DIY: Halloween Sugar Skull Make Up Tutorial

The Calavera mask or the sugar skull makeup is one of the most popular Halloween trends in Western Culture. The Calavera/Sugar Skull makeup pays homage to a Mexican celebration called Dias De Los Muertos (a.k.a Day Of The Dead) which honours dead ancestors and can consist of many different colours and patterns. Here’s what you’ll need to complete your sugar skull look:

What you’ll need:
– L’OREAL Infallible Matte Face Primer
– NYX Super FAT Eye Marker
– NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (Black Bean)
– Black Eyeshadow
– Snazaroo White Face Paint
– (Large) Concealer Brush
– Eyeshadow Brush
– Setting Spray
– Optional: Coloured Eyeliner
– Optional: Floral Crown

Method:
1. Start off by priming your face with a face primer of your choice for a smooth base. Squeeze a pea size amount and distribute the product around your nose, cheeks, chin and forehead.
2. Using an eyeliner pencil or eye marker, draw large circles around your eyes following the hollows of your eyebrow bone and cheek bone. With the same pencil/marker, outline a tear drop shape on your nose. This will create a guide for when you’re shading and painting your face.
3. With a setting spray, squirt a few drops directly onto your white face paint palette to lube up the product. Using a concealer or flat brush of your choice, mix the white face paint and setting spray residue together until it’s creamy.
4. Start painting your face using the white face paint around the areas that aren’t circles. Be sure to paint a few coats as you want to achieve an extremely pale white ghostly mask.
5. Once you’re done with your white mask, using NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Base, colour in the circles you’ve drawn on previously around your eyes and the tip of your nose. Shade as much colour to your preference.
6. Now for the fun part – using your other black eyeliner, draw lines, patterns and shapes around your face. This is completely up to you. Check out Pinterest for sugar skull pattern inspiration. You can colour in your shapes using coloured eyeliner.
7. Next, draw a Joker-like line across your jaw meeting up to the side of your lips. Do the same for the other side and draw small vertical lines across the giant line almost like scars.
8. For a finishing touch, add a floral crown or decorative headpiece of your choice and you’re done! You have a spooky and beautiful mask ready for Halloween.