Halloween Tutorial: David Bowie’s ‘Aladdin Sane’ Makeup
For the final video in our Halloween makeup tutorial series, we're doing something a little different. No corpse paint is necessary if you’re trying to look like one of David Bowie’s most iconic characters, Aladdin Sane. In fact, you might actually have to raid your girlfriend’s makeup kit to really pull this look together, but ask for permission first, lest she sacrifices you to the Dark Lord for ruining one of her palettes.
Makeup artist Christina Vega ditches the Halloween paint and uses cream eyeshadow from Makeup Forever to create the lightning bolt. Sure, you could still use costume or craft paint, but it likely won’t hold up as well as the real stuff, and regardless of which kind of base you decide to use, you’ll need some red and pink eyeshadow or blush to complete the whole look. As you will see, adding that layer of red eyeshadow over the cream base doesn’t only aid with longevity, but it also really makes the color even bolder.
Now, the last step is where you will learn some everyday makeup application techniques. When Christina adds the final touches to Brian Ives’ face, she uses a bold pink eyeshadow to make his eyes and cheekbones really pop. She shows you how to apply it properly by moving a rounded makeup brush in a circular motion. That’s right, this is as legit of a makeup tutorial as they come!
Despite the upgrade in tools for this look, it actually was probably the quickest to put together. Some of the products that our esteemed artist uses might be a little pricey for just one night out, so some cheap alternatives include brands like Wet N Wild, Colourpop and NYX. Don’t underestimate your neighborhood drug store brands either. You’d be surprised how many cheap yet sustainable products they have to offer.
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