Here’s Exactly How To Be Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother For Halloween

It’s Halloween time in the world of Disney, and we’re ready for it! Need some costume ideas to usher in the autumn season? If so, you can never go wrong with choosing a Disney theme, and you can never go wrong with choosing a classic Disney villain. Lady Tremaine, the evil stepmother of Cinderella, is an easy enough character to choose for inspiration; the costume won’t be too hard to get or make, and the hair, makeup, voice, and mannerisms are all easy to imitate as well! However, our recommendation is that you play Cinderella’s stepmother…with a twist. Instead of playing the original version of the wicked stepmother (which looked “quite like Joan Crawford“), why not aim for the villain from the 2015 live-action Cinderella movie, played by renowned Australian actress Cate Blanchett? Read on if you’d like to learn how to dress up as a more glamorous, high-fashion version of the wicked stepmother character for Halloween!

Credit: Collider.com

The live-action Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh features a wide variety of styles and color schemes when it comes to clothing, hair, and makeup (and we’ve got the tutorials for Lily James as Cinderella, Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, the ugly stepsisters, and Prince Charming (aka Prince Kit, played by Richard Madden) coming soon too!). Makeup designer Naomi Donne wanted most of the characters’ makeup to “look like a film that was set in the 40s”, and she collaborated with Cate Blanchett’s makeup artist, Morag Ross, to achieve a look that matched “the leading ladies of ’40s noir: Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, Barbara Stanwyck, and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. But, with ‘a slightly more modern approach to a period makeup look’”. The end result was a “frighteningly flawless screen-siren face” that you can easily recreate at home; even though it sounds intimidating, it’s actually easy, because you’re specifically going for an obvious and overdone aesthetic!

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To get a strong, even appearance for your face, start with a foundation that is a little paler than your natural skin color. Mix it with your preferred moisturizer, and then focus on massaging that combination into your skin; the more you massage your face, the more seamless the skin makeup will be, and the more perfect a finish you’ll get! Next, choose a ruby-toned blush and swipe it along your cheekbones, then blend a matte contour color directly under that, in the hollows of your cheeks, and do the same contouring trick along your jawline. The last step for your face makeup? Powder–probably more of it than you’re comfortable with! A traditional vintage powder will do the trick, and feel more authentic, but an anhydrous wax mattifier like the Rae Morris one below will be more comfortable if you don’t usually like wearing heavy makeup.

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RMS Cream Foundation. Credit: newbeauty.com

Rae Morris Invisible Mattifier Credit: raemorris.com

Credit: Pinterest

With this look, you want your eye makeup and lipstick to really stand out! Essentially, go for the opposite of natural makeup and work from there. For eyebrows, try to make yours more arched than usual with eyebrow pencil; this is a common theater trick for villains on stage, because the more arched and thin an eyebrow is, the older and less friendly it makes a person look. Next, apply a matte grey eyeshadow all over your eyelids, patting on a liberal amount. Then add lots of black liquid liner, mascara, and some false lashes! For the final touch, go for “immaculately applied red lips” instead of a natural lip color (Cate Blanchett wore “MAC Russian Red” in the film). Be sure to exfoliate your lips with a sugar scrub, a clean toothbrush, or a wet towel beforehand for a smooth application!

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Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lipstick in Velvet Ribbon. Credit: Lisa Eldridge

Credit: Byrdie

Credit: Byrdie

Credit: Byrdie

Credit: Innisfree

Rael Hydration Sheet Mask Credit: Byrdie