Whether you’re a professional mermaid, a cosplayer, or dressing as a mermaid for Halloween, you are likely interested in mermaid makeup. There are many different ways to do your makeup in a mermaid fashion. We are going to layout all those ways for you and answer questions about waterproof makeup!
In this article, we will not only talk about how to get mermaid makeup, but we will also show you some mermaid-style makeup accessories!
Table of content:
1. Mermaid makeup brushes
2. Mermaid makeup looks
3. Mermaid Halloween makeup
4. Glamorous mermaid makeup
5. Spooky siren mermaid makeup
6. Waterproof makeup
a. How to waterproof your makeup
b. How to remove waterproof makeup without remover
7. Eco-friendly makeup
1. Mermaid makeup brushes
First things first, if you want to bring some extra mermaid vibes while transforming into a mermaid, use mermaid makeup brushes! There are so many good ones. Mostly you’ll find the brush handles have 3d scales and a tail at the end, and they are shimmery and colourful.
These make for great mermaid gifts! For more mermaid gift ideas, check out our other article.
2. Mermaid makeup looks
When you search “mermaid makeup” in Google, you’ll see pictures of shimmering blue makeup looks with scales that cover the face and forehead. This is the most popular mermaid makeup look. It is the perfect glamorous look for a mermaid costume.
You can go for a bold look that stands out in a crowd, such as the shiny scale look, you could do a simple look with just coloured lips and eyes, or you could even do a spooky look that more resembles a siren.
For mermaid makeup, it’s common to apply different colours than you would for a night out. Instead of red or pinkish lipstick, a mermaid might use blue or purple. And adding sparkles is definitely one way to make your look more like a mermaid, just remember it's not good to swim in natural bodies of water with glitter unless it’s the eco-friendly kind.
For eyeshadow, bright colours are the best idea for mermaid makeup. You’ll want to use high-quality makeup, not makeup from the costume store, especially for a mermaid performance. Bright blues and purples are the ideal choices for a mermaid makeup look, but it depends on your "mersona".
3. Mermaid Halloween makeup
If you’re reading this around the time it was posted, then you are probably excited for Halloween coming up! We are too! It’s the time when we can be anything we want to be. We can dress up as a mermaid over and over again for different Halloween parties and we can experiment with different kinds of makeup looks.
Halloween mermaid makeup is less subtle than make up for if you go mermaiding or are a professional mermaid. Halloween costumes are usually more dramatic. Halloween mermaid makeup really pops and has bright colours and loads of sparkles.
A great addition to mermaid makeup is to get face gems! They add extra sparkles and extravagance. You can get them to go on your forehead, above your eyebrows, on the sides of your eyes, and on your cheeks under your eyes. There are many different colours and patterns they come in. Pearl stick-ons are another great accessory.
If you need a costume to go with your makeup, be sure to watch this video on a DIY little mermaid costume. And here’s a video on mermaid hair and makeup.
4. Glamorous mermaid makeup
Follow these instructions for a stunning mermaid look. You’ll feel like a mermaid princess in this makeup style. It’s the perfect bold makeup for a mermaid costume, with sparkles and pretty colours.
1. Start by priming your face with any face primer that you have. This will help keep your makeup on longer. It also limits the amount of makeup needed.
2. Apply foundation over your entire face. Add a few little dabs all around your face, then pat your face with a makeup sponge to blend it. You could also use a brush to blend.
3. Use concealer under your eyes to cover dark circles.
4. Contour and highlight your face. Contouring adds depth and definition to your face, highlighting your features, such as your cheekbones. Highlighter is a lighter colour and contour is a darker colour. You add the contour around the perimeter of your face, along with your cheekbones, and on the sides of your nose. Highlighter goes along the front of your nose, on your cheeks, under your mouth, and between your lips and nose. After applying highlighter and contour, use a sponge or brush to blend them together.
5. Add blush. This adds some nice colour to your face and really livens you up. For lighter skin, use light pinks, corals, and peach colours. For darker skin, deeper pinks and brown blush look best.
6. Brush eye shadow onto your eyelids. There are many different ways to get a pretty mermaid look on your eyes. You could use multiple colours, or even do a rainbow. We like the combination of blue and purple. Try adding a rich blue colour along your lash line and expanding outward with a violet colour. Then use a shimmer powder or gel glitter to make your eyes twinkle.
7. Add some blue eyeliner to your water line. You can put it on the top of your eye as well.
8. Apply mascara on both your top and bottom lashes. For extra mermaid vibes use a coloured mascara like purple or blue, even white would look nice.
9. Add your lipstick in a shade of blue, pink, or purple. Then add more shimmer powder or glitter onto your lips.
10. Here’s the exciting part. The scales! You can use fishnet stockings for this scale effect. Place the fishnet stocking over your head and use a pigment such as eyeshadow to dab on teal, blue, or purple with a brush. It especially looks pretty if you do a few different shades. Carefully remove the stocking to reveal a magical mermaid scale look!
11. Set your makeup with setting spray or brush some setting powder over your face.
12. Add anything else you want like face gems and pearls.
5. Spooky siren mermaid makeup
If you like things on the creepier side, this is the perfect tutorial for a Halloween mermaid makeup look. You’ll look like a scary (yet beautiful) evil siren. The face will look super pale, like a siren who’s been living underwater without sunlight. This look will also include dark blue lipstick and scales around the face. A few extra touches are to add white or black-coloured contacts, some fake fangs, and prosthetic gills on the neck.
1. Start by priming your face. This will help keep your makeup on longer. It also limits the amount of makeup needed.
2. Apply foundation over your entire face. Use a colour lighter than your skin tone for a pale look.
3. Use a dark blue pigment to cover the forehead and frame the face. Then use fishnet stocking and a lighter blue pigment to create a scale look.
4. Apply dark blue or black lipstick. Add some shimmer powder over top.
5. Use a rich shade of blue for the eyeshadow. Then do a thick black line of eyeliner on the top and bottom waterlines of your eyes, and on your eyelids.
6. Use white mascara to coat your lashes.
7. Use setting spray or powder to lock in the makeup.
8. For extra creepiness use black or white-coloured contacts and add some fangs.
9. And to add to your spooky mermaid Halloween look, check out our video where we show you how to make a webbed mermaid hand.
6. Waterproof makeup
Mermaids spend a lot of time in the water, needless to say. If you’re a professional mermaid or a hobbyist mermaid, you may perform in water or take mermaid pictures in and under the water. So, you don’t want the makeup to run off your face! Luckily, there are solutions. There is waterproof makeup you can buy, but there are also ways to make your makeup waterproof without using a product.
Not only is waterproof makeup important for professional mermaids, but on those hot days when we get all sweaty, it can prevent our makeup from melting away! It’s also good for going to the gym with makeup on.
Regular makeup is water-based, therefore will come off when exposed to water. Waterproof makeup is not water-based. The key ingredient that can make makeup waterproof is silicone.
Below you will find the best waterproof products.
Best waterproof eyeliner
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil- This smooth eyeliner pencil comes in a wide variety of gorgeous colours, including mermaid colours like teal, blue, and purple. They even have glitter options! It goes for $22. It provides a long-lasting makeup look.
Best waterproof eye shadow
L'Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadow- There’s a good reason it’s called infallible. This intense eye shadow is waterproof and smudge-proof so your eyes will look perfect all day! There are many bold colours to choose from and it only costs $7.99.
Best waterproof lipstick
Maybelline Makeup SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick- This highly pigmented liquid lipstick is sure to stay on your lips all day, through sweat, tears, and water from swimming. It is easy to apply to the corners of your mouth because of its tapered tip. It comes in many different shades, including purples and blues. One tube goes for $9.49.
Best waterproof mascara
CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara- This thick brushed mascara is not only waterproof, but it is cruelty-free! It’s designed to be waterproof and hypoallergenic. Your mascara will stay put on your eyes for hours! One of these costs $9.99.
Best waterproof foundation
MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation- A small drop of this formula gives you full coverage and will last for hours. Maintain a blemish-free face for a whole mermaid gig, costume event, or photoshoot. This product costs around $36.
a. How to waterproof your makeup
If you aren’t too keen on the idea of spending money on waterproof makeup, you can always try your own methods of waterproofing makeup. Some of these things you probably already have! There are myriad ways to waterproof your makeup.
1. Setting spray/powder
You can use a setting spray or setting powder to waterproof your makeup. They are both used to keep a flawless makeup look for hours, but they also help prevent your makeup from getting ruined by water and sweat. After applying your makeup, you just mist your face with the setting spray or use a brush to apply the setting powder. You can also use a sealant such as Makeup Forever Aqua Seal. You add a drop to your makeup to ensure it will stay fresh on your face. It locks in the makeup, so you need not worry about it running.
2. Primer
Using a primer on your face before applying makeup can help to keep the makeup from running.
b. How to remove waterproof makeup without remover
Only oil-based makeup removers can remove waterproof makeup from the skin. Since it is designed to be waterproof, simply washing your face does not do the trick.
Petroleum jelly, olive oil, and baby oil are some things you can use to remove waterproof makeup. All you need to do is wet your face, add one of those substances to your face and wipe away with a makeup pad.
Another method is to add baby oil or coconut oil to face wash and then wash your face as you normally would.
7. Eco-friendly makeup
Most of us who are obsessed with mermaids are conscious of the impact we have on our environment. The ocean is particularly close to our hearts (since mermaids live in the ocean, obviously!) so we tend to care about keeping it clean and free of litter and toxins.
Unfortunately, not all makeup is good for the environment. Makeup can be full of chemicals and preservatives. Since we wash it off our faces down the drain it ends up back in the environment.
Another problem with many cosmetics is that palm oil is widely used, and the palm oil industry is contributing to deforestation.
This is why it’s a good idea to purchase eco-friendly makeup! There are many brands that don’t have a negative impact on the earth. Here are some alternative brands to be more eco-conscious:
· Clean Faced Cosmetics
· River Organics
· Dab Herb Makeup
· Neek Skin Organics
· Antonym Cosmetics
· Aether Beauty
Cruelty-free makeup
Similar to being very environmentally friendly, mermaids are typically very conscious of animals. Sadly, a lot of makeup companies test their products on animals.
Rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and rats are subject to harmful testing, such as eye irritation tests. But there are beauty brands that do not participate in that. And the great thing is they typically do not cost any more than animal-tested brands
Cruelty-free makeup brands
Here is a list of cruelty-free makeup brands from Crueltyfreekitty.com.
· Anastasia Beverly Hills
· Ardency Inn
· Aromi
· Auric
· bareMinerals
· Beautyblender
· Becca
· Ben Nye
· Bite Beauty*
· Blinc
· Chantecaille
· Chi Chi Cosmetics
· Ciaté
· Coloured Raine
· Cover FX
· Dose Of Colors
· Edward Bess
· Ellis Faas
· Em Cosmetics
· Emani
· Glossier
· Grande Cosmetics
· Hourglass*
· Illamasqua
· IT Cosmetics*
· Jeffree Star
· Josie Maran
· Jouer
· Juvia’s Place
· Kaja
· KKW Beauty
· Koh Gen Do
· Kryolan
· KVD Vegan Beauty*
· Kylie Cosmetics*
· Melt Cosmetics
· Mented Cosmetics
· Milk Makeup
· PUR Cosmetics
· Pure Anada
· Range Beauty
· RCMA
· Stila
· Studio Makeup
· Suva Beauty
· Tarte*
· Thrive Causemetics
· Too Faced*
· trèStiQue
· Trish McEvoy
· Uoma Beauty
· Urban Decay*
Have fun creating mermaid makeup looks!
Author Olivia Gilbert