Reality TV is full of “villains” and “bad guys,” and they’re often responsible for stirring up the sensational drama that keeps you glued to your screen. Some of these on-screen baddies choose to publicly decry their negative reputations, insisting that their personalities have been warped by clever editing and unfair cuts. But six of reality TV’s most infamous scandal stirrers have decided to embrace their notoriety head-on by transforming into some of pop culture’s most iconic villains in a dramatic new Halloween campaign for NYX Professional Makeup.
Now, the SFX makeup artist responsible for helping to turn the likes of “Selling Sunset” favorite Christine Quinn and “Jersey Shore” star Pauly D into these maniacal miscreants is revealing exactly how she did it – and all the tricks you need to undergo your own spooktacular makeover this Halloween.
Speaking exclusively to PS, celebrity makeup artist and SFX legend Mimi Choi says she managed to put a spin on the iconic characters chosen for the campaign by incorporating elements of each reality star’s signature style into the mix.
“I took inspiration from the iconic elements of each look and combined them with the talent’s signature style, while adding my own spin,” she says. “For example with The Joker, he has the iconic green hair and I was working on Pauly D who has his own very signature hairstyle, so I combined both to create a unique Joker look.”
For the campaign, titled “Who Stole Halloween?,” Choi took on six different villains. As well as Pauly D’s Joker, she also turned Quinn into Catwoman, “Love Island” star Whitney Adebayo into Freddy Krueger, “Love Island USA” alum Cely Vazquez into Freeze, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Nene Leakes into Poison Ivy, and “Love Island Australia” contestant Tasia Hafenstein into Beetlejuice.
But her favorite look, she admits, is Catwoman, thanks to the lace detailing she painted onto Quinn’s face for the look. “I love painting intricate details and lace is one of my favorite things to paint. It’s very therapeutic to me so I really enjoyed painting that one,” she says.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the results? Cho came up with the ultra-intricate lace design on the spot, having only sketched out an idea of what it would look like before she began working on Quinn. “Usually, I have a vision in my head and I go for it on the face without really having a set picture to hand,” she says. “With this campaign, I had a general concept sketched on the face charts, but the exact pattern of the lace was not determined before I started painting.
This process, Choi explains, allows her to ensure the look is as flattering as possible, because she can tailor it to suit the face of the talent she’s working on. “I use the talent’s face as my inspiration as I go to see where I want to put certain lines and what kind of pattern I want to put on a specific feature to highlight it and make the look the most aesthetic,” she says.
While Halloween is all about experimenting and trying new things, Choi believes that elements from each look – which she created using products from NYX’s new limited-edition SFX collection, out today – can be used in everyday glam.
“If you want to use each look in an everyday way, you can, just by simplifying them,” she says. “For example with Catwoman, you could add lace-inspired graphic lines to your eye makeup for an everyday look. For Freddie Kruger you can take inspiration from the stitching and create a stitching illusion on your winged liner for an edgier look. And for Joker, smudged lips is a very fashionable, beautiful look these days, so you can take inspiration from that to create a modern look. The options are endless.”
If you’re in the mood for a makeup look that brings Bravo-level drama, however, Choi has some handy tips. Always have a Q-tip (or 10) handy in order to “fine tune lines and clean up smudges.” And when you head out for a night of Halloween fun, pop a few in your purse, along with concealer and micellar water to keep your makeup looking as precise as possible.
“I also use very fine arts brushes,” she says. “Those are excellent for cleaning off smudges. If you really want to fine tune and not mess up a very crisp line, but you have a little smudge, just put a little bit of micellar water on the brush and give it a good swipe. “Be fearless, it’s just makeup and there is always a way to fix it.”
Charlie Lankston is a freelance beauty, fashion, and lifestyle writer and media strategist based in New York City, having relocated to the US in 2014 from her home in London. Charlie spent 10 years working at DailyMail.com, where she oversaw the website’s style, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content. Charlie also appears as an on-air royal and celebrity correspondent.
