30-minute Mystique makeup

[Jill Sowell]

This was a quick makeup just for fun. I had planned to do this last Halloween, but went with a full zombie look. I have done a few other quick makeups using the contacts since they were not cheap, and this seems to be the most popular among my friends.

It was done using just acrylic craft paint and some blue clown grease makeup (yeah, the kind you can get on sale for a dollar on November 1st). I put some blue down on the face, trying to keep the edges falling to natural curves of my face. While that was drying, I used a straw-bristle brush to sweep some red acrylic paint into my hair and lightly onto my eyebrow. I then painted on the scale pieces; they aren't 3d, just a light-blue extended crescent on top and a darker blue half on the bottom. Faking the highlight and shadow was easier than building scales and having to stick them on then paint them. If I wanted to make it look better in person, I'd make the scales on some slick plastic out of puffy fabric paint (it peels up and keeps the shape but also sticks to the skin pretty well). I then lightly smudged the blue grease makeup along the edges. I had to remove the first attempt since I did the grease first and the paint didn't want to stick to it. Then, I put in the contact lense. Lastly, in photoshop, I added a slight yellow hint to the contact lense; mine are white and Mystique's eyes are a vibrant yellow, so I went with a subtle look so I didn't over-saturate it compared to the rest of the photo.

This was fun, quick, and easy. I definitely suggest this with just normal clothes if you get invited last-minute to a x-men themed party.

 

[nick daring]

Brilliant!

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

That looks awesome even like that! It looks like she's shifting back from a disguise to her normal appearance.

 

[JonKross]

Very nice!
It's just the right amount of mystique showing.
Ever thought of maybe doing a tutorial of it?

 

[Mifune]

Very clever! And it looks very good. I agree with JonKross, maybe a tutorial? Thank you for sharing this.

 

[amfx74]

The actual Mystique has puffy paint as part of her outfit so good choice.

 

[Yrien]

Wow, this looks amazing! I love it!

I would love to try this myself, but I have a question about the puffy paint - if you were going to wear it all day, would you adhere it to your skin somehow? Can you put it on over the paint, or would you put it on bare skin, then paint around/over it?

This looks like a relatively easy costume for an upcoming convention (though I am not talented at body paint so I would need to practice beforehand to make sure I can get the look right), so if I can find contacts in time I might have to try it!

 

[Jill Sowell]

Wow, this looks amazing! I love it!

I would love to try this myself, but I have a question about the puffy paint - if you were going to wear it all day, would you adhere it to your skin somehow? Can you put it on over the paint, or would you put it on bare skin, then paint around/over it?

This looks like a relatively easy costume for an upcoming convention (though I am not talented at body paint so I would need to practice beforehand to make sure I can get the look right), so if I can find contacts in time I might have to try it!

I wore a puff paint face piece for about 6 hours one day for a doctor who costume. I used some elmer's glue to hold down the edges since I had tried it on a lot of times before the event. For this Mystique look though, I'd bet that it's all trial and error. Make some small pieces and do a test run; maybe one side, stick the scales down then paint over them gently... on the other side, glue some pre-painted scales on top of a final paint. I'm sure there are tons of other ways to make it look better, but I have zero spare money, so I do costumes and makeups with stuff I can buy for cheap.

Here's a picture of a test facepiece I made out of puff paint. This one actually was blue, spray painted silver, then black shadows were added. It's just the Tulep brand puff fabric paint from Walmart: draw it thick onto a slick plastic surface, let it dry, then peel it up carefully.



As for a tutorial, I've never really made a video before, so that may be too embarrassing to put out on the web forever. Yet, feel free to ask any questions.

 

[mistymills]

I just have to say that I am a big fan of projects you can do and share that don't cost a lot. It's stuff like this that got me started before I ever thought of investing in other materials and many times if you learn to do well with what you have, when you have different resources available to you, it tends to make you better. Not to mention I still go back to the basics for things.

Great job and glad you're sharing!

 

[Yrien]

I've made some small pieces, but I don't currently have any face paint to test with. Maybe I'll pick some up and practice this weekend, since I don't currently have any plans on Saturday. I will probably have to remake my puff paint pieces as they're really rough-looking. I need more practice! I may also try picking up the Tulip brand you mentioned - the only stuff I had on hand was something different, and I know Tulip is the brand most of the Spider-Man folks use on their suits so maybe it'll be smoother than this one.

Thanks for your help! Also, I love the way that Nightmare in Silver piece turned out. It looks great!

 

[dizydesi]

I am planning a similar method for the scars/tattoos for my fem Drax cosplay I hope to present at next month's Wonder Con. You friends have any suggestion on body paints? I am leaning toward a mehron paradise (water based) pot of either/both colors: Deep Sea & Storm Cloud. I'll be painting arms, chest & up. Suggestions and tips hugely welcomed!