Don't Cry, This Pop Art Makeup Is Easy

The "Crying Girl" got her humble start in a DC Comics strip. She quickly gained fame, however, when she was later picked up by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. I'd seen quite a few interpretations of the famous blonde during recent Halloweens, and was always impressed by the intricate appearance. I was of the opinion that it must take so much time and skill to pull off the comic-book look. Well, I was half-right. For those of you who, like me, have been scared to try certain Halloween makeup looks like this one, rejoice! You don't have to be a trained makeup artist to pull off the pop art "Crying Girl." All you need is an hour or so blocked out to strategically place dots all over your face.

Venturing into the pop art world, I decided that I didn't want my face to be perpetually crying. Halloween is much too exciting for me to want to look sad all night. I still wanted to stay somewhat true to the original, though, so I went for "Concerned Girl" instead. Of course, if you want to try your hand at turning your face into a piece of pop art, you don't have to have furrowed brows. Feel free to add a bright-colored wig and laugh lines to be whatever "Girl" you want. This will just help you cover the basics.

Here's what you'll need:

• White eyeliner/eyeshadow pencil
• Blue eyeshadow
• Black eyeshadow
• Black liquid liner
• Red lipstick
• Red lipliner (optional)

The Base

To begin, pack bright blue eyeshadow all over your lid, bringing it up into the crease. Line your eyes and apply a bright red lipstick.

Furrow your brows and trace the shape with black eyeshadow. Wet your brush before picking up the shadow so it comes out as dark as possible. Fill in the shape you created and the rest of your eyebrows with the black shadow. Also go ahead and trace those furrow lines between your eyes with the shadow. (Of course, if your girl isn't concerned, just fill in brows normally with the black shadow.)

The Dots

Be warned: this part takes a while. Starting at the top of your forehead, start drawing evenly spaced dots. With each successive line, draw dots that fall between the dots you drew in the previous line. This will help it look uniform without being too straight or too messy. You can take this all the way down the neck and chest as well.

If you prefer red dots, use a lipliner instead. Just make sure to be extra-precise so it doesn't look like Chicken Pox.

The Details

Take a black liquid liner to trace various parts of your face. You'll want to hit the hairline, cheekbones, and jawline. Also trace around your nose and draw a line down the bridge, slightly off-centered. Emphasize your crease, and trace your lips.

Lastly, draw a little rectangle on your bottom lip with the white pencil, and add some falsies.

You're ready for your 2D debut!

Images: Miki Hayes (3)