I saw this photo on pinterest and HAD to be a Dia de Los Muertos sugar skull for Halloween. Which is apparently celebrated for almost a week when it’s on a Wednesday. I digress … while mine is nowhere near as gorgeous as this, I had a lot of fun recreating this look for a Halloween party this weekend …
Me (I think it looks kinda weird when you smile):
A Dia de Los Muertos sugar skull is a traditional Mexican depiction of lost loved ones, so they are meant to represent the personality of the deceased. They are often bright and colorful, though you have to start with the skeleton base, of course.
The costume is fairly easy to do, took a little more than an hour for full Dia de Los Muertos sugar skull makeup and hair (my hair was already dry). Here are my recommendations:
White face: I didn’t want a super-white face, that’s too scary. So I bought the clown powder, but not the paint. It worked well, I started with my own tinted moisturizer and patted on white powder. I think you could definitely get away with a super-light foundation too, as you just want a clean, flawless canvas.
Black designs: I used Almay liquid eyeliner for everything. I think the biggest challenge is restraint—once you get drawing, you want to keep going! You definitely need to black out the nose socket, an eye socket (or both), and then add at least one scar. Swirls, hearts, and dots are also appropriate. Steady your hand by balancing an elbow on your countertop. I also added glittery false lashes.
Hair: Glam with lots of flowers. These photos are actually from the end of the night, so my hair is less curly than when we started. I had a giant flower behind my ear and one of my wrist, if I had more fake flowers, I probably would have pinned them randomly throughout my heavily-curled ‘do.
Clothes: Bright, colorful, flowery, sexy. Pictured is just my (super-awesome handmade) jacket, underneath I wore a lace slip peeking out from under a black sweater dress adorned with flowers, plus teal wedges.
Looking for an actual sugar skull recipe? Try this one.
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