The best costumes start with great makeup.
Pretty, fun… or scary? It’s all in the stroke of the brush. Cailee Siebel, Deana Close, Rihana Simmons and Stacey Senzig—cosmetology students at the Tricoci University of Beauty Culture in Peoria—have perfected three spooky looks to serve as inspiration for your costume this Halloween.
Get creative with these artists… and be sure to check out the accompanying videos, filmed by Peoria’s Raphael Rodolfi, on YouTubefor tips on creating specific features from each guise!
FUN
Inspiration: A fun, girly zombie creature
Creator: Cailee Siebel
Model: Amber Lutes
How-to: For this full face-paint look, Siebel starts with a primer base to prevent staining, and follows with a base coat of blue face paint using a make-up sponge to blend for texture. The “pretty” eye is widened with a thick, cat-eye stroke just above the eyelid crease, accented with black mascara. The “black” eye is outlined with eyeliner, filled with dark eyeshadow and smudged for a dull, sunken effect. Bubble-gum pink face paint is applied to the eyebrows and half the lips, then outlined in black. The teeth and peeling skin details are added last, using white and green face paint, also outlined in black. “Character” nails in bubble-gum pink with matching outline details complete the look.
Bring to the party: Make-up or baby wipes to clean up any accidental blue trails
Clean-up: Soap and water
PRETTY
Inspiration: A patched-up, classic ragdoll
Creators: Rihana Simmons, makeup; Stacey Senzig, hair
Model: Holly Senzig
How-to: Makeup: Simmons starts with a white face primer. Choosing a brown eyeliner to match the model’s skin tone, she outlines each “fabric” patch, filling in the centers with light-toned face paint. Red blush, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, mascara and red lipstick are then applied, paying mind to avoid areas where patches would have “wiped away” the doll’s features, to complete the look. Hair: First, Senzig applies a temporary red hairspray, followed by dry shampoo to absorb all oil, take away shine, and make the hair look dull and old. She uses a texturizing spray and a cushion or paddle brush to back-brush the hair into loose pigtails, then adheres rainbow hair tinsel to the pigtails, adorning each with a strip from a torn red bandana. Strong-hold hairspray completes the look.
Bring to the party: A teasing brush to “re-messy” the pigtails. But there’s no way to go wrong here, Senzig says. “If it all falls out of place, it just adds to the messy look.”
Clean-up: For face paint, use soap and water; for eyeliner stitching, makeup remover.
SCARY
Inspiration: A theatrical, bloody zombie
Creator: Deana Close
Model: Connor Close
How-to: To create this look, Close rips two-ply tissue paper and adheres it to the skin for each gouge using liquid latex. Once dry, she applies “Burn and Injury Wheel” Kryolan professional-grade makeup to the skin and latex using a brush, starting with lighter colors (gray and light pink), and adding darker shades (dark gray and brown) for texture. The fake blood is added last, using a generous amount on a small-tipped brush to allow it to drip from the center of each wound.
Bring to the party: Fake blood. It dries up, so to keep the look “fresh and wet,” you’ll need to reapply every hour or two, Close explains.
Clean-up: Make-up remover and sponge for the Kryolan; carefully peel off liquid latex and scrub gently with a loofah or brush.
Beauty Professionals
“I call it ‘beauty boot camp,’” says Holly Buescher, senior campus director of Tricoci University of Beauty Culture on a recent tour of the school’s Peoria campus, where 72 students in four programs—cosmetology, aesthetics, nail tech and teacher training—learn techniques in both classroom and real-world settings. The flexible daytime, evening, part-time or full-time programs begin with theory, she explains—from sanitation and cleaning for spa services to nail care techniques; theatrical, daytime and nighttime makeup application; and the business of running a salon. Before graduating, students perfect their methods on mannequins, on each other, and after testing, on the site’s day-spa and salon clients. To learn more, visit tricociuniversity.com/beauty-schools/peoria-beauty-school.
Zombie Workshop!
On Thursday, October 15th, Tricoci University of Beauty Culture at Peoria will host a free zombie workshop from 5:30 to 7:30pm, featuring a zombie makeup demonstration, hands-on practice and the opportunity to purchase professional-grade, prosthetic Kryolan makeup on site. RSVP for the event by October 10th by calling (309) 679-4500. For more details, find “Tricoci University – Peoria” on Facebook. a&s
