Guess who? 
If you want to do something a little more cultural this Halloween, opt for a hauntingly beautiful Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, face.
So why do people dress up and paint their faces the way they do for Dia de los Muertos? Kelly Coleman, a fashionista who knows about this special holiday (often celebrated in Latin countries) explains it well.
“In Mexico and other Latin American countries, the holiday is referred to as the Day of the Dead. In America it has been transformed from the Scottish celebration of ‘All Hallows Eve’ to the present day tradition of Halloween…All holidays possess their own traditions, and the Day of the Dead has some of the most unique – the requirement of [specific] costume attire. A literal means of changing one’s identity for a single day, it…encourages participants to passionately express their deepest desires, fears and fantasies.”
My friend Sari Motley of sarimotley Cosmetics met up with me once again to help me put together a DOTD look that you can replicate!. All it takes is a steady hand, three clown makeup colors (red, black, and white), black eyeliner, a black waterline pencil, stencils, and lots of imagination!
What I normally look like…
…and with my DOTD face on!
Step 1: Apply white clown makeup all over your face, lips, neck, and decolletage (wherever your skin will be exposed from the chest up). Be sure to leave large circles unpainted around your eyes and on your nose in a spade shape where the black makeup will go.
Step 2: After the white makeup dries, take a fine brush, and outline the shapes of the circles and the spade on your nose with the black makeup. Completely fill in the shapes. Around the eyes, be sure to cover the lids and brows, too.
Step 3: Take your black waterline pencil, and fill in your waterline on both the top and bottom lids.
Step 4: Take your black liquid liner and stroke on a slightly upward line on either side of your mouth from the corners, about 2 inches in length. Starting from the outside in, draw perpendicular lines for the teeth about 1/2 inch apart. Each line should gradually become longer but centered. Finish the mouth with lines on the upper and lower lips, extending the lines just beyond the lipline.
Step 5: This is where you get creative! Try stenciled roses (filled in red, outlined in black, and with green leaves), swirl on lines on the cheeks and add leaves, fill black hearts in red (try a bleeding heart of Mary, if your skilled enough), create an interesting frame of doily-like scallops around the edge. The important thing to remember for the perfect face is a lot of deep, rich color, roses, vines, and decorative swirls.
Extras
Sari did a super basic face. Extra makeup touches in addition to hair and clothes is key to completing your look. Wear all black, place roses in your hair, curl it for formal, colonial-Mexico hair. Be sure to do your hair beforehand and keep off your face with a headband so you don’t accidentally smear makeup as you work on your makeup. Add a fan and a delicate fringed shawl, and you’re ready for an interesting night out! Another tip: As gorgeous as you will no doubt look in your new façade, maybe it’s a good idea to carry a pic of what you usually look like…just in case.
Thanks, Elizabeth! I would stick to a long skirt and a black top with floral embroidery embellishments on the edge. Anything Mexican-inspired will work! Lace-up booties are perfect on your feet. For adornments, stick one giant rose above your ear or several smaller ones framing your face. Hope this helps!
This is super cool, never would have thought to do this for Halloween. What would you wear as far as the outfit if I wanted to do this?