Dark Willow: a twisted transformation | #13DoH2k19

People who have extraordinary gifts, if pressed to the brink with grief and woe, can transform those gifts into means of terror. Vengence makes monsters of us all, some say. And at the end of it all, the only thing that can bring us back from the brink of utter insanity are those who love us. 

HEADS UP: If you haven’t watched past season six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (aka BTVS) and DON’T want spoilers… jump to the next section. Given that that particular season has been out since 2002, I feel like it’s safe to talk about things openly… I’m respectful of folks who haven’t watched the show to its finale yet. Also, WHY HAVEN’T YOU WATCHED BTVS!? IT’S AWESOME!

anywho…

There’s a cautionary tale at the end of season six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Willow, after witnessing the death of her beloved Tara, turns “to the dark side” in a BIG, BIG WAY. Chalk another out-of-the-blue, beloved character killing from Joss Wheadon. Not the “come to the dark side, we have cookies;” more of a chaotic, vendetta-filled, devil may care, world-ending way. And while, yes, Dark Willow doesn’t so much as “use magic” as becomes magic itself, her driving plot of vengeance against a few morphs into something more akin to putting the world out of its sorrow and misery. Her pain becomes monstrously distorted, and as they say, absolute power corrupts… absolutely. 

However, the thing that hits home for me is how the world gets saved. The world doesn’t keep spinning because of Buffy, or Giles, or Spike, or some mystical rando character, or any of the other “powerful” main characters… but by Xander. 

Xander saves the day with no powerful mojo or weapons… but because he was the only one who got through to Willow on an emotional level. His reminding her that she is still human, and while the grief is overwhelming, she still has people who love her. That there are good things left in this world, and those good things are worth keeping the world around. 

But enough about my college essay into dissecting plot points, blah, blah, blah; we are here to talk about this makeup look. 

—– the outfit —–

While my outfit is not 100% screen accurate to Dark Willow, I feel like it would be something that she would wear. It’s also ridiculously comfortable, so that’s a big bonus – especially when I wear it to a convention because lemme’ tell you, that will happen the next time I go to a convention. 

The Wig: Willow’s hair when she goes dark is well… dark. In most light, it looks completely black but there are a few shots where it seems to be a very, VERY dark red. For ease and peace of mind, I went the black hair route with my wig. The wig is from the brand Bohemian Hair and is a lace-front with somewhat of a widow’s peak. The widow’s peak isn’t as exaggerated as Willow’s hairline and I didn’t have the time to pluck the hairline to get it to match, but it’s close. 

The top: This is another one of those items that aren’t entirely screen accurate, but it’s close to something I think Willow would wear – AND it’s something that I already had in my closet. It is a military-style black jacket with an imperial collar that I found online a few months ago. The jacket is RIDICULOUSLY COMFORTABLE and it’s been hard not to wear it all the time leading up to filming this makeup look for fear of getting it dirty. 

The pants: After doing “the research” aka watching the episodes where Willow is “dark” I figured that a pair of wide-leg, black dress pants would do the job. I found some on clearance at Target! Plus having a pair of dress pants is always a good thing to have in your closet. 

The shoes: Since I am a bit of a dunce when it comes to taking outfit pictures, you can’t actually see the boots that I am wearing. The shoes are specifically black combat boots with a bit of a heel, similar to Doc Martins. 

The contacts: The contact lenses that I am wearing for MOST of the tutorial are the Pinky Paradise Princess Pinky Gemini Night Series in Brown to give a more “hazel” effect to my natural brown eyes. In the finished look, aka FULL-ON DARK WILLOW MODE, I am wearing 17mm mini sclera contact lenses that I purchased from Uniqso. They are non-prescription, yearly, costume contact lenses. 

—– the makeup —–

Dark Willow’s makeup focuses on the blue-purple veins and the deep ruddy-brown “chapped” lips. Her eye makeup is somewhat minimal, though the effect of tired, sore eyes is pretty noticeable.  Willow, through her transformation, seems to appear a little more gaunt and contoured – which is easy to do as well. Go go gadget contour products!!! 

… also, in the light of not being able to find the perfect lip shade – I love the fact that I can shave off a little eyeshadow powder mix it with a touch of Inglot Duraline and VOILA! Perfect lip shade achieved.

Back in 2017, I made my first attempt at doing a Dark Willow cosplay with some help from good ole’ photoshop. I really do like how my updated cosplay turned out. While it’s not 100% screen accurate, it’s a little more realistic and… well… has a little more finesse and chaos. Out of the two looks, which do you prefer? 

—– GIVEAWAY UPDATE —–

I teased about hosting a #13DoH2k19giveaway a few days ago and after some retooling, it is finally LIVE and ready for entries! If you would like to enter for a chance to win a mystery prize pack worth over $100 USD, then click on the photo below or follow this link!