Hello spooky babes, resident alien Tayler Smith here to bring you an affordable look for Halloween that’ll have you lookin’ outta this world.

1. Before you take off in your spaceship, prepare your skin with a moisturizer. We’re not tryin’ to burn up in some star rays!

Product: CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

2. I thought I was being clever trying to cheat the gross price inflation of cheap things that is Halloween when I went to the dollar store and bought this cream based face paint. Turns out $1 facepaint blends like it costs well.. $1. Worry not, though! I found a way to keep this look affordable, but I would suggest just spending a couple extra bucks on some ordering some nicer face paint online or even picking some up at a costume store. That’ll save you the extra steps!

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

3. Block out your first color.

With an eyeshadow brush, block out these areas on each side of your cheeks, your jawline, ears, and shapes around your eyes that then continue down and meet at the bottom of your nose with a dark paint color. This can be any darker color of your choosing — feel free to play and have fun!

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

4. Pick a highlight color.

Fill in your cheeks, lips, bridge of your nose, and forehead with a lighter color. Leave your hairline, the space around your eyes, and the edge along the darker color on your cheeks bare so you can add a third paint color in the next step.

I chose white for this step, but as long as the color you use is lighter than what you blocked out in the last step, you should be good.

I should also mention now that I chose to only paint up my face, so if your costume shows more skin, feel free to continue the paint down to cover your human flesh suit and become the alien of your dreams.

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

5. Pick an accent color.

I went for a nice and bright yellow and filled in the open spaces that hadn’t been covered with blue or white. I also filled in the blue areas on my cheeks and ears.

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

6. Frustration.

Here’s me looking really irritated when I found out this paint goes patchy and does not like to blend.

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

7. To solve my patchy blue mess issue, I turned to Ulta’s “Magnetic Blue” cream eyeshadow and covered the preexisting blue with more blue!

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

Now the blue blends nicely with the yellow, and it’s got a nice metallic sheen!

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

8. Detail time!

Adding all these little details was really fun and there are so many possibilities — let your inner artist shine and have some fun with this step! I added Makeup Forever Aqua Shadow (in the color 8E) dots, glued false lashes under my eyes, used Sephora liquid blue eyeliner along my lashline and the false lashline + along the edge of my bottom lip and cupid’s bow. I then took a teal eyeshadow (Urban Decay “Fringe”) and popped it in the space between the fake lashes and the bottom of my eye, and a little accent on my bottom lip.

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

9. Throw on a funky costume and it’s time to get outta this town!

I pulled my hair back (I think next time I’d probably gel it down to look really sleek) then I literally just wrapped myself up in a couple yards of this sequined fabric from the craft store and I’m sure if you paired fabric with some wild vintage clothes, you’d be on a one way flight to outer space.

Photo Copyright Tayler Smith

Hope this cosmic look has you excited about discovering your own alien actualities! If you try this look out for Halloween, or just for your daily intergalactic needs — don’t forget to leave a comment here on Autostraddle letting me know and tag me on Instagram (@NotTaylerSmith) with a photo. I can’t wait to hear all about your home planet!

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