Halloween Costume: Wind-Up Doll Makeup Tutorial

The photo above shows the amazing Halloween "wind-up doll" costume by Carley - check out the Instructables she made for the costume, which features an actual moving key! I was honored that she asked me to put together a hair and makeup look for her costume, so in this Instructables, we'll review the step-by-step process of creating the her wind-up doll makeup look!

Step 1: What You'll Need

Here is a list of the makeup you'll need to create this wind-up doll look. In the following steps, I'll specify which brand and color of each item we used.

Neutral eye shadow palette
Opaque concealer
Opaque foundation
Matte setting powder
Bright pink blush
Red lip pencil
Brow gel or pencil
False eyelashes & glue

Step 2: The Eyes

The goal in applying the eye makeup is to make the eyes look as big and "wide-eyed" as possible, like a doll's.

Prep the eyelid with a concealer or cream foundation that matches the skin tone. This will help the eyeshadow pigment to appear richer and last longer. We used Kett Cosmetics Fixx Creme in CC Medium.
Set with a finishing powder. We used the translucent finishing powder by Kett. This will help the eyeshadow to blend more easily. If you try to apply the powder while the concealer or foundation is "wet," it will look streaky and be difficult to blend.
Create dimension in the eyelid. We used a neutral makeup palette by Makeup Designory. Start by applying your lightest neutral to the whole lid up to the brow bone. Then add a medium neutral over just the lid, from the lash line to the crease. Add your dark neutral to the outer half of the crease, following the contour of the eyeball. Add some of this dark neutral to the bottom edges of the lower lash line. Smudge black eyeshadow into the lash line. I always recommend applying dark eye shadow before under-eye concealer because it tends to fall onto the under-eye area as it's being applied.
Apply concealer under the eyes. Use concealer to cancel out any dark circles - orange and blue are opposite ends of the color wheel, so you want to use an orange-based color to effectively cancel out the blue tones of under-eye circles. If you use an olive or pink-based concealer, you will most likely end up with a slightly grey effect under the eyes. Again, we used the Kett Cosmetics Fixx Creme, blending CC Light and CC Medium.
Set with a finishing powder. Hold off on the mascara and false lashes till the end.

Step 3: Add Foundation and Blush

The goal in applying the skin makeup is to create an artificial effect - you want a smooth, opaque, matte finish with bright "painted on" cheeks.

Apply a full-coverage foundation to your entire face. Make sure to blend it into the neckline and over the eyebrows. We used Kett Cosmetics Liquid Foundation in R3 and applied it with a Beauty Blender to create the most even, opaque coverage possible.
Set with setting powder.
Apply a brightly-pigmented pink blush. Dolls tend to have round or heart-shaped faces, so to create this effect on Carley's oval-shaped face, we applied the blush in concentrated circles just outside the applies of her cheeks, creating the optical illusion of a rounder face. We used Makeup Designory Cheek Color in Bubblegum.

Step 4: Create the Cupid-Bow Lips

The goal in applying the lip color is to create an exaggerated "cupid-bow" lip shape.

Create the basic shape. Chances are, you are not naturally endowed with exaggerated doll-like cupid-bow-shaped lips, so you'll have to draw on a totally new lip shape. This might require you to draw the lip line outside your natural lip contour. Draw two semi-circles along the top lip, leaving the outer corners of the lips either the same tone as your foundation or very minimally painted - you want the attention to be on the curve of the cupid-bow and lower lip, not on the outer corners of the lip, which would make the shape appear more natural rather than doll-like. Draw one semi-circle along the bottom lip, matching the corners to the corners of the top lip. You want to look like you're puckering up for a kiss. Fill in with the same pencil. We used Makeup Designory Lip Pencil in Red.
Refine the lip if necessary with foundation. To create a precise, artificial, doll-like appearance, you might want to use a concealer brush dipped in your original foundation color to carefully trace along the outside of the lips.
Blot excess pigment with a tissue and set with setting powder.

Step 5: Complete the Wide-Eyed Doll Look

The finishing touches are to paint on the eyebrows and apply the false eyelashes!

Carley has a naturally delicate, doll-like arch to her brows, so we just emphasized this shape with eyebrow gel applied with a small angled eyebrow brush. We used Nyx Eyebrow Gel in Brunette.
As for the false eyelashes, select the biggest, lushes eyelashes you can find. Apply a thin layer of eyelash glue to the seam and first millimeter of the base of the lashes. Some people use tweezers to apply, but I find that I have better control with my fingers - pick the lashes up by the outer corner, lay them on top of your own lashes, and gently press them into place. Let them dry with your eyes open so that you don't glue your top and bottom lashes together! Use an eyelash curler to curl your own lashes and the false lashes at the same time, then add a coat of mascara to seal it all together.
Optional: To make your eyes look even bigger, wet your eyebrow brush, dip it in black shadow, and draw a few bottom lashes along the outer edge of your bottom lash line.

And voila! You are a living doll!