Three Halloween artists from Ghouls Gulch in Colorado Springs provided a few transformational tips on their approach to Halloween makeup.

To get started, makeup artist Corinne Lowe says a little research goes a long way.  

“A good way to start off is to study make up in general. YouTube tutorials are a major thing.  Work within your own style and test and see what works best.  Some people are best with just cream or airbrush. Find out what you’re good at.”

 Makeup artist Craig Butner says a variety of other unconventional materials can be used as well, including coffee or charcoal. He also provided some tips to create a gaunt look with an airbrush. 

 “Make sure you see all the contours on someone’s face. Look at the dark spots and make them darker, which sinks them back in and brings it out.”

 Latex is heavily used amongst the artists at Ghoul’s Gulch, too. Miranda Nordaby adds small, rolled up, small strips of paper towels to develop additional texture on top of the latex. 

“Lay some latex down, use some paper towels, roll it up and apply. Once it dries, I just pull out the skin.  You have to pull at which parts you would think where it would anatomically fall.” 

Finally, keeping on the makeup all night can be a concern for some. Some of the artists suggest using hairspray on top of the finished makeup.