How to Apply Grim Reaper Makeup

Grim Reaper from “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”

From ancient times onward, many societies have personified Death as a sentient entity. In English lore, this entity is often known as the Grim Reaper, and is depicted as a ghastly, skeletal figure in a dark-hooded robe carrying a scythe with which he reaps life. In some legends, the Grim Reaper is actually a benign character whose job it is to lead the deceased into the afterlife. Theatrically, the Grim Reaper can be played for shock effect, or as in the case of a movie like “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey,” he can be played for laughs. Either way, here's how to impersonate him.

Things You'll Need

• Good-quality facial cleanser
• Water
• Towel
• Smock (button-type)
• Bobby pins (optional)
• Rubber band (optional)
• Sponges
• Clown white makeup
• Colorless powder
• Powder puff
• Powder brush
• Black makeup
• Fine-tipped brush
• Gray makeup
• Water spritzer bottle

Instructions

1. Wash your face carefully with a good-quality cleanser. Pat your face dry with a clean towel. Put on a button-type smock to protect your clothing from the makeup. Brush your hair away from your face. Hold it back with bobby pins or a rubber band if necessary.

2. Apply clown white makeup with a sponge to your entire face. Begin at the forehead and work your way down. With the sponge, smooth the makeup into the hairline. Cover any part of your face and neck that will be seen, except for your lips and around your eyes.

3. Dip the powder puff into the colorless powder. Pat the powder gently onto your face to cover the makeup. Brush any excess powder from your face with the powder brush.

4. With a fresh sponge, apply black makeup to the area around your eyes and down the sides of your nose. Use the edge of the sponge tipped with black makeup to draw a line along the cheekbone from the middle of the ear toward the edge of the mouth. Feather the black makeup downward to hollow out the cheeks.

5. Apply black makeup to your lips using the fine-tipped brush. Outline in black the crease between the lips and chin. Draw a triangle on the lower chin and fill it in with black makeup.

6. Apply gray makeup sparingly to highlight and hollow out the forehead, the throat and under the eyes. Dip the powder puff into the colorless powder. Pat the powder gently onto your face to cover the makeup. Brush any excess powder off your face with the powder brush. Lightly spritz your face with water to set the powder.

Tips & Warnings

• Start lightly. It is easier to add color than to take it away.

• Undo your work with a good-quality makeup remover. Good skin care is essential when you are using theatrical makeup.

• Test makeup on your skin for a while before deciding to wear it, to ensure that you do not have an allergic reaction.