5 Halloween Makeup Must-Haves

Whatever costume you plan, here are a few of the make up essentials that I've found extraordinarily handy in the past.  Also bear in mind that I've never once planned a Halloween costume in advance, so I believe most of these products are fairly accessible.

Black Eyeliner -- great for sketching out webs, animal noses, whiskers, pretty much anything.  It's basically a Sharpie for your face.  For pencil liners, I like _________, for liquid liner, I've recently been loving Kat Von D Ink! in Trooper

False Eyelashes -- these are a Halloween costume in themselves.  Pick up an outrageous pair from Make Up For Ever, or a subtle Ardell pair to enhance and add femininity to a costume.

White Base -- Failing that, a super pale concealer.  I usually go for a concealer in the lightest shade available at the drugstore and use it as a base for all zombie / vampire looks. NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Milk

Red lipstick -- I always end up using red lipstick.  I don't even know why.  In a pinch, it could be blood.

Lash glue -- DUO is technically a surgical glue, so it will hold most things together.  I've seen a ton of brilliant Zipper Face tutorials using this glue.  This comes in black and clear, so make sure you know which one you're using!

Depending on your costume, you'll likely need a few specialized items -- fun contacts, specific eye shadow colours, gel blood, scar wax, etc.  What are you for Halloween this year?

10 Tools I can't live without

1. Salux Wash Cloth - I once went without this for a week, and I didn't realize quite how much I rely on a Japanese bath towel to keep myself clean
2. Beauty Blender - I was surprised by how effective this is!  It's my new favourite way to powder.
3. Shiseido Cotton - All other cotton is inferior.  Buy it in bulk because cotton is only getting more expensive.
4. Brow Brush - The one on the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil is the best I've ever used.  Also good for teasing your bangs in small sections.
5. MAC 217 - My go-to eye shadow brush
6. Suqqu Cheek Brush - Review here.  I don't regret purchasing this at all.
7. Tweezerman Tweezers - Did you know Tweezerman is a Henckel's brand?  That's why these are so sharp and precise!
8. Curling Iron/Straightener - Depends on my hair cut.  More layers = straightener, fewer layers = curling iron
9. Blow Dryer - Currently using the T3 Featherweight travel dryer; it folds up so small!
10. Muslin Cloth (not pictured) - It turns a nightly chore into a spa experience.  Run in hot water, fold in half, lay over your face. 

On Not Washing my Hair..

My hair sticks to a fairly strict regimen in the summer -- freshly washed, one day straight, second day curl, third day loose curl, 4th day beachy wave, and depending on how much activity it's seen, I might even leave it on the fifth day.  I'm gross.

My tips to preserve curls and get away with not washing my hair?

#1 - Invest in a great dry shampoo -- these work differently for everyone, but a few favourites include Klorane, Batiste, Rene Furterer and good old baby powder.  Not sure how to use dry shampoo?  Check out my handy-dandy video.

#2 - Body shower -- My biggest issue is that no shower cap in the world will contain my hair, so I've started using my bamboo head wrap to help my hair avoid getting wet.  It also helps to have a shower head that detaches, instead of the fixed ones that force you to contort in all sorts of positions to avoid the spray.

#3 - Texture will help hide any dirty hair, so embrace that tousled, beachy, bedhead. My hair is super straight, so that usually translates to dreadlocks, but if I take a few minutes to put a little wavey dent in my hair, it goes a long way.   Take ten minutes to wrap your hair around a 1 inch curling iron or to get some waves with a GHD -- the messier, the better.  Don't stress if the waves loosen on day three/four, it'll add to the 'I woke up like dis' effect.

#4 - When in doubt, put on a hat.  Or if you're feeling super 90s, a bandana.