How To: Quick and Easy Halloween Makeup

Special effects makeup artist Melissa Krimsky gives us her quick and easy Halloween makeup tips that you don't need to be a pro to pull off.

Special Effects makeup by Melissa for Zombie Walk SDCC 2011

For a cheap and easy zombie look a-la George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (this also works for a vampire or general "sickly/psychotic/haven't slept in weeks" look), all you need is your basic eye-shadows in black, brown, or grey and grab yourself a foundation that's a few shades lighter than your normal skin tone. If you have extra cash you can splurge on some good quality white and black face paint or rubber mask grease paints.

• Apply the base/foundation to your face and set the base makeup with baby powder or setting powder (this takes the shine away and helps it not to sweat off). 
• Use the black/grey/brown eye-shadows under your eyes and on your eyelids and find where your cheeks sink in (make a fish face in the mirror and brush the color into the hollows of your cheeks)
• Highlight (put lighter and darker shades) under your cheeks, on your temples and the bridge of your nose. Don't forget your neck and chest! Have a friend help you if needed. Nothing is worse than a zombie who only looks like a zombie in the face. It's all about highlighting and shadowing the parts of your face/neck/chest that would be sunken in if you were dead. 

For easy wounds, you can buy liquid latex which is $4-15 at Halloween and makeup stores.

NOTE: BE SURE TO TEST A SPOT ON YOUR ARM TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT ALLERGIC

• Apply a layer of latex with a sponge or makeup brush. Use a cheap brush as the latex will cake on it and NOT come off. 
• Apply pieces of toilet paper, cotton swabs, rice (brown rice gives the illusion of maggots) and apply another layer of latex over that.

For creepier eyes, you can apply a red or purple eye-shadow under them to give them an "infected" look. 

Make sure you add some blood too! Fresh Scratch is a great product to use around cuts and wounds. Stage blood/My Blood/Reel Blood etc are runny and more effective for clothing and big wounds. Be careful, some blood stains body and clothing! 

The awesome thing about ghouls is if you mess up, it doesn't matter, some of the best looks have come from "accidents".

Makeup removal tip: Most makeup can be removed with soap and warm water but to make life a bit easier you can purchase Super Solv or Telesis from makeup stores or online. 

What are you going to be for Halloween? Are you going to try any of these creepy makeup tips?