It’s the spooky season again! Are you bored of Halloween makeup themed around the usual Halloween costume characters like vampires and witches? For more unconventional Halloween makeup ideas, consider characters created by Junji Ito, the Japanese manga artist famous for horror mangas like Tomie, Uzumaki, Hanging Blimp, Slug Girl and Long Dream. Many of Ito’s works have been adapted into films, animes and video games, and his scary characters have inspired countless cosplayers. For Halloween makeup inspo, I tried replicating the looks of three iconic Junji Ito characters: Azami Kurotani from Uzumaki, Tomie Kawakami from Tomie and Hideo from Shiver!
Uzumaki
The story:
High-schooler Shuichi Saito and his girlfriend Kirie Goshima live in a quiet town affected by a supernatural curse involving spirals. Shuichi notices that his father has a strange obsession with spiral patterns. More bizarre events unfold as the curse spreads through town and claims victims, including Kirie’s classmate Azami Kurotani whose face gets eaten up by the spiral.
The makeup:
This Halloween makeup look inspired by Azami emphasizes black and white colors. I first made a spiral headpiece using a child-size paper mask with the concave side facing up to create a drawn-in effect. I made a fake sticky eyeball using a ping pong ball and attached it to the mask. I then glued the mask to a headband and put it on my forehead after completing my makeup.
For my makeup base, I applied CLIO’s Veganwear Ceramide Velvet Cushion (#2 Lingerie) for a ghastly white complexion (I also used this cushion as a white base for the other Halloween makeup looks). I used FOCALLURE’s Stay Max Smooth Eyeliner Gel (#1 Midnight Black) to create a cut crease on my eyelid, and romand’s Zero Matte Lipstick (#20 Red Dive) for a burgundy red lip.
My take:
The Veganwear Ceramide Velvet Cushion foundation was very moist, so I let it sit on my face for a bit before setting it with powder. The formula easily delivered a full coverage finish. I applied a small amount of cushion foundation on my brows to shape them into thinner brows.
FOCALLURE’s Stay Max Smooth Eyeliner Gel was super easy to use, helping create a sharp cut crease and smoky eye in no time. The color was dark enough to create drama, blended well and stayed put. I used the black eyeliner to color my brows as well, and it applied easily even on the areas where I applied foundation. romand’s matte red lipstick was a little drying on my lips, but that’s fine for portraying Azami’s drained look, and the color is captivating.
Tips:
If you have enough time and the makeup skills, draw the spiral directly on your face for a more impactful and real look. If you’re using a foundation shade that is different from your skin tone, don’t forget to apply on the neck!
Tomie
The story:
Tomie Kawakami is an immortal creature who can make men become destructively infatuated with her to the point that they eventually attack her. Even after Tomie is dismembered, she has the ability to regenerate herself, with each body part growing into an individual Tomie. Conscious of her beauty, Tomie models for artists and photographers, but her split self appears in the resulting artworks.
The makeup:
Flower Knows’s 6 Shade Eyeshadow Palette (#02 Black Swan) seemed ideal for creating this scary makeup look inspired by Tomie. I used the white, gray and black eye shadows for an ombré smoky effect on the upper eyelid, lined the lower lash line with the dark red shade, and finished with pale blue shimmer at the inner corner of the eye.
I chose too cool for school’s Pleur Tint (#5 Plash) for dewy bitten lips, and the beauty mark below my left eye was drawn with MACQUEEN’s MQNY Waterproof Pen Eyeliner (Deep Black). I selected THE FACE SHOP’s fmgt Easy Gel (#1 Black Over) to create glossy black nails.
The mask I’m holding was hand-drawn using a marker pen, MIZON’s Velvet Matte Lipstick (Private Red) and CLIO’s Veganwear Ceramide Velvet Cushion (#2 Lingerie). I used a Q-tip to smooth out the lipstick color and paint the lips and red veins on the mask. A jet black wig completes the look. I let some strands cover part of the mask, so it appears as if the mask is linked to my face.
My take:
The palette from Flower Knows is perfect for this Halloween makeup – I especially love the red shade and can already foresee a lot of different uses for it. Though I applied the CLIO cushion foundation on both my face and the mask, the colors didn’t match up in the end, possibly because I didn’t powder up the mask like I did on my face.
I might have gone a little overboard with the black eye shadow and the lip tint. Thinking back, I should have made the eye makeup cleaner and the lip color lighter, since the horror of Tomie comes from the fact that she looks normal and innocent until her monstrous nature reveals itself. That said, I definitely had fun doing this makeup, and I love each and every product featured in it.
Tips:
The Flower Knows palette is pigmented and impactful, so apply the darker colors in moderation and build up as needed.
Shiver
The story:
Yuuji discovers that his neighbor Rina, who stays home most of the time due to a chronic illness, has unusual holes on her arms. Rina is frequented by a doctor but she gets agitated during his visits. Yuuji talks about Rina with his friend Hideo, who eventually suffers from the same curse.
The makeup:
The holes all over the skin are the focus of this Halloween makeup. I used MACQUEEN’s MQNY Waterproof Pen Eyeliner (Deep Black) to draw trompe l’oeil holes on my face and hands. I also used FOCALLURE’s Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow (#14 Ocean Light) and Glittering Liquid Eyeshadow (#S02 Polar Star) on the right eye to add frostiness. I applied CLIO’s Veganwear Ceramide Velvet Cushion (#2 Lingerie) on not only my face but also my lips to create a pale and sickly look.
I wore a long-sleeve shirt and buttoned it all the way up, not only because Hideo suffered from chills, but also to lessen the burden of having to draw holes on the arms and neck. I set my hair with Utena’s Matomage Hair Styling Stick, which didn’t require me to touch the hair wax with my already drawn hands. I used romand’s Mood Pebble Nail (#00 Crunky Black) for nails.
My take:
I thought this Hideo-inspired makeup would be the hardest to execute but it turned out to be the easiest! The MACQUEEN eyeliner was a breeze to work with, and it got easier to draw the holes with practice. The trick in making the hole on skin look dimensional is to add depth at the bottom and streaks around each hole. I had difficulty using my non-dominant hand to draw holes on my dominant hand, but the results were passable.
The eye glitters from FOCALLURE were dense and smooth, and they were bold enough to be used on their own. I enjoyed adding a glamorous touch to this makeup look with the liquid glitters.
The Matomage Hair Styling Stick is convenient to use and held my hair back long enough for the photo shoot, but I would opt for a stronger hair wax if I set my hair before drawing my hands.
Tips:
The black eyeliner adheres better on skin without powder or foundation, so it may be better to forego foundation on the face. (I didn’t, so the holes that I drew on my face appear less dark than those on my hands).
Removing the Makeup
The heavy makeup of these Halloween looks were unexpectedly easy to remove using Mandom’s Bifesta Micellar Eye Makeup Remover and Rohto Mentholatum’s Hada Labo Gokujyun Cleansing Oil. I pressed a cotton pad soaked with eye makeup remover on my eye for ten seconds before wiping the makeup away. The black holes I painted on my hands were removed using just the cleansing oil.
I enjoyed every moment of creating these Halloween makeup looks, from planning and researching the aesthetics to choosing and testing the products to making the props. I didn’t need as many products as I thought for each makeup look – I didn’t even use false eyelashes! I hope you’ll also have fun experimenting with quirky makeup for this year’s Halloween!
