Before the Suicide Squad trailer was released, I didn't really know a lot about Harley Quinn, but I did know I was a fan of Harley Quinn makeup. Now, after watching snippets of Margot Robbie's awesome performance and observing Ms. Quinn's new look, I cannot for the life of me stop researching her history as psychologist Harleen Quinzel, watching excerpts of her in various cartoons and video games, and attempting to figure out the application methods used with her chaotic cosmetics.
To be honest, I'd always put Catwoman up on a pedestal as my favorite villainess, with Poison Ivy coming in as a close second. There's just something so seductive yet dangerous about Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in Batman Returns and her Tim Burton style catsuit is to die for. The OTT Poison Ivy played by a young Uma Thurman has, IMO, some of the best one-liners in comic book movie history, and her huge red hair and leafy eye makeup are just fabulous.
Now, however, a new vampy villainess has stolen my nerdish heart. After a bit of digging, I soon found out that Harley's look has changed a lot over the years, from being totally covered up in her cartoon appearances, sporting her cutesy clown suit, to wearing what I can only describe as a steampunk Moulin Rouge dancer's ensemble in her roles in recent video games to a punk inspired bad girl getup in Suicide Squad .
Of course, Harley's makeup followed suit. In her animated appearances, she wore a white face with black lipstick and a black mask to hide her identity and then her beauty look turned dark and grungy for her role in Harley Quinn's Revenge, the epilogue of the Batman: Arkham City game. Now in Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn's makeup has evolved into something slightly more colorful with the addition of red and blue eyeshadow and red lipstick.
Ms. Quinn's new beauty look includes pale, painted white skin, eye makeup (and dirt) smeared down her face, and a couple of facial tattoos. For fans who wish to channel Harley Quinn on a day-to-day basis, here's some makeup inspiration from her new Suicide Squad look, which is a tad more wearable and slightly less extreme.
Before
I wanted to start by creating a base for my Harley Quinn looks. I began by moisturizing and applying my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in "Vanilla," and then I accentuated my eyebrows with a brown Colorsport eyeliner. I was ready!
1. The Subtle Harleen Quinzel Everyday Look
I wanted to start by creating a simple look that wasn't too wacky and could be worn everyday — even by the professional Harleen Quinzel herself. To begin, I lined my eyes with a MAC Satin Eyeshadow in "Electric Eel."
Next, I applied Lush "Eyes Right" mascara to finish off my subtle eye look.
To complete this everyday look, I applied a Lime Crime Carousel Gloss in "Candy Apple." No one would guess you had a zany alter ego with this quirky yet understated look.
2. The Opposite Blue And Red Look
Next, I wanted to create a pretty but kooky look inspired by Harley Quinn's new blue and red eyeshadow and red lips. However, I wanted to make it a little different. So I began by using a red eyeshadow from my Technic Brights Eyeshadows palette.
After this, I lined the outer corners of my eyes with a kohl eyeliner and finished off my eyes with a layer of my Lush mascara.
Next, I lined my lips with my aforementioned brown eyeliner (as I don't currently have a brown lip pencil) and then I applied my Collection 2000 Volume Sensation lipstick in "Perfect Pink."
This was where the fun began! I wanted to flip the idea of blue eyeshadow on its head so that I would sport blue lips instead. Without a blue lipstick, I had to improvise by blending eyeshadow into my lipstick to create this blue hue. Wear eyeshadow on your lips at your own risk, though. I was fully aware I could have had a reaction but I took the risk because I live life on the edge.
This was the finished look: A different take on the new Harley Quinn style.
3. The Classic Suicide Squad Style
For my final look, I wanted to create a beauty look that was directly inspired by Harley Quinn's Suicide Squad one, but one that you could wear in day to day life and not just for a fancy dress party (although I'd love to see someone rocking the full-on look with a painted white face, tattoos, and the whole hog). I began by applying my blue M.A.C. eyeshadow to my right eye and my aforementioned red eyeshadow to my left one. I made sure to line halfway across the bottom lash line with the corresponding eyeshadow on each side as this emulated Harley's look.
To make the look a tad more feminine and glamorous, I lined my top lids with a Lime Crime liquid eyeliner in "Quill," creating a little cat eye flick on each end.
I added a scarlet smile to my look just like Ms. Quinn, with a Lime Crime Unicorn Lipstick in "Retrofuturist."
To complete this look, I wanted to add a nod towards Harley's face tattoos but I also wanted a design that was quite subtle and something you could get away with during the day or for a night out. I decided upon a simple, black diamond shape as a reference towards the harlequin diamond.
IMO, the finished look would be totally wearable during the day for those who like bold beauty looks and it would be an awesome, eccentric style to wear to a party or a night out. Who knows? You might even make some new friends who are just as crazy about Harley as you are.
Become a badass beauty bombshell this summer in Harley Quinn Suicide Squad inspired makeup!
Images: Phoebe Waller; Giphy
