Sugar Skull Makeup: Day of the Dead Makeup Tutorial

Halloween has come and gone, but Dia de los Muertos offers another opportunity to soak in some amazing beauty moments. Sugar skull makeup and other festive looks have been popping up on our feeds and we’re so into it.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead in English, is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives and memories of those who have passed away. “We try to make something fun and artistic out of death, which is usually a scary topic to talk about,” says Livette Ruvalcaba, a Mexican content creator based in Los Angeles.

Since Dia de los Muertos happens right after Halloween, people sometimes conflate the two holidays. But, as Livette explains, they’re not the same. “We have a responsibility to educate people about what it means,” she says. “It's not a Halloween costume.”

Ahead of the holiday, we caught up with Livette to learn more about it. Here’s everything you need to know about Dia de los Muertos, where the signature Catrina (sugar skull) makeup look came from, and more.

What is the Day of the Dead?

It’s often mischaracterized as an extension of Halloween, but the Day of the Dead is a holiday with its own traditions and customs. Observed on the first two days of November, it’s a way to honor and connect with loved ones that have passed. It’s a celebration that dates back about 3,000 years. On Dia de los Muertos, it is believed that the barrier between the worlds of the dead and living open up, allowing the deceased a moment to come over to our side to enjoy a little time with their loved ones.

“It’s very common that people think we’re celebrating [death], which is not correct,” Livette says. “We’re actually celebrating life—the lives of the ones who have already passed away. It's a day to remember them and all the good memories that we had with them.” People typically celebrate by decorating an altar and leaving offerings of their loved ones’ favorite foods, drinks, and other items there in tribute. People also decorate sugar skulls and, of course, paint their faces to look like a Catrina.

What is Catrina makeup?

The signature makeup look for Dia de los Muertos is called Catrina—which translates roughly to “sweet skull”—makeup. It’s decidedly ornate. The white face paint, drawn-on skeleton teeth, and eye sockets are often done with a high-glam vibe. Colorful floral designs, hearts, and swirling geometric shapes come together to create something gorgeously haunting and joyful at the same time. “La Catrina was actually painted by a very famous artist in Mexico, José Guadalupe Posada,” Livette explains. “He drew her very sophisticated—when you call someone a Catrina, it’s because they’re so sophisticated.”

Should I wear Day of the Dead makeup?

Unless you typically celebrate Dia de los Muertos, you probably shouldn’t incorporate it into your Halloween look. As Livette puts it: “You can dress up on Halloween as any other character, but not the other way around, because it’s disrespectful to the ones who [have] already passed away.”

Livette recognizes that many people are inspired by the Dia de los Muertos makeup (duh, it’s gorgeous) and want to incorporate it into their Halloween looks. She feels that education is the first step in fully understanding the significance of the makeup.

“I see many kids that want to be dressed up as Dia de los Muertos for Halloween, and you know they don’t mean harm, right? They’re actually really excited to be painted up,” Livette shares. “I try to make them understand the difference [between this and Halloween] and what it means. Kids are really smart so they can understand.”

Livette Rvalcaba wears Day of the Dead Catrina makeup and a matching outfit. She's standing against a black background.

How do you apply Day of the Dead makeup?

Some Dia de los Muertos looks can take up to four hours to create. There’s a lot of precision and detail that goes into creating a Catrina. Livette shares a few deets on how she and her makeup artist come up with her makeup each year.

“I try to [capture] the soul of what I’m representing, so if [there's a tequila theme], I’d be a Catrina drinking tequila. Or if it’s a butterfly, I do a butterfly theme,” she says. “That’s the concept I’ve been working on and what it means is that death is everywhere, and it comes in all different shapes and types, and you never know when or how it'll come. It’s a reminder—it’s not just a character, it’s everywhere.”

To get that perfect application, Livette uses an airbrush tool and stencils to apply her makeup. She also says our Color Chalks are a great option for creating a look if you can’t airbrush or your would prefer to draw on the details.

Naturally, makeup this major doesn’t just stop at the face. “If I have an open leg on the dress, we do the leg,” she says. “It depends on the dress as well.” Depending on what she’s wearing, she’ll use a water-based body paint to complete her look.

By focusing on joy and good memories with loved ones, Dia de los Muertos allows people to honor those who have passed, celebrate life, and look damn good while doing it.