Adult Halloween Makeup Tutorial: Glam Dark Fairy

This Halloween, go as a glamorous dark fairy. Our easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions show you how to apply the fantasy makeup to give even a basic costume a silver screen-worthy look.

Dark Fairy Halloween Makeup
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By: Traci Hines, Becky Sapp, and Jason Amos

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Optional Costume Items:

wig
fairy ear tips and wings
corset and flowing skirt
ripped stockings or fishnet stockings
gothic boots or spike heels
hair accessories

Materials Needed:

  • foundation primer
  • white foundation
  • lightweight fluid concealer
  • white face powder
  • dark brown eyeliner
  • brown liquid liner
  • light and dark purple eye shadows
  • brown eye shadow
  • mauve blush
  • eye primer
  • white and black pencil liners
  • black liquid liner
  • (black) eyelash glue
  • mascara
  • false eyelashes
  • dark purple lip liner
  • dark purple lipstick
  • liquid latex
  • pack of moss
  • tiny circular light blue nail sequins
  • disposable paintbrush
  • special effect contacts (optional)
  • MAC brushes: #239, #130, #210, #187, #190, #217
  • ELF small smudge brush
  • powder brush

Insert Special Effect Contacts (Optional)

These contacts are white with pink edges, which make eyes appear to glow. When wearing contacts as part of a Halloween costume, always put them in before you begin the makeup application.

Apply Foundation

Make sure skin is clean, moisturized and primed for foundation. Begin with a full coverage base a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone. Use a mixture of white foundation and foundation primer. Extend it down your neck and blend out anywhere skin will be showing (Image 1). Set with white face powder to give yourself a supernatural, gothic look (Image 2).

Darken Eyebrows

Color in eyebrows using a very dark shade. Match brows to hair, or just opt for very dark brown or black. Use a pencil liner for precision. Define and sharpen the shape to make them look wicked (Image 1). Add a beauty mark to your cheek with brown liquid liner (Image 2).

Add Blush

Contour the hollows of cheeks using purple and brown shadows, then add a touch of mauve blush to soften.

Blush For Your Glam Dark Fairy Costume

Adding Blush To Your Glam Dark Fairy Halloween Look

Contour the hollows of cheeks using purple and brown shadows, and add a touch of mauve blush to soften.

Apply Eye Shadow

Prime lids for shadow with eye primer to help give the maximum color payoff from eye shadow (Image 1). Define directly under your brow bone with a white pencil liner then blend it smooth with your finger (Image 2). Go over the white liner with white shadow to define brows and act as a base for blending (Image 3). Apply dark purple eye shadow at the base of the eyelid, then gradually blend up with light purple eyeshadow extending all the way up to the brow bone (Image 4). Continue the dark purple shadow all the way around the eyes.

Create Dramatic Eyes

Enhance under-eye circles with gray, purple and mauve shadow (Image 1). Add a touch of pink under the eyes, extending out (Image 2). Line your waterline, which is the inside bottom of the eyelid, and around your eyes with black pencil liner (Image 3). Create a thick, dramatic cat eye using black liquid eyeliner on your top eyelid (Image 4).

Enhance Eyes

Add liquid liner underneath the eye, and coat top and bottom lashes with a thick coat of black mascara (Images 1 and 2). Add spidery false lashes on top and bottom (Image 3). Make sure to choose lashes that extend out at the edges to exaggerate that cat eyeliner. Blend your lashes to the false lashes with a final sweep of mascara (Image 4). Tip: Use two pairs of false eyelashes on top of each other for maximum drama.

Draw Veins and Cracks

Take a liquid eyeliner with a very thin tip and draw on squiggly cracks and veins coming down from the hairline at the forehead, down into the eyebrow, out from under one eye and at the sides of the cheeks. Add more down the chin and neck, on your clavicle and anywhere skin is showing (Images 1 and 2). Let dry, then using a pointed or small-detail shadow brush, add a touch of purple and brown shadow to shade the cracks at the thickest parts to make them appear three-dimensional (Image 3). Apply three tiny dots of eye shadow primer above each eyebrow, and place tiny nail sequins on top (Image 4).

Apply Lip Color

Apply dark purple liner to fill in lips (Image 1). Add dark purple lipstick on top of the liner (Image 2). Using liner under your lipstick will help define your lips and make your color last much longer. Finally, top with dark blue lip-gloss (Image 3).

Add Moss

Using a disposable paintbrush, paint on latex anywhere you want to add moss (Image 1). Break off small pieces of moss then press these onto the latex. Continue down the neck, and secure some in your hair with bobby pins (Image 2).

Finish the Costume

Finish the look with full, disheveled locks and a dark ensemble. Make a fairy costume with a corset and tattered skirt or a dark-colored dress. Wear wings, fishnet or ripped stockings, gothic shoes and hair accessories that look as if they were collected in the forest. Add some pointed fairy tips to your ears if you like using the liquid latex.

Adding Accessories To Your Glam Dark Fairy Look

Striking Glam Dark Fairy Halloween Costume With Purple Accessories

Finish your Halloween fairy look with full, disheveled locks, and a dark ensemble. DIY a costume with a corset and tattered skirt or dark colored dress. Add some fishnets or ripped stockings, gothic shoes and hair accessories that look as if they were collected in the forest. Add some pointed fairy tips to your ears if you like using the liquid latex.

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