Fashion

Steal Liv Moore's Glamorous Zombie Makeup

by Rosie Narasaki

Still looking for a last minute Halloween costume? Well, you can't really go wrong with Liv Moore from the CW's iZombie. After all, she's got some fun style, as well as a distinctive (not to mention Halloween-appropriate) look — and it's all rather easy to pull together at the eleventh hour. Plus, there's also the fact that her beauty game is seriously on point — it’s not every day you look at a zombie and wonder how they did their makeup.

Part of that, of course, is due to actress Rose McIver’s inherent adorableness, but some of it definitely comes down to the show’s uniquely striking vision of zombieism. It’s certainly a quite pretty incarnation of the classic zombie — the look is more akin to the glamorously consumptive Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then, say, any of the gruesome Walkers from The Walking Dead. No rotting flesh to see here!

Now, there have been a few sightings of the standard shambling various-stages-of-decay zombies on the show so far, but most of the ones we’ve met have been distinguishable only by their ultra-pale complexions, bone-white hair, and (in Liv’s case, anyway) intense smoky eyes. Interested in taking her signature look out for a spin? Read on to find out how!

The Face

The key to your base look here is a glowing complexion, rendered perhaps a shade or two lighter than normal. Liv is, of course, pretty much literally as white as a ghost, but she’s never cake-y — her makeup is always subtle, with an almost translucent look. With that in mind, I wanted to keep things natural and wearable for day, so I recreated the look by starting off with a brightening primer, which I followed up with a luminous CC cream a shade lighter than usual.

Japonesque Color Radiance Primer, $30, Amazon; It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better, $38, Sephora

Then, I added a touch of lavender-toned highlighter to my upper cheekbones, forehead, and browbones (and skipped the blusher, to really go for the whole undead look).

The Eyeshadow

Liv may keep her complexion relatively fuss-free, but she goes all out on the eyeshadow front. To get her signature high-impact smoked out look, I applied a slightly shimmery burgundy cream eyeshadow base to my entire mobile lid, as well as my under eye, both to add lasting power, and to add depth and dimension.

Maybelline 24-Hour Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk, $8, Amazon

Once I had the base on, I layered over a purple-toned taupe to my entire lid — then I added some purple shadow to my crease line for a bit of a subtle-y cat eye-shaped cut-crease look. Finally, to add in some extra drama, I lined my eyes with a cool-toned shimmery dark brown shadow.

The Liner

Your high-impact eyeshadow does most of the talking for you, so the eyeliner’s more of an afterthought — I just added in a line of black to both my upper and lower lash lines (though on the lower lash line, I only lined the outer two thirds).

The Finishing Touches

Finish the look with a healthy coat (or two… or three) of your mascara to really hit all that drama home. Now, when it comes to the lips, it’s really up to you — sometimes, Liv’s lips are as pale as the rest of her complexion, while she’s also been known to rock neutral pinks and berries. I went for an ever-so-slightly shimmery shell pink to let the eyes be the center of attention.

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick in Soft Raspberry, $7, Amazon

And... there you have it: Glamorous Zombie in a nutshell — all you need now is a white wig (or a lot of peroxide). Will you be giving this look a try?

Want more Halloween beauty tips? Check out the video below, and be sure to subscribe to Bustle’s YouTube page for more hacks and tricks!

Images: The CW (2), Rosie Narasaki (6)