You might choose to rock a gruesome or glamorous look this Halloween, but fully embracing your character requires mastering your makeup in addition to the perfect outfit.

Christine Egashira, makeup artist from Sephora’s Pro Beauty Team, explained that part of the fun of Halloween makeup is that it allows you to be something or someone else for a day.

“It’s a chance for your darker, bolder side to come out and play,” she said.

Makeup is so important in developing character that the UW drama department offers the class “theatrical makeup.” Senior Jenn Hill is in the class this quarter.

“Anything you can paint onto a canvas, you can paint onto your body,” Hill said.

However, while many students are able to visualize their perfect looks, they might not know how to execute them or find the right products to achieve the full effect.

One good place to look for affordable and effective theatrical-makeup products is Champion Party Supply downtown on Denny Way.

Andrew Jay, sales associate at Champion, said they offer the two major theatrical-makeup brands, Ben Nye and Mehron, both of which are reasonably priced. He estimated that most of the makeup products sold at Champion range from $7-$10.

Hill said that she prefers theatrical grease paints, which are carried by Mehron, because they are inexpensive and highly pigmented, meaning that a little goes a long way.

Jay recommended a few different products that could be applied to many different costumes, including liquid latex and face wax.

He plans on using the liquid latex for his Halloween costume this year when he will dress up as singer Rihanna “post-beating.”

“The main thing I am going for is the biting and then scabbing around the mouth,” he said.

Jay explained that the liquid latex is paint-like when it goes on. Once it dries, you can mold it to create the desired shape and texture for your look. Then, he suggests using one of the color wheels sold at Champion to finish off. The wheels come in several color combinations for burns, blisters, bruises and more.

Egashira had some tips for bruises as well, using products that women may already have in their makeup collection.

For a black eye, she suggested starting with an eye primer and then adding on multiple colors of shadow for a long-lasting and realistic look. If you do not have these products at home, she recommended the Sephora Collection Colorful Mono eye shadows in matte green, purple, brown and black.

“With the sponge, grab a bit of each color and pat it onto the eye area and the orbital bone,” she said. “You can also add a matte dark-gray tone for more of a sunken-eye look.”

She also said to make sure to add mascara to your lashes for definition.

Jay said that he expects pop-icon Michael Jackson to be another common costume this year. To perfect this look, he suggested using face wax to build his unique nose.

“First, use Spirit Gum to stick the wax on your face, then build his skinny nose, using liquid latex to blend, and cover with foundation to match your skin tone,” he said.

For women looking to be more glamorous, Egashira suggested basic looks like the “cat eye” that could apply to a few different costumes.

She recommended beginning by applying a neutral eye shadow, on top of an eye-shadow primer, all over the lid. Then use a liquid liner or cream liner and apply a basic line across the lash line. Next, mark where you want the tail end of your cat eye to end and make little brush strokes toward the mark to create your desired shape.

“Makeup is unique,” Egashira said. “Every person is going to have their own technique, tips and tricks in how they apply their makeup.”

However, for those who want extra help, Sephora offers what is called a “service-express cat-eye” lesson so people can simply stop in and learn step-by-step how to perfect this look.

Another popular costume is the ’20s flapper girl with staples like a dark lip color and false eyelashes.

“False lashes are always a hit and will give your costume that extra bit of flair,” Egashira said.

Her “go-to” product for a dark sultry lip color is “Illamasqua’s Growl” lipstick. For an extra touch, she suggested OPI nail polish in “dark room.”

While all of these products can be found at either Sephora or Champion Party Supply, Egashira and Hill said there are products that people have at home that could be used for their costumes.

Hill said that women could use everyday makeup, depending on their character.

Egashira said products like black eyeliner, long-lasting red lipstick, black eye shadow, and mascara are all things that many women have at home that could be used for many different costumes.

Additionally, women can reuse many of the makeup items that Egashira recommended on a regular night out to get more bang for their buck.

If you are looking for an even cheaper route, homemade recipes can be found online at Web sites like allhallowseve.com. They suggest making fake blood by mixing corn syrup, red food coloring, and chunky peanut butter to make a blood and gore mixture.

This Web site also gives tips for old-age techniques: Start with baby powder or a lighter, all-over-the-face cover stick, then add darker lines for the wrinkles. After slightly blending the wrinkle lines, add another layer of baby powder to the skin and to the hair to add a gray effect.

If you are considering a look that requires facial hair, for example Kanye West’s stubble at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, this site advises using hair from an old stuffed toy or hairbrush and attaching it by using double stick tape or fake eyelash adhesive.

If you need inspiration for that perfect costume, Sephora launched three Halloween kits that can create three looks in one kit. The three combinations are a vampire/rock-star/witch kit, doll/fairy/angel kit, and Greek-goddess/peacock/Cleopatra kit.

Sales associates like Jay at Champion Party Supply can also help in finding you a creative makeup look that matches your costume.

“It truly gives men and women a chance to accentuate themselves outside the norm and really get into character,” Egashira said. “It gives you complete creative control to do things you may not typically do on any given Monday.”

Reach contributing writer Claire Burns at specials@dailyuw.com.