Masquerade masks have come a long way since their first appearance in the 16th century. They have delighted kings and queens for centuries with their mysterious appearance and puzzling allure. Nowadays, these decorative masks are widely popular at private parties, balls, festivals, and carnivals. Mardi Gras celebrations and the Carnival of Venice are two of the most popular types of events that highlight the grandeur of masquerade masks.
Rather than buying a masquerade mask or creating one, you can draw one on your face using make-up. Here are some tips to help you get started:
The base
Prior to putting any make-up, you have to prepare your face. Start off by applying primer all of the face. Make sure you’re using quality products because you’ll be dancing all night long, and it’s important to keep your mask intact. After you’ve applied primer let the skin dry for a couple of minutes.
Drawing the shape of the mask
Now that your face is all set, it’s time to draw the shape of the mask. Use an eyeliner and draw circular lines around the eyes. Fill it in and apply eye shadow to give the make-up a matte finish. Decide on a pattern or character – cat woman, vampire, witch, zombie, etc. – and move on with the drawing.
Add contour
Masquerade masks are opulent, shiny and striking. If yours is just a masquerade make-up, you have to make it stand out. Let’s assume that you’ve decided on a cat-inspired masquerade make-up. Apply eyeliner on the eyelids, and draw a really thick line from the center of the eye, to the end of the eyebrow. Use fake lashes and mascara to define your eyes. For a great effect, fill in your eyelids with a different color – gold eye shadow will instantly make your eye pop.
Sharing the eyebrows
Make-up specialists advise us to opt for full eyebrows this season. Whether you’re going to an elegant ball or fancy carnival, the eyebrows must be properly contoured in order to add balance to the face. Use a special pencil and gently shape your eyebrows. Don’t make them look too artificial and follow their natural line. Fill in with eye-shadow and use mascara to make them look longer and fuller. Because you’re working on a masquerade make-up, you can also add some spark at the end of eyebrows, just to lengthen the eye area and give your face a sophisticated appeal.
Glitter – the more, the better
Masquerade masks are colorful, striking, and packed will all kinds of accessories like beads, feathers, and glitter. Get your inspiration from some of the most interesting Venetian masks, and work on your make-up. A cat-inspired make-up is not really that striking. To make it stand out, use colorful glitter. Shades of fuchsia, turquoise, silver, and gold will certainly add personality to your make-up.
If you’re the artistic type of person and you love art, you can draw beautiful paintings on your face. Interesting shapes, bold contours, unusual caricatures will certainly make your masquerade make-up look stunning. After you finished your cat-inspired make-up, use a pencil an draw some stars on half of the face; or, use glitter on your lips.
The lips
The lips are the centerpiece of a masquerade make-up. There are no restrictions, so feel free to color them in bold shades of red or unusual purple nuances. Use lip-gloss to make them luscious and voluminous. For more effect, contour your lips with a pencil in totally different colors, like black for example.
Last but not least, it’s time to add blush on the cheeks to complete the make-up and give a beautiful shape to your face. Peachy colors are the best, and they’re suitable with any sort masquerade make-up.
Masquerade make-ups are inspired from famous characters, Venetian masks, and Mardi Gras caricatures. There are so many ideas you can use to create a memorable disguise; all you need is some imagination. Unlike ordinary masks that you can take off, a masquerade make-up is permanent. It doesn’t fall and it can last for up to 10 hours. Nobody will ever know who you are, which means you will have a lot of fun without having to become Cinderella in the middle of the night.
