A frighteningly fabulous makeup look

It’s 5 a.m., and  junior Andrea Romo is seated at her vanity with various makeup products laid out, perfecting her NYX Liquid Eyeliner wing. As a Rainbow Kitten Surprise song resonates through the room, she prepares her next full-face makeup look with precision and flair.

Each October in honor of Halloween, Romo has a tradition of coming up with a creative, new makeup look every day. She can easily be spotted around campus with her eye-catching and colorful looks often inspired by animals and pop culture figures.  Walking around the halls, the glances she gets feel rewarding and remind her of the hard work she puts into each of her appearances. 

“I love the compliments. I love the stares. I love it all,” Romo said. “It makes me feel really good and appreciated without people having to always tell me that.”

Romo’s typical routine goes as follows: skincare, a simple base and then finishing touches such as eyeliner and eyeshadow—with an emphasis on skincare to protect the skin from harsh chemicals. For Halloween makeup, which requires more detailed designs, she uses fine-tip makeup brushes and light brown eyeliners to sketch out her designs and face paint to add color. Crafting the perfect look requires dedication, and she wakes up as early as 5 a.m. to spend one or two hours on her makeup.

“Sometimes I don’t always feel that great [when getting ready] because [my makeup] doesn’t always look the way I want to,” Romo said. “However, I always try to trust the process and go with the flow, and then I usually end up feeling really good at the end.”

Makeup serves as Romo’s greatest passion and outlet for self-expression she has fostered since sixth grade. Primarily self-taught, she built up her skills and creativity through consistent practice and trial and error, often following inspiration from TikTok and Pinterest. Some of her favorite looks she has done include a skeleton, Avatar and Cheshire Cat. 

“I’ve always loved art and creative colors and just looking beautiful,” Romo said. “Drawing [on paper] has never really been like something I’ve been good at. [With makeup] I can do it on my face, so it’s a way for me to [show] my artistic abilities.”

Romo has been able to share her passion, especially with her friend senior Josette Anh Shiau-LaRoche. Shiau-LaRoche has been able to see Romo’s gradual improvement in her skills over the years and respects the creative liberty she has to take with the makeup. With Romo’s skills, they have been able to also match looks.

“Makeup gives us something to share a passion for because we’re both artistic,” Shiau-LaRoche said. “I like to paint, sculpt and carve, but I never do makeup, so it’s a new thing that she can teach me about.”

Aside from refining her skills, her self-expression has also inspired others in ways she may not even realize. 

“It takes a lot of guts to [appear] different [which I think is] an inspiration, and I don’t think she intended on doing that,” Romo’s former English teacher Jennifer Chalew said. “Andrea is just Andrea.”

In the future, Romo aspires to continue her pursuits in makeup by becoming a makeup artist on the side in fields such as special effects or wedding makeup. She doesn’t  plan on stopping any time soon and hopes to also celebrate holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day with creative makeup.

“Makeup is everything to me. It boosted my confidence, made me so happy and gave me a way to express myself and the person I am through the way I look,” Romo said. “I’m glad to keep my Halloween tradition.”