You all know how much I love Halloween, right? It gives me an excuse to dress up, experiment with fun makeup, and take my nieces and nephews trick or treating (and then steal some of their candy). The past couple of years, I did some intense makeup looks that left me cleaning my brushes for what felt like hours. I actually just found a bag of the ones that needed some extra help, abandoned under my bathroom sink. From last year. Costume makeup is no joke. That’s why I’m incredibly excited to tell you that I partnered with Q-tips for this Halloween makeup tutorial, to show you how to recreate this cartoon makeup! Why am I so excited? Because this entire look was done almost exclusively with Q-tips Precision Tips, leaving me with barely any clean up. I literally just had to clean my blush brush. Q-tips Precision Tips are my favorite because they’re extremely versatile. I use them for both application and clean up; seriously, dip one of these in makeup remover for the most precise lines. It’s quite the #QtipsHack!

Now, onto the cartoon makeup: I had so much fun with this one, because I just made it up as I went along. That’s the beauty of makeup. If you mess up, just clean it up and try again. Add a little bit of extra detail until it feels right, and don’t be afraid of experimenting with other colors. Ready to see how to turn yourself into a cartoon? Follow my step by step instructions:

1. Start with a base of foundation, and then add a generous amount blush to your cheeks. Use the same blush to contour around your hairline. I was originally planning on wearing a different wig, but I ended up not really needing this step since the one I went with has bangs. If you’re wearing your hair up or a wig without bangs, keep this step in!
2. Use a dampened Q-tips Precision Tip to apply bright shadow to your eyelids in a rounded shape, and fill in your brows with the same color. I like to use mixing medium with a loose shadow, which I mix into a loose paste before applying.
3. (Optional): Dab glitter over your brows. I used a glitter liner, so I didn’t need another adhesive.
4. Now use a Q-tips Precision Tip to trace black cream makeup along the edges of your eye shadow and brows.
5. Extend the line through your lower “lash line” – but leave space to exaggerate the shape of your eyes. Draw some cartoon lashes along the bottom. If you mess up, just use a clean Q-tips Precision Tip dipped in makeup remover to perfect your lines. A few of those will be your best friend!
6. Apply liquid lipstick or lip color of your choice. Go bold! This is not a time for subtlety.
7. Trace your lips with the same cream black makeup, and color the inside lip line, too.
8. Use a white liquid liner (or cream) to add “highlights” to your lips.
9. “Sketch” some contours of your nose, cheeks, and jawline with a Q-tips Precision Tip and cream black makeup. You can go as bold and crazy as you want, but I kept my sketch lines a little thinner and less solid than the main outlines.
10. Add a rainbow wig (or any fun color), and you’re done! Unless…
11. Maybe you want some rainbow freckles? Dab on some multicolor, metallic freckles. Use a clean Q-tips Precision Tip for each shade, so your colors don’t get muddy. Done! It’s the new, cartoon you!