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Sugar Skull & Halloween Make-up

Creative Halloween looks with make-up by Paul Mitchell Charlotte students with Nahn Tran Models. This is a behind the scenes of the preparation before heading over the Morris Costumes haunted house for the video and photo shoot

 

Sugar Skull Makeup
Sugar Skull Makeup
Photography by Todd Youngblood

 

Makeup by students at  Paul Mitchell Charlotte

A little about the history and creation of sugar skull
Candy skull make up is a day of the dead face painting holiday celebrated in southern and central Mexico in honor of their loved ones. The sugar skulls are used to decorate the deceased gravestones in honor of their remembrance.

The holiday is celebrated as from 1st and 2nd of November. It is believed that adults spirits are the ones who come down and enjoy the festivities. They believe that by 31st October the gates of heaven are opened and the spirits of the dead children unite back with their families for a period of 24 hours.
On 2nd November the adults spirits come and enjoy the festivities prepared for them. In most homes the sugar skulls are decorated with a variety of things from buckets of flowers, candles, marigolds have to be wild looking, peanuts, fruits and the deads -bread and placed in an altar that is made in each home or the tomb. This activity is done on 2nd November. In addition, there has to be a lot of food, hot cocoa, water and bottles of soda for the spirits which are weary.
The sugar skulls are beautifully decorated with bright foil, sugar, icing and always bear the deceased person name. They are easy to make through tutorials and can last an year if well done.
The people present , clean the tombs, play and listen to the band as they remember their loved ones. Lately the day of the dead is becoming popular as more people are embracing the culture of remembering their loved ones.
The families of the deceased take flowers and sugar skulls to the tomb to decorate them. The sugars skulls are well decorated with colored sugars, pieces of foils, colored sugars and icing
Most of the families believe that by celebrating and honoring the deceased on this day, in return they will have protection, wisdom and good luck to their families. Hence, majority of the families honor this festive at all times.
How sugar skull is done:
The ingredients:
1. Granulated sugar.
2. Powdered sugar.
3. Meringue powder.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of water depending on the sugar used per cup. Incase you need the sugar skull to have colour, you may add food colour.
Always avoid making sugars skulls when its humid or raining as the sugars will not dry.
Method:
Mix all the ingredients with both hands and make sure the sugar is moistened. Ensure when you squeeze the sugar between you fingers the fingerprints should not remain.
Ensure its feels like beach sand when you are molding. When molding, pay attention to edges and chins and scrap the rest of the molds. When done set the sugar skulls aside overnight for 8 hours and let them dry before decorating. When they are almost dry , carefully hold the skulls and make hollows and the back and front with a spoon. Avoid scooping the neck area. when done leave them to dry. Check after 8 hours and then decorate the sugar skulls with icing. You can store them in a breathable cardboard awaiting the occasion.
Candy Skull Makeup
Candy Skull Makeup