As much as I love Halloween, I’m also highly lazy about it. I meaaan, is it so hard to ask for a mind-blowing costume that's also extremely easy to put together exactly one hour before my Halloween party? K, fine—I get that my demands hardcore limit my options, and also basically rules out clown makeup, bat makeup, and attempting any intense Halloween makeup tutorials while also casually pre-gaming (ahem). But the one look that actually fits my v specific requirements? Flapper-inspired makeup.
Yup, if you're in the same sitch as me, you're def in need of this flapper-inspired makeup tutorial, which is equal parts easy and straight-up gorgeous. Not sure how to make it happen? DW, we'll walk you through the whole thing. In a few easy steps (plus some black eyeshadow), you’ll look like you just stepped off the set of The Great Gatsby.
Step 1: Thin out your eyebrows
I’m guessing you’re probably not into tweezing the life out of your brows to mimic the thinner eyebrows that were all the rage back in the ‘20s (and, ahem, the early 2000s). So don’t worry, you won’t have to. Instead, try darkening the top of your brows with an eyebrow pencil, leaving the bottom lighter/translucent so you get the appearance of thinner brows (without, you know, sacrificing your actual ones).
Brow products you'll love:
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat Refillable Hair-Like Eyebrow Pencil
Step 2: Layer on the black eyeshadow
To further embody the flapper makeup look, blend a matte-black eyeshadow over your eyelids and your crease with a fluffy blending brush, gently swirling the bristles over your lids in small concentric circles to buff out the eyeshadow until the edges look smokey, not heavy and opaque.
You'll def need these black eyeshadows:
Haus Laboratories: Glam Attack Liquid Eyeshadow
Step 3: Smoke out the lower lid
Dab a small eyeshadow smudge brush into your black eyeshadow, tap off the excess, then gently push and smudge the brush across your lower lash line. If the line looks too opaque and harsh, grab your blending brush again to blend it out.
4 pencil brushes to try:
MAC 219S Synthetic Pencil Brush
Wet 'n Wild Pro Brush Line Dome Pencil Eye Brush
Morphe M431 Precision Pencil Crease Brush
Sigma E30 Pencil Brush
Step 4: Line the eyes
To define your eyes, line your upper lid with a black pencil eyeliner and extend it out on the sides to create a winged eye. Then gently diffuse the liner with your smudge brush to soften any harsh lines and create that "lived-in" look (pro tip: a sponge-tipped eyeliner is my fav for this).
Black gel pencil liners to stock up on:
The Lip Bar Straight Outta Patience Eyeliner
Patrick Ta Major Dimension Precision Gel Eyeliner
Too Faced Killer Liner 36 Hour Waterproof Gel Eyeliner
Step 5: Tap on some eye gloss
Now let's make that matte eyeshadow and eyeliner really ~pop~ by adding some shine to your lids. Tap an eye gloss (or even a lip balm—hey, if it’s shiny, it can work) across your lids with your clean fingertips. You don't want to disturb the eyeshadow, so avoid smearing or swiping on the gloss.
4 glosses you need to try rn:
Step 6: Apply false lashes
The iconic 1920s look isn’t complete without thick, full eyelashes. To really top off this look, stick on a pair of larger-than-life, fanned-out fake eyelashes to really lean into the decade.
Try these false lashes:
Huda Beauty Faux Mink Lash Collection #14 Noelle
Velour Lashes Effortless No Trim Natural Lash Collection Short & Sweet
Sephora Collection Luxe False Lash Amour
Step 7: Define the lower lashes
Don’t skip on your bottom lashes—coat them with a long-lasting black mascara (I like Benefit Cosmetics Badgal Bang! Volumizing Mascara and Milk Makeup's Kush High Volumizing Mascara). Apply a few coats and let each layer dry before going in again. The more piece-y they look, the better.
4 mascaras for volume:
Step 8: Conceal the lips
Next, mask the shape of your natural lips to get the quintessential ‘20s style. Tap on concealer with your finger or Beautyblender to cover your mouth completely. Make sure you have a concealer as close to your skin tone as possible so your lips blend in seamlessly. Trust—it's worth it for the IG pics.
A few concealers for this look:
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
Tarte Creaseless Under Eye Concealer
Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer
Step 9: Draw on a Cupid's bow
Time to add some lips back in, so draw on an exaggerated Cupid’s bow first with a lip liner, creating a full '20s-esque lip look. You're basically recreating your lips in a different shape. Slightly cheat the sides of your lips to mimic the look of fuller lips by keeping the focus on the center.
Best red lip liners:
Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil
Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil
Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil
Step 10: Fill in the lips
Skip your neutrals and pinks and opt for a burgundy lipstick for this step. Fill in the drawn-on lip shape carefully with the lipstick.
Burgundy lipsticks you should try:
Maybelline New York Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Burgundy Blush
The final look
And just like that, a freaking cute flapper inspired makeup look and an even easier Halloween costume, as promised.
Valeriya Chupinina is a freelance beauty and wellness writer exploring the multifaceted connection between the aesthetic and internal. You can find her work in outlets like Coveteur, HYPEBAE, and NBGA. In addition to her editorial work, she consults on social media strategies for brands. You can keep up with her on Instagram @valeriyaliyevna.
