# Help with Hallowe'en makeup **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2016, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-halloween-makeup/769325 "2016-10-22T12:07:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-halloween-makeup/769325/1 "2016-10-22T12:07:05Z")
We’re hosting a Hallowe’en costume party this year, and I’ve decided to go all out with my getup. I’m going as a zombified version of a historical figure. Problem is, I don’t have any experience with makeup. Can someone help me with some details? [ol] [li]I’ve got curly, dark hair, but the historical figure had straight, greying hair. How can I make my hair temporarily straighter and grey?[/li] I think some hair gel can help straighten my hair a bit. And I’ve read some online guides that say hair can be greyed by brushing through [flour or talcum powder](http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Hair-Look-Gray-for-a-Costume), or even [makeup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-49qrWfaFc). Can I use these greying techniques along with the gel? If so, which one should I use first? And what kind of makeup should I use? (I’m using greasepaint for my zombie makeup—will this also work in my hair?) [li] Will the greasepaint I’m using on my face, neck, and hands rub off on my clothes? If so, is there anything I can do to mitigate this? Will it ruin the clothes or will it wash out?[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Tara57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Tara57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tara57)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-halloween-makeup/769325/2 "2016-10-22T15:09:51Z")
You can try straightening your hair yourself by blow drying it section by section while you pull the section straight with a brush. If you don’t like the results, go to a hair salon and ask for a shampoo and straightening blow dry. You can buy white or silver hair spray at Party City or the Halloween section of a store. If you go the salon route, bring it and the stylist would likely spray it for you. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-halloween-makeup/769325/3 "2016-10-22T17:07:56Z")
How long is your hair, and how long is the character’s hair supposed to be? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-halloween-makeup/769325/4 "2016-10-22T18:05:17Z")
If I pull my curls straight, they measure 7 to 9 cm. Judging from photos, the character’s hair looks to be about the same length. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-halloween-makeup/769325/5 "2016-10-22T19:06:58Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > [ul][li] Will the greasepaint I’m using on my face, neck, and hands rub off on my clothes? If so, is there anything I can do to mitigate this? Will it ruin the clothes or will it wash out?[/li][/ul] I used Ben Nye cake makeup for my zombie costume. I’d apply Clown White with a dampened sponge, and then to highlights with Corpse Grey. I used blue greasepaint on my lips. I applied a very thin stripe of red greasepaint with a paint brush around the edges of my eyelids. A bit of talcum powder for graveyard dust, some commercial spider webs, and I was ready to go.