By @skin_fluenced

Your pumpkins are carved, the apple cider is warmed, and your costume has been picked out, you’re ready to go for Halloween. The only thing left to do? Your Halloween makeup. Whether you’re dressing up as Maddy from Eurporia or Pennywise from IT, you want to make sure that come November 1st, your skin isn’t as spooky as your night. Halloween makeup, especially the special looks that call for layers and layers of makeup, is thick, heavy, and cakey, and can sink into your pores if you’re not careful. Here’s how to get Halloween ready without leaving the ghost of makeup past on your face.

“The Process”

Leave makeup for last

You’ll want to let your skin breathe for as long as possible, so wait to start applying your makeup until the last minute. This gives you plenty of time to bake another batch of pumpkin seeds and hang the last of the cobwebs.

Moisturize well

Whether you have dry or oily skin, moisturizing is really important. You want to make sure your skin is hydrated and won’t seek out moisture from the oily/heavy stage makeup you’re putting on.

Use a silicone primer

Use a primer that fills pores and creates a barrier on your skin so the heavy stage makeup can’t sink in and clog pores.

Don’t overapply makeup

Unless you’re doing some kind of Halloween performance and need to be seen from a mile away, go easy on the makeup application. Use synthetic brushes that don’t absorb product and tap gently into the cream makeup. You can always add more, but if you put too much on, you’ll have to start from scratch!

Take it off the moment you get home

We’ve all committed the sin of sleeping with our makeup on now and then, but Halloween makeup is often thick and oil-based, meaning it will sink into and clog your pores if not properly removed. To keep your skin from looking spooky, use an oil cleanser to melt off the makeup, then follow up with a regular gel or cream cleanser to get every last trace off.