You're watching a KISS music video, and suddenly knowing how to paint my face like Gene Simmons would be pretty cool flitters through your head. Hey, you're not alone - his outlandish look has inspired many artists over the years.
The Unique Look of Gene Simmons
Rock band KISS is as legendary for their unique look as for their sound. As one of its well-known members, vocalist and bass guitarist Gene Simmons adopts a bold look onstage. He and his band-mates each take on the role of a particular "character" - in Simmons' case, its The Demon, chosen as a reflection of his dark side and love of comic books.
One thing each "character" has in common is black and white face paint, artistically applied in a way that best represents each persona. Simmons' dark and devilish image comes through loud and clear with his unique makeup. The look has evolved over the years, but has consistently centered on a pure white face with intense black makeup painted around the eyes and nose and extended up to the forehead. Black lipstick completes the look.
How to Paint My Face Like Gene Simmons
In case that inexplicable "I wish I knew how to paint my face like Gene Simmons" thought really does flitter through your head, you might have a case of pre-Halloween inspiration on your hands. The spookiest night of the year is definitely the best time to give it a shot - and frankly, it's also the most practical time to do it. When else can you get away with painting your face in a look that many would describe as ghastly or ghoulish?
The Tools
Not surprisingly, KISS makeup kits are widely available at Halloween costume stores. The look is popular, and it makes sense to condense all of the necessary items into one package. If you choose not to purchase a kit, you'll need to buy everything a la carte. Here's what The Demon's signature look requires:
- White cream makeup
- Black cream makeup
- Black eyeliner pencil
- Black lipstick
- Black lip pencil
- Translucent setting powder
- Makeup brush
- Powder puff
The Steps
Good news: You don't have to be a professional makeup artist to pull off this relatively uncomplicated look. In fact, the end result is usually fairly impressive even for a novice! Just be sure to take your time - small mistakes will be very visible. Here's how to recreate The Demon:
- Cleanse your face thoroughly. You may also want to exfoliate with a mild facial scrub; sloughing away dead skin cells will make makeup application much easier, and any dryness will be eliminated, too.
- Apply the white cream makeup all over the face. There's little room for error here - you don't want any bare skin showing, or you'll destroy that realistic effect. Take a close look to make sure all of your skin is properly covered.
- Using the powder puff, apply a translucent setting powder all over the white cream makeup. This will help it set and prepare it for the next step.
- Use the black eyeliner pencil to draw the outline of Simmons' famous black design around the eyes and on the forehead. You may find it helpful to have a few pictures of Simmons on hand for this process. A great selection can be found at the KISS Fan Shop.
- Then use the black cream makeup to fill in the outlined areas, taking care to color them completely.
- Follow up with another application of translucent setting powder.
- Finish by lining and filling the lips in with a black lip pencil. Then go over the lips with black lipstick.
Where to Shop
Don't fret: You can find black lipstick and black lip pencil at Hot Topic for very reasonable prices. During the Halloween season, Wet 'n' Wild also releases a line of dark colors for the lips (and nails!). You can purchase KISS makeup kits at the following online costume merchants:
