Since posting my ghostly look last weekend for our Halloween party, I received so many questions on how I created the Half Skull design. Honestly, it did take a little time, but totally doable. Here is a quick Halloween makeup tutorial of how I created my spooky look. (Hint: I followed a YouTuber’s tutorial very closely….PollyanneB)
Here is my version:
Ok. I know what you’re thinking….I could never pull that off…right? I’m here to say that you can totally do this! Pollyanne B does an awesome tutorial and walks you through step by step. I had the video playing on my phone and just paused it at each step as I created this look…..To be fair, it did take me over an hour to complete, but worth every second!
So who are we supposed to be? Maybe it was a little more obscure than we thought, but my husband was Zak Bagans, host of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, and I was the ghost he was hunting.
Here is a quick run through of all the of the items I used to create this look, including the costume I purchased from Amazon.
I spent about a week researching the best face paint to use, and a water-based paint so that my skin would freak out. I chose to use Mehron face paint in white and black. I also purchased a cheaper set of standard artist brushes….as you can see below, the face paint will stain your normal makeup brushes.
Note! These are water based face paints, so they will run or rub off if you sweat or get them wet. Our party was partly outside so I never got overly warm, but I could see that the makeup may not last if you were super active or
Here are a few of my staples to create the normal makeup look that I use for those eventful and long evenings. Stila and MAC are my typical go-to brands for long-wear.
For my husbands hair, we used American Crew and it worked great. He’s not one to style his hair, so we weren’t sure which products to go with, but we can recommend American Crew defining paste if you’re looking for serious hold.
To do a quick end-of-night follow up, I wanted to show how the makeup held up to a night of dancing, beer pong and overall shenanigans. It wasn’t perfect when we got home, but I thought it held up great considering the fun we had!
Here are the links to my costume and wig:
I hope you enjoyed this Half-Skull Halloween makeup tutorial and please send photos of you recreate it. Also make sure to follow PollyanneB for more great makeup ideas.
Don’t miss the quick and easy Pumpkin Carving Post for some last minute ideas!
Founder of Shoulders With Freckles and SUMMERSKIN, as well as a Pharmacist, Melanoma Survivor & Mom.
