Halloween is an ideal opportunity to express yourself and have fun with makeup. It can also be something of a pain, a source of stress, and a waste of money you’d rather spend on something else.
I simply cannot be convinced to spend money on cosmetics I know will be worn once and then left to spoil somewhere in my makeup bag for years. If you’re doing something for Halloween, consider adapting normal seasonal makeup. Up the glamour level a little bit and veer decidedly in a vampy direction – smoky textures and deep tones.
This way you’ll find that you can wear the products again, getting the whole winter season out of them rather than just one atavistic night after which you wake up at the kitchen table with your elbow sitting in the remnants of a grease-sodden box of garlic cheese fries.
Chanel Ombre Première Cream Eyeshadow
Chanel Ombre Première Cream Eyeshadow in Silver Screen (€32) is a supremely wearable, universally flattering shade on the eyes. It gives a warm, smoked-out depth which usually takes more than one product to achieve, and is perfect worn alone or as a base for darker eyeshadows.
Huda Beauty Classic Lash
Pair it with a false lash – go more dramatic than you instinctively might – like Huda Beauty Classic Lash in Samantha (€18). Worn with shadow or on a bare eye, and paired with a deep lip, you have a polished, seasonal vampy makeup in minutes.
MAC Brushstroke Liner
To add more depth, try adding a feline flick (or just a simple line if flicks stress you out) with a liquid liner like MAC Brushstroke Liner (€23). The fine nib makes it easy to use and it’s great for adding tiny details like other feline cat features (nose and whiskers; it’s the easiest Halloween go-to) if you’re so inclined.
Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour
For nails, choose a grown-up, dark colour that you know you’ll wear again. Black can be chic but it also requires a lot of bravery. Try a deep, wintry green like Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Fiction (€25) instead. It’s a shade you’ll reach for all the way through to spring. It’s like a good winter coat for nails, but moody enough to pair with more dramatic makeup. If you want to take the opportunity to be brave, opt for a black lip. The best way to make it wearable it to keep makeup on the eyes minimal, making lips the feature. Black lipstick is not worth spending a lot on unless you’ll wear it regularly, and that’s doubtful.
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick Loaded Bold in Pitch Black (€9.99) is pigmented and lasts well. Wear it straight from the bullet if you dare, or mix it with a red or plum lipstick to intensify the depth. It will also make a good base for a smoky eye if you buff it onto eyelids with a clean fluffy brush. Get your money’s worth.
RMS Lip2Cheek in Spell
Do be conscious that very dark lips will drain all the natural pigment from your face, leaving you looking flat, so you'll need to put that pigment back in. RMS Beauty has just launched into Space NK in Ireland. I met with its straight-talking founder Rose-Marie Swift, who recommended RMS Lip2Cheek in Spell (€35.30), and it is indeed the perfect enhancer for paler, Celtic or slightly drained complexions. Unassuming in the tub, it isn't the shade you might instinctively reach for because it doesn't look exciting, but it gives skin and lips a completely refreshed, invigorated appearance and is a veritable secret weapon.
Apply your dark lip first, then dab the cheek colour onto cheeks until you can see balance return to your face and you no longer look drained. Then, go and get yourself those garlic cheese fries, lipstick be damned.
