This Bryce Dallas Howard Drag Makeup Transformation Will Blow Your Mind

Celebrity makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor applying his Jurassic World makeup.

Before I became a makeup artist, I went to school for musical theater and performed as a drag queen. I was in two productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, was runner-up in the *So You Think You Can Drag * competition, and briefly had my own weekly cabaret. Needless to say, I picked up some amazing drag makeup techniques along the way. These tricks aren’t only for the stage or red carpet though—they’re perfect for Halloween. You can even adapt them to make your everyday makeup look more flawless in real life. To demonstrate, I’ve broken down the biggest secrets you can steal, using my Halloween costume (Bryce Dallas Howard’s character, Claire, from Jurassic World) as inspiration. Check out my full transformation below, and read on for tips.

The before and after looks.

Makeup Secret #1: Color Correcting Is Everything

One of the first techniques drag queens have to learn is how to hide a five o’clock shadow. The trick? Using a peach-tone color correcting cream. The peach helps balance the blue-gray undertones hair follicles cast, creating a neutral canvas to work with. Fun fact: The same technique can actually be applied to dark undereye circles. Dab on a peach color corrector (like the one in this Bobbi Brown corrector kit), and then use a concealer that’s one or two shades lighter than your skin tone to brighten the area even more. This works on darker complexions too. I love It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector because its creamy formula always looks fresh, never cakey.

Makeup Secret #2: Contour Cream > Bronzer

Different people will give you different advice on this, but I often find that using bronzer or a darker shade of foundation makes contoured cheekbones look fake. The goal is to create the appearance of cheekbones so full they’re able to catch light and cast a slight shadow beneath them. For light to medium skin tones, a taupe or mushroom color will give you that natural hollowed effect. Deeper skin tones can use espresso brown or even pure black.

Makeup Secret #3: Nothing Makes Brows Stay Put Like a Glue Stick

Really. It’s one of the oldest drag makeup tricks in the book. It keeps brows super-flat, so you can cover them with concealer and redraw on the shape. If your Halloween costume calls for a look where you need to paint over your brows, this honestly works better than any brow gel out there. But a quick word to the wise: It has to be an Elmer’s Glue Stick. Other brands are too sticky or dry.

Makeup Secret #4: Taupe Liner Will Make Your Lips Look Even Bigger

Pinks, reds, and plums work great for getting precise lip color, but if you’re aiming to make your lips look fuller—whether that’s because you’re dressing up as a Kardashian or you just want your lips to be more defined in general—reach for taupe liner or a soft brown-pink pencil, like Dolce & Gabbana Precision Lipliner in Cashmere. Then following the same principle behind cheek contouring, you want to trace the liner just beneath the natural line of your bottom lip to create a slight shadow. It’ll give the illusion that they’re plumper. Add a little highlighter to your cupid’s bow and sheer gloss to middle of your lips to really define the shape.

Oh, and before you go, here’s a final peek at my costume. Obviously, it wouldn’t be complete without a few dinosaurs (my 13-year-old Chihuahuas, Mya and Coki, whom I adopted through Ready for Rescue).

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