3 Halloween Looks Straight Out of Your Own Makeup Bag

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Welcome to a special Halloween edition of Girl Friday, our weekly column where professional makeup artist Amanda Storey shares the latest in trends, tips and tricks in the world of makeup and beauty.

I did my own makeup, hair and styling. Photo by Bonnie Rae Mills

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. It's the one time of year when people don't question my experimental makeup looks and actually embrace the weird things I do to my face. Creative makeup comes easily to me, but most people have a pretty rigid makeup routine and the thought of doing anything different can seem a little...scary! Here are some quick tips on how to take your daytime makeup to the dark side.

From Friday afternoon to futuristic
You do not need to buy new makeup for your Halloween look. You just have to start "thinking outside the palette." Your blush can be a crazy hot pink eyeshadow (check labels to ensure the pigment is eye-safe) or a sunburnt powder foundation. Your eyeliner can quickly double as a brow pencil and lipstick for your punk rock costume. Let go of what a product is actually for and start thinking of it as color that can be used anywhere on your face. Your makeup bag will seem much less boring and new creative possibilities will be revealed.

To create this makeup look (see above) I used everyday products you would find in any makeup bag. The dramatic eyes were created with only one product, Bad Gal Mascara by Benefit. I used the gigantic Bad Gal mascara wand almost like a stamp and pressed it into my eye lids and the skin around my eyes. The result is a futuristic black smokey eye. The Bad Gal brush created a pattern of raised dots of mascara that add an interesting 3D effect to the look. I used my fingers to blend and wing the mascara up towards my temples. I packed a ton of blush onto my cheeks, darkened my brows a bit and tilted my sock bun a few degrees to the left and viola' Intergalactic Alien Queen!

Daytime to Day of the Dead
Black eyeliner is a product that I believe should be in every girls makeup bag. I have gels, pencils, liquids, powders and pastes and they have come in handy more times than I can count. Need a quick Frida uni-brow? Madonna mole? Twiggy lashes? Yep...black eyeliner is your best friend.

Photo by GulKar via Shutterstock

I have seen some Day of the Dead makeup looks that have left me in complete awe of the talent it requires to create a look like this. This type of makeup is beautifully haunting and a little scary at the same time. The most memorable Day of the Dead makeup looks require hours of artistry and a true vision, but there is a way to create an office-bathroom friendly-version.

I highly recommend pulling up some reference photos from Pinterest. You don't want to replicate someone's look, but you can certainly borrow elements and add some of your own. Start off by applying foundation all over your face and lips. Do not use blush on your cheeks. Now bust out that black eyeliner. By the time you're done drawing in all the stitches, cobwebs, swirls and hollowed-out eyes, you are going to need a replacement. I find a liquid or gel liner with a fine brush works best for this type of work. Waterproof is a plus as well! If you are lucky enough to carry a black or dark brown matte shadow with you, you can suck in your cheeks and blend a bit of dark contour powder under your cheekbones. This will add to the skeletal gauntness of your look. If your hair is long enough, part it and create two pigtail low braids. Criss-cross them over your head and bobby-pin it into place. On your way to the party stop at a flower shop and grab a few blooms to weave into your hair. Another option is a faux flower headband. They are plentiful at both Forever 21 and Claire's accessories.

Work appropriate to Walking Dead
I think transforming into a Zombie is super easy. Most of the time I look in the mirror around 4:30 and my makeup is zombie-fying all on it's own!

I did my own makeup, styling and hair. Photo by Eddie Masias

Mid-day racoon eyes? Smear them more. Get out that eyeliner pencil and go crazy! If you are feeling extra sassy, use that eyeliner pencil to black out a few teeth. If you carry a bronzer with you, dirty yourself up. You want to look like you dug yourself out of your grave, right?! Take your mascara and messily apply it under your eyes. For the look I created above, I wanted there to be mascara tears. I applied a ton of mascara and when it was still wet, I splashed my eyes with water. I took my fingers and dragged the "tears" down my face. I also recommend painting your mouth heavily with red lipstick and then purposefully smearing it all around your mouth and towards your chin. It looks really creepy. If you can, go ahead and shred your tights (and clothes if they are cheap) and really muss up your hair. And there you have it, a zombie to-go!

Have you had your own "make-it-work" Halloween moment? If so, what did you come up with and how did you create it?—by Amanda Storey