Halloween is here, and with it, a host of new characters and costumes have been born, from Challengers-themed throuples and Sabrina and Jenna’s ‘Taste’ coordinated corsets, to Olympic shooting star Kim Yeji and The Substance’s disfigured Demi Moore.
While niche pop-culture references and newly-released movies can make for convenient novelty character references, every once in a while, a new costume will enter the Halloween Hall of Fame, destined to be recreated for decades to come.
This season, make-up artist Berny Ferreira’s Doll Face look has become an instant classic, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes online and inspiring countless other creatives to try it for themselves. The make-up look uses nylon stockings to produce an eerie blank canvas where new features can be stretched across the skin as a semi-sheer mask. The rest is down to you – Ferreira has already created multiple versions of the look, altering the expressions with spectacularly sinister results.
Ferreira, who garnered popularity online thanks to their innovative full-face looks and successful stint on BBC’s Glow Up, is no stranger to transforming themselves, regularly showcasing their art with the use of unconventional make-up materials including reconfigured paper clips, sequin scales and fresh flowers.
The Doll Face make-up is sure to be a staple of Halloween costume parties for years to come thanks to how accessible it is for beginners – using tights or a hair cap lying around at home, and allowing for easy removal at the end of a long night. Think: Pat McGrath’s porcelain dolls for Maison Margeila, but without the mess and with considerably better longevity.
So whether you’re looking to channel Annabel or Barbie (or a character of your own creation), we sat down with the make-up artist to hear how they achieved their Doll Face look.
What inspired you to create your original take on Val Garland’s stocking makeup look?
I remember seeing Val use stockings when she keyed the make-up for Gareth Pugh’s SS16 runway show and I’d had the idea to do my own twist with it for a while. I bought some stockings which were sat in my living room for weeks and then one day, I was brainstorming ideas and couldn’t think of anything – I knew it was Halloween soon as this was around late September and I thought I’d get a head start and got the idea in my head to do Val’s concept but with my own, twisted Berny way as a doll-like Halloween look!
How have you developed the look as you’ve created the different versions?
I’ve trialled and errored various times but one thing I found is that using stockings allows me to reset my face and opens up the possibility of drawing over my eyes and totally reconfiguring my facial anatomy which is what I find most enjoyable about doing this look.
I’m seeing a lot of people cut holes in the eyes, which I get as you want to see, but for me, the entire point of the look is to eliminate any humanity from the face and become a caricature of sorts, so the impaired vision comes as a small price to pay for such an impactful look. I guess realising the ability to paint wherever you like on the face is how I developed the look and created different versions with different positions of features.
I remember seeing Val use stockings when she keyed the make-up for Gareth Pugh’s SS16 runway show and I’d had the idea to do my own twist with it for a while… I got the idea in my head to do Val’s concept but in my own, twisted Berny way as a doll-like Halloween look.
Were there any specific dolls, characters or faces you looked to when creating this look?
I was mostly inspired by anime girls, I’ve always found a fascination with doodling and sketching manga eyes and wanted to do something similar with this. In the end, I ended up not even drawing the inside of the eye and just kept it blank as I felt that made it more doll-like and eerie.
Were there any specific products that were essential when creating this look?
Powder products are a must, and so is liquid eyeliner – brush tips or felt pens don’t work well on nylon so I opted for liquid eyeliner which you can dip into, or water-activated liners. Oh and pencils – I used Coffee by MAC Cosmetics to outline a lot of the looks and then layered over eyeshadow to create a blend.
You’re off out to a party tonight – do you have any tips for ensuring your Halloween look stays on all night?
Pop some setting spray before, during and after application, if you’re wearing grease paint powder the heck out of it, and if you’re feeling extra careful, you can use the original theatre technique and hairspray your face lightly – just don’t breathe it in!
You’ve created many viral Halloween-themed make-up moments – do you have a favourite?
I’d honestly say that the Doll Face is my favourite one – it’s been the most impactful. I remember completing that first look and feeling excited by the outcome.
Based on your make-up looks, I’d assume you’re a fan of horror and Halloween movies?
Funnily enough, I’m not big on horror films or Halloween movies. I am, however, a huge anime nerd and have seen tons of different series such as Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen and Elfen Lied, so a lot of my concepts inadvertently stem from these themes. Above all, I find myself very inspired by the world of fashion and love to infuse an editorial edge into my work.
Where do you look to for inspiration when creating original Halloween-themed make-up?
I love a unique concept – give me Carrie blood-dripping vibes or old-school Alien Vs Predator. Or even inspiration from artists such as Giger and films like Cannibal Holocaust. If I really want to go scary with it, using these references tends to do it, particularly if blood and gore are involved.
And can you tell me a Halloween-themed make-up look that you’re tired of seeing/has been overdone/is overhyped, in your opinion?
AVATAR MAKEUP! We’ve been there and done it, it’s boring. It looks pretty, but let’s diversify it and find the next new and fresh look. Also, Harley Quinn – that hype has come and gone.
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