Big, Beautiful Eyes Can Be Yours With This Betty Boop DIY

Updated on 10/4/2014 at 10:00 PM

While some choose to go the gory route for Halloween, we know our beauties out there may be looking something sweeter. And no one defines sultry, come-hither sexiness more than Miss Betty Boop. "She's an icon," said Edward Tricomi, the master stylist and cofounder of the luxurious Warren-Tricomi Salons. We met up with the expert, who is known in the business as "Edward Scissorhands" for his incredibly skilled haircutting skills (in fact, he inspired Tim Burton's movie after chopping his hair), at Warren-Tricomi in New York's Plaza Hotel. After taking one look at the cheap Betty Boop wig we brought in for the shoot, he grabbed a long, black wig of his own and got to work. Ten minutes later he presented us with his flawless reinterpretation of Betty's 1930s bob.

To wear your hair under a wig, he recommended braiding it into multiple cornrows (for this look, he did three). Plait each braid going down the nape of your neck, fasten it with a rubber band, and pin the tails to your head. Secure the wig with bobby pins in the front, on the side, and in the back. "The worse thing that can happen is that you're out, and someone pulls the wig off," he said. "The bobby pins anchor the wig down, so it'll make it easier for you to style it." He added finesse and flips to the faux hair with molding and spray wax.

After sitting in the hair chair, the model (who you may recognize as our own beauty editorial assistant Emily Orofino) made her way to get a makeover from makeup and eyebrow specialist Misty Chapman. After easy contouring hacks, multiple eyeliner steps, and some serious lipliner, Emily was unrecognizable. Become this beautiful cartoon character for Halloween by following the simple steps below!

Step 1: Primer

Start by coating your skin with a silicone-based primer. This will give you a nice, smooth surface (Betty had porcelain skin!) and keep your makeup in place all night. Why silicone? “When you put on foundation and concealer, it will sit on top of the silicone rather than going into your skin,” Chapman explained. “Anytime you put on foundation, you also want to bring it down to the neck,” she added, while extending the primer to the collar.

Step 2: Foundation, Concealer, and Powder

“Since Betty Boop is pale, chose a foundation shade lighter than your natural skin tone,” advised Chapman. When it comes to concealer, the makeup pro recommended putting it around your eyes and nose, because that’s where most people get red. She dusted regular powder over the foundation and superfine milled powder over the concealer to set everything and create a matte, doll-like finish.

Step 3: Contour

Take a flat blush brush (Chapman used one by Laura Mercier) to define your bone structure. “You want to go right under the cheekbones,” said Chapman as she dusted bronzer on the face to create Betty Boop’s high cheekbones. “I am also contouring under the jawline to accent it more. This is great for women who have rounder faces. You can just take a darker shade and put it in there to camouflage it.” Note to self: try this before your next Instagram selfie!

Step 4: Eye Base

“I like using this [cream shadow] as a base, before adding eyeliner and shadow, because it’ll bring out pigments and make the colors more vibrant,” noted Chapman as she layered a matte, neutral color all over the eyelid from the lash line to the brow.

Step 5: Highlight

When picking an illuminating powder, consider your skin tone. “Someone with a dark complexion should choose a gold base or they will look ashy,” said Chapman. “And go with a silver for lighter skin [as seen here].” After the eye base was set, Chapman highlighted the eyes by adding a shimmer all over the lid and at the inner corners. She noted that the metallic hue behind the lashes makes them pop more.

Step 6: Eyeliner Part One

Using an angled flat brush and Wet 'n' Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner Black (which Chapman stated “doesn’t move”), she lifted the lid and applied the product directly into the lash line. This ensures there is no white space between the liner and the fake lashes, and it also makes your fringe look thicker. “I pat it on at first,” she said while stamping the brush along the upper waterline. “You’ll find that gel liner goes on really black and nice, but you need the right tools, and you need to take your time with it.”

Step 7: Eyeliner Part Two

Chapman went over the top of the lashes with gel liner using a similar technique. She stamped the gel liner onto the lash line and then made small drags to create a clean look.

Step 8: Eyeliner Part Three

Starting from the outer corner and moving in, Chapman put the finishing touches on the black eyeliner, filling black color in between the lower lashes.

Step 9: Eyelashes

While Chapman says the easiest fake eyelashes route is to go with a strip instead of individuals, she did the latter for this look. (She is a pro, after all.) Still, she offered her best tips for applying a strip at home: “First measure it against your eye before you put it on — that way you can cut the ends or front parts to fit." Still feeling unsure about how to apply them? Just follow this step-by-step tutorial to getting a Kardashian flutter.

Step 10: White Eyeliner

The trick to getting big Betty Boop cartoon eyes is running a white pencil on the inside of the lower waterliner. This makes the white space of your eyes seem larger.

Step 11: More Eyeliner (Yes, Really!)

Chapman ensured that the eyeliner would stay in place all night by running over the initial layer with a second coat of black eye shadow, applied with a thin brush. This also made the peepers look extralarge, since it was applied over the fake lashes.

Step 12: Eyebrows

Arches were enhanced with dark brown powder. While Betty Boop actually has very thin brows, Chapman decided to go with a more “modern” bold look.

Step 13: Lip Liner

According Chapman, lip liner skills just come down to practice. She likes to start with the middle of the bottom lip and work her way out, topping the lip liner (applied all over the pout) with a lipstick or gloss. For Betty Boop, she recommends lipstick for a more matte finish.

To get Betty’s signature pursed pucker, draw a “V” at the cupid’s bow and curve it into a heart-like shape. “I like to start small and slowly build out,” Chapman said. “Also, make sure your lips are exfoliated beforehand — it’ll make everything go on smoother.”

Step 14: Cleanup

If you’re not skilled at making clean lines, Chapman suggested using a concealer to clean around the lips. She did this anyways to make the red stand out more.

Step 15: Blush

Before you can put on a little red dress and go, sweep a pretty pink blush on the apples of your cheeks. If you’re not sure where the apples are, then smile and look in the mirror. The raised part of your cheeks is where the blush should be applied.