How To: The Yarn Makeup Guide

This trend originated with the amazingly creative @annas__sfx. Check out her Instagram for the original look here! 

To start, you’ll need some yarn. If you’re already a crafty person, you may have some scraps and odd ends already lying around - perfect! Using different colours of yarn as your base is already a great way to put your own twist on this wool makeup trend. If you don’t though, don’t worry, just have fun picking out what yarn you want to use at the store - a lighter colour will display the makeup you deposit better, but picking out a red or blue yarn could make for a unique base. Selecting a yarn that’s close to your skin tone is also a great way to create a creepy and uncanny look. 

Once you’ve decided what yarn to use, you’ll also need some sort of glue - we’ve seen a range be used, from lash glue to prosaide and spirit gum. Make sure you are aware of how to safely remove your adhesive before you apply it, and ensure that it is safe to apply to your skin. Of course, no matter what you use to stick your yarn to your face, please be careful around sensitive areas such as your eyes and mouth!

And now we get to the fun part: it’s time to add your coloured contact lenses. You can use any sort of lens for this kind of look - it all depends on what sort of outcome you are after. If you are creating a spookier or more unsettling sort of horror look, some pitch-black lenses are always a classic choice. @thatautisticmua uses our Halloween Black Costume Lenses in her take on the yarn makeup trend to match her old-fashioned clown makeup. These black contact lenses perfectly complement the darker elements of her makeup, such as the black smile and the dark eye makeup. 

However, if you were trying to create a more lifelike look, such as a dolly replication of yourself, you may want a pair of natural contact lenses for some freaky realism. Emphasise the uncanny valley feeling this trend evokes with some contacts that will have your eyes looking natural, but not quite right. Our Manson Blue Costume Contact Lenses or Super Sky Blue Costume Contact Lenses are ideal if you’re looking for a shade of blue that’s just a bit too bright. With our Manson contacts, the dark limbal ring lacks blending and creates a harsh and sharp line with the blue, which highlights the iris and makes your eyes pop. Another way to achieve an unsettling effect is by using a lens that is just the wrong shade. Our Vampire White Costume Contact Lenses could appear blue, but they’re just enough of the wrong shade to create an unsettling and subtly unnatural look. The perfect pair of lenses if you have brown eyes is our Big Eye Dolly Hazel Natural Lenses. These natural contact lenses will slightly extend past your natural iris to create a doe-eye effect. These sweet and innocent-looking contacts will look uncomfortably out of place in a woollen, doll-like mask. 

It’s best to put your contact lenses in before you start your makeup look as this ensures a lower risk of contamination to the lenses. No product can accidentally transfer from your hand to your eye (although you should always thoroughly wash your hands and dry them before applying or taking out your contact lenses) and debris can’t fall into the eye and get trapped by the lens. For the cleanest and most comfortable application with the lowest risk of infection or irritation from cosmetics, we always recommend putting your contact lenses in first. 

Now, it’s time to apply your yarn; depending on what sort of glue you’re using, you may need to apply it to your skin, the yarn, or both. If you’re unsure, we’d recommend sticking it to both for a secure stick. We don’t want it to unravel! Start from the centre of your face (or, the tip of your nose) and work your way outwards. This way you can keep your application smooth and balanced, with no risk of running out of room or having to cramp up your lines. Avoid placing the yarn too close to your eyes or lips - remember, you’ll have to take this off again after, and that may hurt! You also don’t want to accidentally ingest any adhesive, or get it in your eyes. 

Depending on what colour (or colours) yarn you are using, you could create a creepy clown look. A lot of the looks we’ve seen crossing our feed have used white yarn as their base, which instantly evokes the sharp white foundation of clown makeup. Add bold and vibrant colours on top, such as ruby red cheeks and lips with vivid blue eye makeup for a classic clown vibe. @midnight_vampira breaks down how she created her gothic take on the classic clown look in her reel, with dramatic makeup running down her face. The smudged, dark makeup highlights the shocking Zombie White Costume Contact Lenses that she is using for this look.

Or, go for a more unique take like our affiliate @thatautisticmua and create a nearly grey-scale look. Apart from the rosy pink blush on the cheeks, this look is done in black and white like a mime, with Halloween Blackout Lenses to complete the look. @thatautisticmua adds her own spin to this trend - maybe you could take it a step further and create a sad clown face, or make your costume contact lenses stand out by making them the only point of colour in the look. 

Switch up your method and how you use your materials. We’ve mentioned how you could use unique colours or a mixture of yarn that will ensure your makeup stands out in this yarn trend. @midnight_vampira uses red yarn and red body paint in her evil yarn elf look, with black makeup used for the contours and detailing in the face for a fantastic themed look.

Create something unique by experimenting with what colours you use for your base; don’t forget that your contact lenses are either the perfect way to compliment the look, or create contrast. In her first yarn makeup look, Raven uses white contact lenses which match the white base but stand out in the darkly coloured heavy eye makeup. In her second evil-elf-themed look, she uses the Halloween Blackout Costume Contact Lenses which not only perfectly match the vibe, but also the black elements in her costume and makeup, allowing the vibrant red base to really pop. 

Selecting a thinner yarn may be more time-consuming to apply, however, it will give you a smoother finish than thicker yarn. For a more seamless and natural look, a thinner yarn is perfect; create a spooky voodoo doll or bratz-like look with some realistic makeup applied on top. Some people have gone all out, covering themselves in yarn like a new body-painting technique. Thicker yarn is ideal for this, covering a larger area and creating a bold contrast with the thinner yarn used for this face. If you want to include your hair, some people have also used thicker yarn to weave in with the rest of their hair, or even created a wig out of the yarn! We love to see how creative everyone is, even involving crochet accessories in their looks! 

We also love to see ways people are deconstructing and reimagining this trend already; @sandyglammua created a spooky veins-inspired look using yarn, but not in the way you may expect. Sandy pulled apart a deep red yarn to create a fuzzy effect before sticking it down, letting the strands spread across her face to create the impression of bloody veins. 

She uses the Hellraiser Demon Black Lenses, perfect for this look with the thin outer ring of red on the lens complimenting the gory makeup, fantastic for Halloween. These demon contact lenses perfectly suit this haunted and gory look. We would love to see someone else’s twist on this trend - breaking down the yarn to use unexpectedly. Create a more felted look, particularly with a blend of colours, to take this trend in a completely new direction. At Crazy Lenses, we have you covered, with an array of coloured costume lenses that cover every aspect of the rainbow. 

If you create your own look inspired by this yarn makeup trend using our lenses, don’t forget to tag us @crazylensesnow!