Sugar Skull face mask for Halloween
October 12, 2016 12:03 PM Subscribe
We're having a Halloween costume contest at work and I wanted to paint my face like a sugar skull. I've seen some great masks online in the finished stage, but the awesome pictures leave me with some questions about the how-to part. . .
First, I'm unsure about the best makeup to use that won't crack or fade or how long it will take (I have to do this before work). Party store makeup sucks (as I've tried it before) and I'm not sure which brands to go for.
Has anyone done this, and if so, do you have tips? Anything to avoid? Any ideas for finishing touches? How long do I wait until the white part dries? I'm afraid I'll end up with grey lines and I want them black like you see in the drawings. How do I achieve that?
I'm looking for tips and any online resources or tutorials that will help. I'm not looking to win, just have a conversation piece to "wear" on the day-of. Extra accessories will probably include a few flowers in my hair.
I'm artistic so I'm super excited about this - I just don't want it to be cracked and crappy by noon. Thanks, MetaFilter!
First, I'm unsure about the best makeup to use that won't crack or fade or how long it will take (I have to do this before work). Party store makeup sucks (as I've tried it before) and I'm not sure which brands to go for.
Has anyone done this, and if so, do you have tips? Anything to avoid? Any ideas for finishing touches? How long do I wait until the white part dries? I'm afraid I'll end up with grey lines and I want them black like you see in the drawings. How do I achieve that?
I'm looking for tips and any online resources or tutorials that will help. I'm not looking to win, just have a conversation piece to "wear" on the day-of. Extra accessories will probably include a few flowers in my hair.
I'm artistic so I'm super excited about this - I just don't want it to be cracked and crappy by noon. Thanks, MetaFilter!
Best answer: I don't know your background, but a heads-up that some folks might find the use of use of sugar skull motifs for a Halloween costume offensive. Dia de los Muertos != Halloween and sugar skulls are used in a very, very different context to honor the beloved dead.
posted by smirkette at 12:21 PM on October 12, 2016 [39 favorites]
posted by smirkette at 12:21 PM on October 12, 2016 [39 favorites]
Yeah, I'd recommend extreme caution here. This is suuuuper offensive, and will likely be perceived by at least some of your coworkers as just wildly racist (especially if, but not only if, you're not from a Day of the Dead-celebrating background). Really not appropriate for a work environment, I'd absolutely discipline one of my direct reports if they did this.
posted by amelioration at 12:37 PM on October 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by amelioration at 12:37 PM on October 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Oh, wow, my bad. I had no idea that this would be offensive. The manager who is organizing this has a Mexican background and loved the idea. Also I got the idea from things that I've seen other people do. It's not like I made it up.
Sorry, guys, thanks for the heads up. The last thing I want to do is offend anyone. I'll find something else to do. There's plenty of makeup ideas out there.
Thanks again.
posted by onecircleaday at 12:42 PM on October 12, 2016 [12 favorites]
Sorry, guys, thanks for the heads up. The last thing I want to do is offend anyone. I'll find something else to do. There's plenty of makeup ideas out there.
Thanks again.
posted by onecircleaday at 12:42 PM on October 12, 2016 [12 favorites]
Best answer: If you want a different cool artistic costume that can be done with makeup, check out pictures of people dressed as Roy Lichtenstein paintings. I did that a couple years ago and the makeup was super fun.
posted by MsMolly at 12:48 PM on October 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by MsMolly at 12:48 PM on October 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
Best answer: My cousin did the Lichtenstein thing. It was very cool. She also had a styrofoam "quote bubble" coming attached to her. I think the heavy eyebrows and lines really "sold" it.
I think you want to just get pro-quality face paint (years ago I bought some at an actual costume shop) along with some setting powder. It looks like that YouTuber linked to above has a video about her paint too.
posted by radioamy at 1:03 PM on October 12, 2016
I think you want to just get pro-quality face paint (years ago I bought some at an actual costume shop) along with some setting powder. It looks like that YouTuber linked to above has a video about her paint too.
posted by radioamy at 1:03 PM on October 12, 2016
Best answer: I did this a few years ago and it turned out beautiful in my opinion, photo here.
This was before we were all super woke baes and didn't ever do anything anyone on the planet could ever possibly be offended by. I'm 100% sure no one at my work would even know what I was doing and if your Mexican manager liked the idea, you should go right ahead in my opinion.
Anyway, to answer your question - first I watched a lot of Youtube tutorials and I practiced the night before to make sure I'd get it right.
For the base I used thick white cream base from a Halloween store, and for the rest I used makeup I already had - purple and pink eyeshadows for the eyes and eyebrows, and black cream eyeliner for the nose and mouth, and purple gel glitter for the designs at the top. You'll need eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes for the detail work.
I wished I had used a higher quality white base because as you can see in the photo, it didn't appear as white as the ones in the tutorials but I am a last minute type of person so I didn't have time to order theater quality. Ben Nye is a good theater brand if you want to order ahead of time.
If you don't wear a lot of makeup get Wet n Wild brand for the eyeshadow, eyeliner and glitter gel and ELF brushes, they're cheap and effective for these purposes. If you want to spend more, MAC would be a great place to go wild for eyeshadow colors and good brushes, the MAC ladies would looove to help you pick out products for a project like this.
I set the white base with translucent powder and then sprayed everything with Urban Decay setting spray when I was finished. I do recommend setting this way so your work doesn't melt away.
I also had fake eyelashes and I would probably use one set on the top lash line and set one on the bottom lash line if I were to do it again.
I will say that this took a solid 2 hours to achieve and I play with makeup a lot, it's a pretty high level look so definitely watch the tutorials and practice beforehand.
(Alternate makeup option if you've decided this is racist -- pretty deer!)
posted by tatiana wishbone at 1:09 PM on October 12, 2016 [5 favorites]
This was before we were all super woke baes and didn't ever do anything anyone on the planet could ever possibly be offended by. I'm 100% sure no one at my work would even know what I was doing and if your Mexican manager liked the idea, you should go right ahead in my opinion.
Anyway, to answer your question - first I watched a lot of Youtube tutorials and I practiced the night before to make sure I'd get it right.
For the base I used thick white cream base from a Halloween store, and for the rest I used makeup I already had - purple and pink eyeshadows for the eyes and eyebrows, and black cream eyeliner for the nose and mouth, and purple gel glitter for the designs at the top. You'll need eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes for the detail work.
I wished I had used a higher quality white base because as you can see in the photo, it didn't appear as white as the ones in the tutorials but I am a last minute type of person so I didn't have time to order theater quality. Ben Nye is a good theater brand if you want to order ahead of time.
If you don't wear a lot of makeup get Wet n Wild brand for the eyeshadow, eyeliner and glitter gel and ELF brushes, they're cheap and effective for these purposes. If you want to spend more, MAC would be a great place to go wild for eyeshadow colors and good brushes, the MAC ladies would looove to help you pick out products for a project like this.
I set the white base with translucent powder and then sprayed everything with Urban Decay setting spray when I was finished. I do recommend setting this way so your work doesn't melt away.
I also had fake eyelashes and I would probably use one set on the top lash line and set one on the bottom lash line if I were to do it again.
I will say that this took a solid 2 hours to achieve and I play with makeup a lot, it's a pretty high level look so definitely watch the tutorials and practice beforehand.
(Alternate makeup option if you've decided this is racist -- pretty deer!)
posted by tatiana wishbone at 1:09 PM on October 12, 2016 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks Tatiana. I think it's beautiful too, and as my manager pointed out it comes from a place of admiration and appreciation, not disrespect.
But.
I don't feel like I have the right to say what is or isn't offensive because it's not my culture. My husband's family is Mexican and progressive, but that doesn't make me Mexican. I'm probably going to play it safe on this one. It's meant to be fun and I know what it's like to have your heritage made fun of by someone who is totally oblivious and ignorant (see previous question about a bad co-worker). It sucks and it's not how I'd ever want to make anyone feel.
Thank you again to the folks who made me aware of this. And the Roy Lichtenstein idea is AWESOME and completely non-offensive. Win-win.
posted by onecircleaday at 1:17 PM on October 12, 2016 [12 favorites]
But.
I don't feel like I have the right to say what is or isn't offensive because it's not my culture. My husband's family is Mexican and progressive, but that doesn't make me Mexican. I'm probably going to play it safe on this one. It's meant to be fun and I know what it's like to have your heritage made fun of by someone who is totally oblivious and ignorant (see previous question about a bad co-worker). It sucks and it's not how I'd ever want to make anyone feel.
Thank you again to the folks who made me aware of this. And the Roy Lichtenstein idea is AWESOME and completely non-offensive. Win-win.
posted by onecircleaday at 1:17 PM on October 12, 2016 [12 favorites]
I had the same idea and decided to be a lion instead after some googling led me to some essays on cultural appropriation.
I also thought about just going as a regular old skeleton, but now I get to buy cat ears.
posted by domo at 2:07 PM on October 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I also thought about just going as a regular old skeleton, but now I get to buy cat ears.
posted by domo at 2:07 PM on October 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Mod note: One comment removed. Folks, this Ask, not a place to throw down in a general argument; the goal is to get the asker's question answered, and they seem like they've come to a conclusion they're comfortable with, so please leave it be.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:32 PM on October 12, 2016
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:32 PM on October 12, 2016
Best answer: Just adding info re brands. As mentioned ben nye is the pro brand. Great stuff. Yuuuuuge variety. Also mehron has an extensive library as well with lots of wierd stuff too like glow in the dark foundation etc...
posted by chasles at 5:53 PM on October 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by chasles at 5:53 PM on October 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Following up to mark as "resolved" but also wanted to comment on the folks who think this is racist. My first reaction was to back down to the comments because my knee-jerk reaction was shame and humiliation. However, since this was posted I've asked and heard from others (both on Ask and in real life) who are either Mexican, are the spouses of someone who is Mexican, or live in an area that is predominantly Mexican and Latino. No one thought this was racist. In fact, they thought the opposite - they were flattered that someone would admire their culture so much as to put the effort in. The more I've thought about this, the more I agree. Google Images brings up thousands of people doing this. My wallet has a sugar skull on it, as do countless other products.
As my husband says (who is Mexican), "intent matters, and we have real racism in this country to worry about and deal with. Not Halloween costumes."
posted by onecircleaday at 1:32 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
As my husband says (who is Mexican), "intent matters, and we have real racism in this country to worry about and deal with. Not Halloween costumes."
posted by onecircleaday at 1:32 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by INFJ at 12:14 PM on October 12, 2016 [1 favorite]