You don’t always need fake blood, green powder or colored contacts to make an impact at Halloween. If you’re seeking inspiration for an alter-ego, we might be able to help with the simplest make-up tricks to give your outfit an edge.

Lips like the Red Queen

The original Red Queen from Lewis Caroll’s Through the Looking Glass was colorless, but in Tim Burton’s larger-than-life version of the fairytale classic, Helena Bonham Carter’s head is disproportionate to her body and her lips are shaped like a heart. It’s also a look you may have seen on Lady Gaga before, another strong and surreal female character.

To imitate it, apply a serum foundation to the face and lips, blending and blending with a brush until you can see them no more. The bareMinerals version will make this easy as it glides over the skin. Use a precision lip liner instead of a lipstick to create a heart and fill it in – this will ensure the color doesn’t bleed.

Clockwork Orange Eyelashes

Create Alex’s iconic right eye bottom eyelashes with eyeliner and a brush. Using a gel eyeliner, like the one by ColorScience, will better mimic authentic eyelashes. This long-wearing gel eyeliner in particular provides intense pigment without smudging or fading. A rich, crème-gel eyeliner with the ease and control of an eye pencil. Easy to apply, quick drying, non-irritating formula. If you mess up, create random flicks and tell everyone at the party it’s a spider web. Spooky!

Werewolf Eyebrows

Thanks to Cara Delevigne, big bushy eyebrows have not only become acceptable, but they’ve been on trend for some time. Take it a step further and turn yours into werewolf-style brows – no need to be neat. The brow pencils by bareMinerals and Anastasia Beverley Hills have built in brushes, to help you draw on what will look like real, mammal hairs.

OTT Contouring

With the right brush, you can shape and tone your face any which way you want. Whether it’s a slimmer nose or a smaller forehead, contouring might be the ultimate make-up trick. Sigma’s specialist, high definition contouring brushes (which are ultra-soft and come with anti-bacterial properties), can help you create any finish you want. Exaggerate your contour to make your cheeks pop like Billy the puppet.