KostumeGirl's Closet: Cheshire Cat make up tutorial

Need some fun makeup tips so you can WOW at your next costume event? I am here to serve. Below you will find my first attempt at a makeup tutorial for Cheshire Cat face paint. Go easy on me if its not that great. I will practice others in the future.

Things you will need:
•Face Paint (I use Mehron creme face paint that comes in 1 oz tubes)
•Detail Paint Brush (I am using a Round #2 brush) if you don't have a brush you can always use Cotton Swabs (I suggest Essence Of Beauty Multi-Purpose Cotton Cosmetic Applicators available at CVS)

Things you may wish to add:
GLITTER!
Fake Eyelashes

Most everyone's mad here. -Cheshire Cat (Disney 1951)

Prepare your face! Wash, dry, moisturize, SPF, maybe a touch of concealer for blemishes *Gasp*

Start with the smile. Grab a plate to use as a palette, squeeze a small blob of the white face paint on to it. To make sure the iconic oversized smile of the Cheshire Cat is even, draw a dot at the highest point on your cheek you wish the smile to go to. Make sure those dots are even. Using your detail brush, paint a line that connects from the top of your lips to that point. Then another line from the bottom of your lips to the same point. Fill in with white.

After it dries a little get a nice brush full of black face paint. Very carefully outline the smile along the top and bottom edges. Then using your reference picture of the Cheshire Cat, draw the lines for the teeth in evenly.

Paint your cat nose. Mix a pink white and a touch of red and paint the tip of your nose. Next with very little paint on the brush draw some white lines horizontally on the bridge of your nose too. Using smooth strokes draw lines up the bridge of your nose in between your eyebrows. Do the same with pink color.

Well, some go this way, and some go that way. But as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the short-cut. -Cheshire Cat (Disney 1951)
Its all in the details. I added a thin black line down the underside of my nose like cats have and even painted black on the edges of my nostrils to define them more.
Whiskers & Such I used a makeup sponge to add white under my nose like a muzzle. Go to the edge of your laugh lines. Then using black, touch the tip of the brush to your skin to make whisker dots. Then draw whiskers from the dots out as long as you line on your cheeks. *Use quick strokes and don't over think it.*

Haste makes waste, so I rarely hurry. But if a ferret were about to dart up my dress, I'd run. -Cheshire Cat (Burton 2010)
GLITTER! Glitter adds pizzaz and fun to any costume. Careful though it can be stubborn. If you have a big meeting the next morning you could end up with a few stray bits of glitter falling out of your hair on to the conference table. Awkward. I added pink glitter to my nose and right in between my eyes. Loose glitter needs to be applied while the face paint is still wet or with vaseline or even clear lip gloss to make it stick. I applied the glitter while my face paint was still wet using an eyeshadow brush.
Now for the FUN. Personally I believe fake eyelashes are a must for any costume. For the Cheshire cat I picked a black pair with pink feather extensions from Pop lashes. Fittingly they are called the "Wonderland" lashes! Cool!

I used these Wonderland lashes on top and a pair of cheap plain black ones for the bottom that can be found at any drug store. Watch in the video how I add a thin line of glue to the lashes then wait to apply them. They stick much better that way. Hold the corners down for a few seconds and try to be patient.

After you have successfully put on your lashes use black eye liner to make dramatic cat eyes! Don't be afraid to really go for it because after all "More is More"!