CREDIT: SAMANTHA FREEMAN, YUKA CHAN, MELISSA STINCHCOMBE, TUNI MAJEWSKI AND JOSHUA WALLER
Examples of classic monster looks created by makeup artists in London, including the writer.

Most Halloween costumes nowadays are laced with scandalous outfits and sex appeal, which is fun for nightclubs and bars but there are only so many times you can be a sexy nurse. We are starting to lose the real creative aspect of Halloween, which is transforming yourself into an entirely different person or creature.

Try getting inspired by some of Hollywood’s classic horror monsters, which are some of the most iconic makeup looks of all time.

Since these monsters (such as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy etc.) were created such a long time ago, they didn’t have all the technology and prosthetics as we do today so artists had to use the power of highlighting and contouring with various paints to create these monsters. These means these looks are affordable, and with enough practice are achievable to recreate.

Here are some tips and tricks to create a classic monster look.

The best types of products to use are face paints by brands such as Mehron, Ben Nye or Kryolan as they are very blendable and easy to apply. If the base colour of your creatures face is very pale or has a tint of colour, such as green for Creature from the Black Lagoon, you can mix some of the paint into your foundation.

This will make the base comfortable to wear and longer lasting. Powder it liberally. I recommend powdering after every different colour of paint you apply to prevent smudging.

To make the face look more sallow and sunken in, you need to do contouring, and not your every day beauty contouring. Using dark taupes or even blacks will create the best ghastly shape.

For the contours of the cheeks, bring the contour downwards to make it look sickly – especially for Dracula. Classic monsters usually have a very defined jaw bone as well, so bring the contour a little bit onto the face to get that slimming effect.

When contouring, keep the beginning point very strong and then blend it outwards or else the complexion will start to look muddy.

To enhance the contour, use an off white paint to highlight the areas beside the contour. For the contour of the cheeks, apply the highlight on top of the contour, approximately the area where you would apply your blush. This will heighten the effect of the optical illusion you are creating with highlight and contour.

For any smaller details such a stitches, scars etc. use a fine tip brush to get an exact look. If you aren’t very good at free handing, create stencils of the shapes you need and then fill them in with the desired colour. Always make sure the face is powdered before you start applying the small details.

This year for Halloween, try doing something different. Try creating a vintage horror monster and let your creativity run wild because sometimes it’s best to stick to the classics.