Halloween is just days away and you, like many of us, might be struggling to pull together a costume.
Always on hand to save the day, makeup is the lazy person's go-to fix for Halloween, from a ghoulishly glamorous skull design to pop culture icons like Pamela Anderson or Marilyn Monroe.
We caught up with makeup artist, content creator and Cork native Jade Foley (@makeupbyjade_1), who shares her makeup tips to her 68,000 followers on TikTok. Along with her makeup content, Jade shares fashion and hair videos.
She recently shared a makeup demonstration video while speaking about Black History Month and Jade previously featured on RTÉ'S show Glow Up Ireland.
She shared her Halloween makeup tips with RTÉ Lifestyle, from what styles to try and what to avoid, as well as the beauty content creators she's loving at the moment.
How did you get started doing makeup?
I decided to do a course just before Covid came about and I finished it just as we hit lockdown, so I spent lockdown making content as a reason to keep upskilling with my makeup.
Who are your biggest inspirations when it comes to makeup?
My biggest inspiration when it comes to makeup would probably have to be @naezrah on TikTok. She was one of the first black makeup artists I ever saw making content and in the style that she does to this day. It really inspired me to get creative and push myself to try different things. She's remained one of my favourite makeup artists for the last few years and I’ll continue to adore her work as it really inspired me and my own style!
What beauty creators are you loving at the moment?
Beauty creators I’m loving at the moment are @ayofierce, @dolli.glam, @cakefacerj and @shavonte_dill. It’s really nice seeing black beauty content creators and watching them thrive while also looking absolutely unreal! Inspires me to push myself to do the same.
What makeup products are you reaching for the most these days?
The makeup products I’m reaching for most these days are anything that makes my everyday "dark feminine" makeup look quick and easy. I’ve been loving the Sculpted By Aimee Second Skin foundation shade 5.75 and the Duo Liner pencil - they both never fail me.
As well as the True Beauty True Essentials Palette, I find myself using it the most at the moment for my base routine. I absolutely adore the Mamsi Beauty Lipglosses to finish off any look I do, they are so buttery and glossy, it’s insane.
The 'clean girl' look was trending heavily for a while there, what's coming up as the next trend?
So as I just mentioned, that "dark feminine" look is really starting to trend at the moment. People are starting to like a more sultry, smokey type of eye to bring drama to the eyes as opposed to the 'clean girl aesthetic’ look because it brings a sense of power and an extra added layer of confidence when you wear it!
I also think thin brows are coming back. I’ve seen some people shave their eyebrows back to the pencil brows people did back in the early 00s or even use an eyebrow gel to pinch their hairs into a thin shape.
What's the best entry-level Halloween makeup look for people new to it?
I think you can’t go wrong with a skull look because there are so many reference photos of skulls and skull makeup that you could use to help guide you. I also think if you want to create any wounds that they’re quite easy to do you just need tissue paper or cotton wool along with latex and blood. I actually made blood the other day using maple syrup, flour and food colouring (blue and red) - looks great and it’s edible!
What's your go-to last minute Halloween makeup look, how do you do it?
My go-to Halloween look is typically a dark angel because I’m usually doing clients on Halloween and I don’t have time to do anything extravagant, unfortunately! It’s simply a dark smokey eye with black lipstick, big black angel wings and a black outfit.
What are some easy-to-do pop culture makeup looks to do this Halloween?
I am the worst when it comes to pop culture so my knowledge isn’t too great. However, if I were to go down the lines of easy pop culture makeup looks I’d have to say Harley Quinn. It’s quite simple yet effective and everyone gets the reference!
What's something more ambitious that people can try when it comes to a Halloween look?
If you are more ambitious you could try making or buying prosthetics to add to the mix! It’s usually a good idea to do things on a smaller scale before attempting anything big so maybe start off with small horns and progress. You could also attempt body art and paint the rest of your body alongside whatever you decide to do on the face!
What Halloween makeup look would you avoid, fake blood, glitter, etc?
I would absolutely avoid anything that involves spirit gum or pros-aide unless you have a solvent for them to remove them. It’s all well and good putting stuff on, but, you also need to be able to safely take things off!
I’m also quite squeamish with my eyes so I try to avoid anything that either covers my eyes, makes it hard to see or even just contact lenses would be something I personally stay away from. A lot of contact lenses aren’t FDA-approved and can cause cornea scratching and permanent eye damage. If anyone gets them I’d really recommend making sure they’re good lenses!
