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"!
When you are happy with your face, tease up your hair, grab your ears and head to the Mad Hatters for a crazy ass tea party!
Don't forget your Mad Hatter Sidekick!





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Half way to Halloween 2011 and Group Costume Ideas

Boys and Girls, We are at the half way point to Halloween 2011!!

How exciting! I keep a running list all year long of costume ideas because otherwise I could forget one I had in February and that would be terrible. Also people often ask me what they should be and I'll have spare ideas on hand. I will give a sneak preview of the list of group costumes I've been scheming up in a minute and I'm not worried about people stealing my ideas cause, my costume will be way better than theirs anyway.

First however, something I read about on Bridget Marquardt's Twitter. You may know her as one of Hef's original girlfriends on The Girls Next Door and if you watched the show you know she is a huge fan of Halloween. What I love about her is her costumes are incredibly sexy but better than just the old hot nurse outfit. Sexy costumes are more than just knee high socks, People! In April she hosted a "Half Way to Halloween Party" in Vegas as a dead bride. She also recently joined up with sexy costume company Roma to release a line of adult Halloween costumes. They made a spooky mini movie to give a peek at the 17 new designs. Check it out here. Very cute take on some old classics and new favorites. I love the Ring Leader (so totally Britany) and the Mermaid.


Alright so back to the running list of costume ideas.




Sexy Horse Jockeys-
Group costume opportunity! Silky colorful cleavage bearing tops, tight white leggings, riding boots, riding crops (you know that will get fun as the night goes on), cute riding helmets, those horses on a stick. Think of the fun races you could have throughout the night! You could name your horses sexy names too like Sexy Secretariat, High Ho Silver or Mr. Head! Good for groups of ladies AND men.



Toddlers & Tiaras-
My friend Nicole and I came up with this one while watching the TLC show (I can't get enough). It is another fabulous opportunity for a group costume. Big over glitzed dresses with ruffles, huge hair and too much makeup. Comically oversized trophies and tiaras and don't forget the "talent" portion of the competition. Make sure each contestant has a number pinned to their dress or people might just think you are a bunch of Tami Fay Bakers. Dress the guys in bad hair and terrible Walmart clothing and they can be the Show-Moms.



Sexy Caterpillars from Alice in Wonderland with the smoke "who" "R" "U" -
This one is good for you if you happen to be the creative make your own costume gal with the lazy what-should-I-be-friends. Your probably going to have to make the caterpillar outfit cause I've never seen one in Ricky's. But for the friends, a black shirt and pants with the letters made of cotton balls or batting glued to the front of the shirts. Don't carry around a real hookah though, that's a bad idea. Also maybe have one person be Alice so people will get it right away.



The only group costume I've ever participated in was Alice in Wonderland in 2009. I was the Cheshire Cat. It was great cause Halloween was on a weekend so "Alice" and I went out Friday and Saturday with slightly different groups of people. I made the Cheshire Cat costume with lots of face paint and faux fur. Also its good that I work at a hosiery company cause those tights aren't that easy to find! It wasn't the worlds most original group costume, but it was at least before Tim Burton's Wonderland came out and everyone was going the Johnny Depp Mad Hatter



Ok so there you have it, a couple ideas to get the creative juices flowing. Start planning early in October with a group of people cause its going to be hard to agree on a bar or party. Believe me though, go out with a well done group costume and you are going to get lots of attention and maybe even win a contest!



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