CREDIT: KORPG.COM
Frankenstein's monster is a classic look that can be created by anyone just by using extreme contouring.

Halloween is just around the corner, and it seems that every year we all wait to the last moment to decide what we should dress up as!

Getting costumed and made up as recent movie characters is always overdone and becomes unoriginal very fast. What people often forget about are some of the classic movie monsters that really are timeless and can become some pretty exciting Halloween costumes! The costumes are usually easy to put together, but sometimes the makeup can be a struggle. I will start off by saying that if you want your makeup to look good, the best place to get supplies is at McCulloch's (1140 Dundas St.), as they carry brands such as Ben Nye, or shop online.

One of the easiest and most malleable monsters you can create is a vampire (or Dracula). The most important aspect of this makeup is getting the washed-out, white complexion. This is best achieved by using white cake makeup on the face and neck as it will hold the best throughout the night. Then you want to start detailing the face by using grey and black cake makeup (creating a widow's peak, black lips, expression lines, etc.). In the end, for this look you want to appear very gaunt. If you want to be a non-traditional vampire, throw some glitter all over yourself so you glisten and sparkle when you walk into the sunlight.

Another classic monster that is really fun to create is Frankenstein's monster. Again you need to start with that green base by using cake makeup (brands such as Ben Nye or Snazaroo work beautifully), and then you are going to do some heavy contouring to distort the face with greys and blacks. You again want the face to look very gaunt, which is achieved by over-contouring the eyes, temples, jaw line and hollows of the cheeks. Lastly, one of the most significant parts to the Frankenstein monster are the bolts in the neck. While this may appear difficult, you could simply buy premade prosthetics and glue them to the neck using spirit gum.

Another creature that seems to be getting more popular throughout the years is the zombie. This look can be made as complex as you want or can be kept very simple by just using face paints (depending on your skill level). No matter how complex your look will be, you need the rotten skin tone, which can be achieved by stippling on green and yellow paint on the face, and then applying a foundation overtop. The paints will really muddy the complexion and make it appear dead and bruised. The rest of the look is up to you; you can use liquid latex to create ripped flesh, use vast amounts of blood, moss, tooth decay and the list goes on.

The makeup techniques you can use are endless and really just depend on your comfort levels. A really complex look by using prosthetics may look really realistic, but you can also achieve a just as gruesome a monster simply by using face paints, cake makeup and fake blood. If you have any specific questions on monster makeup or want a step-by-step guide on how to create something, please email me at joshua@jrwbeauty.com.