On Halloween, the line between the living and the dead draws slim. Zombies crawl from their graves, vampires retreat from their caskets, and witches take flight on their broomsticks. If you still haven’t decided on a costume, take a cue from your daily routine: wedding planning. You’ve likely spent a lot of serious time planning for the perfect dress, perfect makeup and perfect hairstyle. It’s time to take the wedding day stress to a frighteningly fun level by creating a bridal look with a dark twist. And if you’ve already said your “I dos,” pull out your wedding gown for a unique take on “trashing the dress” that’s sure to delight the dead.
We asked HalloweenCostumes.com makeup expert Chrissy Connelly to show us how we can rise from the grave and walk down the aisle this Halloween with these seven spine-chilling bridal makeup how-tos.
To start, what does every bride from beyond the grave need?
SKIN
- Use liquid foundation two to three shades lighter than your own skin tone (avoid costume makeup, as it’s hard to spread).
- Set makeup with white or light translucent powder using puff so it goes on heavier.
EYES
- Apply gel or liquid eyeliner heavy around the entire eye, smear it to give more depth and wing it for a more feminine look.
- Darken brows with a dark brown or black pencil; these monsters tend to have thin, dark, and defined brow lines.
CHEEKS
- If you’re “alive-ish,” dust plum or pink blush; if dead (such as a ghost), use taupe.
LIPS
- Deep plum or deep red lipstick, using lip liner for further definition.
- After using a dark colored lipstick, tap on eye shadow of a similar color for a matte (and dead) finish.
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride: With this hand, I will lift your sorrows, You cup will never empty, For I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine.
To get blue-ish glowing skin, use a light colored foundation and add a light blue iridescent eye shadow with a puff. “Use the eye shadow brush to brush the blue eye shadow onto the puff,” suggests Chrissy. Use that same blue eye shadow on the eyelids to get a darker look. Darken eyebrows and add curves with a dark eyeliner pen. Use a “blush pink” lipstick (instead of plums suggested above) and top off with a long blue wig.
Zombie Bride: She didn’t understand Til’ death do we part.
Get the look:
Use fake costume blood and deep red eyeliner to imitate blood oozing from nose, mouth, etc. Multiple tones give a 3-D appearance. To get a contouring look, add white, loose powder to the face and blend taupe-colored eye shadow into cheek bones. For the eyes, use a mixture of black, taupe, and grey. Smudge dark eyeliner and mascara on your top and bottom eye lids, and use eye shadow to create under-eye circles.
Bride of Chucky: “My mother always said love was supposed set you free. But that’s not true, Chucky. I’ve been a prisoner of my love for you for a very long time. Now it’s payback time.”
Get the look:
Think 90s with this costume’s cosmetics. Use black eyeliner to create the signature beauty mark. Add a fake heart tattoo on your chest with makeup (don’t forget to add Chucky’s name to it!). Use regular foundation and add dark eyeliner and heavy mascara, and use dark eyeliner to create the drastic eyebrows. Dark brown or black lipstick, and then topped off with a bleach blonde wig.
Ghost Bride: You’ll be hauntingly beautiful.
Get the look:
Use pale foundation for face, neck and other various body parts to give deathly look. Forego the blood and use a pale lip color (or even powder) over the lips. Use mascara and eyeliner in moderation (ghosts have no color, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still look good). “You don’t have to be totally authentic,” says Chrissy. “You can still have pretty eyes!”
Bride of Frankenstein: “Woman. Friend. Wife.”
Get the look:
Follow the basic steps and then add the infamous Bride of Frankenstein black-and-white wig, found at most local costume shops. Wing out the black eyeliner around the eyes and add stitches under the neck.
Skeleton Bride: You’ll knock ’em dead with this look.
Get the look:
Using black eyeliner, create bone features on the neck and cheeks, then blacken around the eyes to create deep, empty socket look. Use black eyeliner and white makeup on nose and lips to give the look of bones. “Anywhere that there would be cartilage instead of bone, such as the eye-area, lips, and nose, color it black,” explains Chrissy. Make stitches around the lips to look like skeleton teeth.
Mummy Bride: Wrap yourself with love that extends beyond the grave.
Get the look:
This character is the most “alive” of the deadly seven. Apply dark, smoky-colored eye shadow and plum lipstick. Contour the cheeks with taupe-colored eye shadow around the cheekbones. Use pale foundation to give a pasty appearance. “Mummy brides can have deep, plum “pretty looks,” says Chrissy. “No need to look too dead!”
Photos: HalloweenCostumes.com; Maryatexitzero/Flickr; Fizzog; LegendsofHorror.org
