Clowns are classic.  You can hang out at a kid’s birthday, a grand opening, a masquerade or anywhere that seems like a circus.  (Well, maybe not the shopping mall on Black Friday, it may be a circus but a clown will get some strange looks.)

First choose your clown’s personality.  Are you looking for the traditional Whiteface clown?  An exaggerated mouth and eyes and big, red nose are the usual suspects of this type.  Or you can go European and dress as an Auguste clown with no white base, but accentuated (or extra large) eyes and mouth.  Sometimes a sad clown is in order and for that you’ll need to go with a Tramp – a dark face and sappy, melancholy eyes.  What’s your mood?

Putting clown makeup of any style on your face can be tricky.  Choose your facial features that are the most amusing.  Can’t think of which ones?  Ask an honest friend and then you’ll find out that you have really unusual nose or lopsided eyes.  Don’t take it personally; that’s what makes a good clown (and plan to squirt them with your daisy pin later).

Wash your face completely and pat dry.  Wrap your shoulders and chest with a towel, bib or smock.  Place yourself in a bright area in front of a large mirror (all the better to see that huge nose in).

Starting with the base or bottom layer, apply your makeup.  Usually this is white or skin tone.  Use your fingers to cover the entire face with a thin layer.

Move to the outlines and exaggeration of your eyes and mouth.  Once you’ve put that on, lightly cover it with baby powder to set it.  Here’s a little trick.  Close your eyes and look up.  Tap your bottle of baby powder to create a cloud in the air above your face.  It will settle on your makeup, just don’t open your eyes until it does.

Add lipstick, cheeks, nose and any other colors you like.  Use whatever works for your fingers and the type of makeup – brush, stick or swab.

Voila!  Now your masterpiece is complete and you have officially turned yourself into a fool.  Well, someone who clowns around anyway.