baiser Velours in Part Kiss and Irresistible Me hair extensions.

Alexa Lowe
Montreal | Stealing Beauty

To achieve a Mad Max: Fury Road-inspired look, apply foundation and set as per usual to create an even base. Opt for a neutral lip colour with a matte finish or simply mute out the lips with foundation. Use a cool toned blush or contour powder such as NYX blush in Taupe to contour the cheeks, nose and jaw line.

Using black costume makeup to fill in the contours of the eyes with a makeup wedge, similar to a Sugar Skull makeup look. Apply a matte black shadow all around the eyes including the upper and bottom lids and inner corners. With product left on the brush, blend the eyeshadow and black makeup outwards and using flicking motions, fade out the perimeter of the black makeup. Line the upper and lower waterlines and the inner tear ducks with black pencil liner to ensure that no flesh is peeping through.

Use a burgundy or a red tinted shade (of either eyeshadow or blush) to blend around the edges of the look. Finally, dab fake blood under the eyes and use moderate flicking motions to spread the blood around in an irregular fashion.

Products used: Desio contact lenses in Forest Green, CoverGirl truBLEND Liquid Makeup in 5M with Marcelle Ultra Gentle Moisturizing Cream, Black makeup (some generic stuff),NYX jumbo pencil Black Bean, Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Collection Blue Had Me Hello, AVON Makeup Setting Spray, NYX Cosmetics High Definition Blush in Taupe, Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Pinking of You, Makeup FX fake blood from Shopper’s Drugmart

Maggie Ng
Toronto | Beauty PhD

Since I L-L-L-LOVE red lips, I thought I’d go for an Audrey Hepburn sort-of-look from the movie My Fair Lady, minus the big hat! It’s so classic and sophisticated. A super easy look to achieve!

Other than the iconic red lips, another main feature that requires attention would probably be the brows. I thickened and extended my natural brows using a gel brow pencil and used a spooly to soften the edges. The eyes were kept neutral and soft, with an addition of a winged-liner.

For the hair, I used a powder spray for volume. Then I just teased the front portion and then twisted the back of my hair and secured it with some bobby pins for a make-shift French Twist.

Lastly, I threw on my little black dress and a statement-piece necklace and I was pretty much on my way!

Accessorized with some cute gloves and a tiny clutch purse! Voila! And really, this look isn’t just for Halloween! I think I could totally rock this on an everyday basis!

Products Used : Skindinavia Makeup Primer Spray, Benefit POREfessional, StriVectin CC Anti-Aging Eye Illuminator in Light, Glo Minerals Powder Foundation in Natural Medium, Benefit Stay Don’t Stray Eye Primer in Light/Medium, Hard Candy Eye Def Metallic Eyeshadow in Crystal Palace, Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Collection Palette in Naturally Gorgeous, Hard Candy Walk the Line Liquid Eyeliner in Licorice, Rimmel London Super Curler 24HR Mascara in Black, Pixi by Petra Endless Brow Gel Pen in Medium, Marcelle Powder Blush in Pink Mademoiselle, MAKE UP FOR EVER Lash Show in N-205, Pixi by Petra Mattelustre Lipstick in Plum Berry, Kerastase Paris V.I.P. Volume In Powder and Rahua Voluminous Spray.

Kira Paran
Edmonton | Northern Style Exposure

For halloween or a date night, I love to channel classic hollywood when choosing my makeup. I went for a Kate Winslet circa 1997 look, creating the makeup from her role in Titanic. Think porcelain skin, red lips and strong brows.

I started with exfoliating and moisturizing my skin. Next, I used a primer to get that even base for flawless looking skin. I used a foundation stick around my eye area, nose and on a few minor blemishes. Finally, I applied a light weight pressed powder foundation to my entire face, including a portion of my neck. Blended throughly with a foundation brush. I used a light pink blush on the apples of my cheeks, for that flushed love struck look she had for the movie. I penciled in my brow and highlighted beneath my brow line to add drama and depth. I exfoliated my lips, then applied a bright red classic lip.

Products Used: Tatcha silk lipstick, Jollification sugar orange scrub, Alima Pure pressed foundation in Macadamia, Make Up For Ever Ultra HD cover stick foundation, Verso super facial serum #4, 100% PURE facial scrub in Cherry Honey, TART cheek stain in Peachy Pink, Hard Candy brows now in Medium Dark, silk L.Lash Bar lash extensions and a Billion Dollar brow duo pencil.