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Halloween Skull Tutorial

Skulls and skeletons are a popular makeup choice come Halloween, whether it’s the well-known white skeleton look, or the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) inspired sugar skulls. But where does our fascination for the human skeleton on Hallows Eve come from?

Halloween Skull Tutorial GlamCandy

The attraction dates all the way back to the Middle Ages, when medieval academics were trying to understand the human body. Later, it was the infamous Jolly Roger pirate skulls to signify a ship about to attack.

However, in more recent years, Halloween makeup, costumes and decor are often skeleton themed, it is thought that the likes of biker gangs, heavy metal and, of course, the morbid association with danger, death and the afterlife are what have made them so mainstream.

High-end fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen have also been known to feature skulls in their collections. This has undoubtedly brought the “goth vibe” to the forefront of the fashion world, with celebrities often donning the look.

The recent makeup craze of the sugar skull is derived from the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November. This holiday, a day of celebration, is for people to come together to remember their dearly departed friends and family in a positive light.

Sugar skulls are painted on masks called Calacas, and created in chocolate and sweet treats – usually with the name of the person they are celebrating on the forehead.

After such a difficult year for everyone, GlamCandy saw some of the most creative and expressive Halloween looks we’ve ever seen.

From incorporating our pandemic every day essentials such as face masks into your SFX looks, to our favourite characters spooky-fied, we’ve loved watching what you have all come up with.

Halloween is going to be a fun one this year for GlamCandy, as we launch our #GCHALLOWEEN2020 competition, it’s time to get creepy! Enter over on our GlamCandy Instagram page to have a chance at winning this exciting competition.

GlamCandy’s senior makeup artist and lead tutor Rachael created this Halloween inspired kids skull tutorial on Eden for our ‘Eden’s Edit‘ series, follow along and recreate your own skull at home.

At GlamCandy, we offer a five day Pro course in SFX for TV, Theatre and Film for both professional artists looking to work behind the scenes and aspiring makeup artists to gain knowledge in the field.

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