Harley Quinn Halloween Makeup & Costume

This is my Halloween costume and makeup from a few years back when I was 19. I dressed up as Harley Quinn. If you don’t know who she is, she’s basically the Joker’s “main squeeze.” It depends on what story you read/watch because there are thousands of spins and fanfics out there alongside the Batman cartoons and comics. The basic story is that Harley Quinn was originally a psychiatrist who thought she could cure the Joker. He ends up making her lose her mind instead. She becomes obsessed with him. Their relationship is super twisted. Originally a character in the cartoon, she was so popular that she was later added to the comics. Since then, she’s developed a huge cult following.

She dresses up, traditionally in a black eye mask and jester’s outfit with bells on it and she carries around a huge sledge hammer.

Anyway, the point is she is completely crazy. She wears a checkered, red and black, jester outfit. You could buy an outfit for her at Spirit Halloween, but no costume will be as good as one you make yourself.

UPDATE: There are now TONS of Harley Quinn costumes which have been inspired by all the Arkham video games that have come out and now there will be one inspired by the Harley Quinn from The Suicide Squad so you can really take your pick of those or choose to make your own like I did so many years ago!

How I Made the Costume:

Using black disco pants and a red (with black pinstipes) top on hand already, I used fabric paint to create a bloody checkered look. I wore bracelets that I added little bells and heeled thigh high boots.

I also went to a friend’s Halloween party where I did my makeup closer to the classic Harley Quinn cartoon version which I paired with a homemade jester’s collar that I made from felt and tied around my neck.

How I Did My Makeup:

My makeup was entirely creative expression. Originally, Harley Quinn just paints her face white and wears a black mask with red lipstick. I wanted to look a lot creepier than that so I improvised. I used dark green on my eyes (no idea why – just thought it looked cool). Trying to recreate the look of a mask on my eyes with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, I created a checkered pattern on my brows and lips. The red color on my brows, lips, and the heart on my cheek were all done using MAC Lipstick in Dubonnet.

And that’s pretty much all you need to DIY your very own Harley Quinn costume!

Who Is Your Favorite Comic Book Character?

♥ Tianna

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