Frighteningly Lovely: The Faces of Halloween Makeup

By Gabrielle Fellows

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Photos Courtesy of Miranda Timmons and Andrea Zubick.

When the general public hears the word beautiful, they often envision a gorgeous woman, a stunning sunset or a picture of something peaceful, reassuring or otherwise delightful. Many fail to acknowledge that some of the spookiest things in life are also the most hauntingly beautiful.

Miranda Timmins, an art education major at Youngstown State University, finds herself painting faces of many ghouls, zombies, ghosts and goblins while she works at The Fear Facility, a haunted house based in East Liverpool, Ohio.

cmykMAU“I absolutely believe that makeup is a form of artwork even in everyday application. Everyone’s faces are so different and unique,” Timmins said. “Just like an artist to their canvas is every person to their face. One must figure out what looks best on them by trial and error, same goes for creating art.”

Many of the most famous pieces of artwork are ones that have a dark undertone to them. From Andy Warhol’s “Big Electric Chair” to Caravaggio’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes,” art in the darkest form is honestly quite captivating. Sometimes, things that disturb are things that pique the most interest.

cmykWhile applying Halloween themed makeup, Timmins said she feels that she can really push her creative boundaries.

“[Halloween makeup] allows me to show a darker side of myself that is not so visible in everyday life,” Timmins said. “When doing Halloween makeup, I have the freedom to create my own idea of a monster.”

Andrea Zubick, a local esthetician, said that she thinks that not only is makeup an art form, but it’s also a profitable business and a great way for people to transform themselves, even if it’s just temporary.

“There has been a demand lately for Halloween makeup. It used to be all about the costumes, but I feel as the makeup aspect of Halloween has become a huge thing … I feel people are drawn more to the makeup of Halloween and more people want to transform themselves into something else for a night,” Zubick said. “It’s not just wearing a costume anymore – you can actually turn yourself into a different person, or an animal, or a character – or whatever you may want to be.”

Whether the art is created on skin or on canvas, whether it’s uplifting or terrifying, one thing can be agreed upon among all artists – art is created to evoke emotions. How the makeup or art, Halloween-themed or not, makes the client feel is what doing the job is all about, Zubick said.

“A person with passion never forgets the happiness and smiles their client expresses after they have their makeup done,” Zubick said. “They know they put their passion into it and to see someone recognize that is amazing.”

Whether it’s a lighthearted painting, the everyday makeup routine or a dark, haunting face created by an esthetician or an art student … art, and the skill, time and effort each person puts into it, is beautiful.