Basic, easy Halloween makeup tips for costumes from clown to gown and scary to fairy:

Not easy, but AWESOME

-An old drag costume trick is to use gluestick to cover textured areas like eyebrows. Allow to dry and put makeup over top.

-Always drizzle fake blood and allow to dry. Painting it on or attempting to smear it won’t look natural.

-If you need copious amounts of fake blood not sold at the costume shop, like for a Carrie costume, combine corn syrup and red food coloring. Combine a little a this and a little of that until you get the right color.

-Fake eyelash glue is a good, safe adhesive for anything not too heavy such as hair or bits or gore. Let it dry for a few seconds before trying to adhere it. I like Duo.

-If your costume makeup is of a human character, look for details like eye brow shape, moles, and lip shape. For example, throwing on the Kate Gosselin wig is nothing without giving her the inner-eyebrow arch.

-This may seem obvious, but powder products are to be used AFTER cream or liquid products.

-Mixing water-soluble and grease paint type makeup just won’t do. Stick to one or the other.

-For scary makeup, focus on texture. Use a paint brush, stipple sponge, tissue, or anything around the house on your makeup to give it a yucky quality.

-Think about getting your costume on before you start. You’ll be sad if you get your makeup just right only to realize you have to somehow get a turtle-neck over it.

-Alcohol based makeup will stand up best against sweat or weather elements.