How to LIT up your Halloween

This Halloween, ditch the witch hats and vampire fangs and transform into iconic literary characters. Be it the Shakhchunni from Bengali folklore, Stephen King’s shapeshifting Pennywise, Jean Grey from X-Men, or Tomie from Junji Ito’s titular manga, unleash your imagination using simple makeup and accessories found at home. As a few creative minds team up with CT this Day of the Dead, we show you how to ace each look. So, which character are you planning to bring to life?The classic Shakhchunnifrom bengali folkloreLook Essentials: Smoky eyes, pale green base, deep red lips, smudged under-eye shadows, a red-white sari & tousled hairAbout the character: Shakhchunni, the restless spirit of a married woman, is a well known figure in Bengali folklore and has appeared in Thakumar Jhuli by Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder and Rajsekhar Basu’s Bhushundir MatheHow to ace it: Use dark eye tones for depth and a faint green base for a ghostly look. Let the red lips stand out. The secret lies in calm, revengeful eyes with a hint of quiet rage to complete the lookJean GreyThe X-Men by Stan Lee and Jack KirbyLook Essentials: Red wig, green dress & lenses, belt, golden mask, gloves, bootsAbout the character: First appearing in The X-Men #1, Jean Grey is a mutant whose telepathic powers awaken after witnessing her friend Annie Richardson’s deathHow to ace it: Start with a wig cap, then wear a red wig and airbrush it for deeper colour. Use a 3D printed mask that you can sand, paint and shape with Worbla for a bold customised finishPennywiseIt bystephen King Look Essentials: White base, red paint for details, white & red dress, fake bloodAbout the character: Pennywise is a shapeshifting clown that feeds on fearHow to ace it: Begin with a pale base, draw red smile lines, blend for depth. Emphasise the eyes & grin to capture his eerie energy. Balance strokes with realistic shadingThe mysterious TomieFrom Junji Ito’s horror manga series tomieLook Essentials: Black wig with fringes, red or white lenses, face and body paint, black bootsAbout the character: Tomie is a beautiful, regenerating entity capable of psychological manipulationHow to ace it: Tomie’s regenerative powers allow creative freedom. Srijoni chose a version with multiple eyes, sketched with brown kajal and defined using white kajal, black eyeliner and nude eyeshadow. Almost any outfit suits Tomie’s eerie tone, though a black and white look like a school uniform best reflects Junji Ito’s monochrome styleSpooky makeup hacks– inputs by Suchaita Sengupta, makeup artistQuotes:Craft the Jean Grey mask from foam, heat seal it, prime with wood glue, and paint it with grey, black & gold– Pracheta Banerjee, illustrator & professional cosplayerGet creative and reimagine Tomie using your makeup to create your own version– Srijoni Bardhan, animation filmmaker & tattoo artistPics: Anindya Saha; Nisha Das and Sneha Pramanik’s makeup & styling: Suchaita Sengupta