Is Day of the Dead Halloween Makeup Cultural Appropriation?

It is a situation like so many others lately: you are scrolling by Instagram for Halloween costume inspiration, weaving by hashtags and grids for makeup ideas or hairstyles that stand out in a sea of the identical. You see a star in a wonderful, intricate Día de los Muertos (or Day of the Useless) get-up, their face painted with adorned skulls within the model of La Catrina. Then, you learn the feedback.

“It might be nice in case you did not applicable Mexican tradition like this,” one in every of many individuals wrote of Ashley Tisdale’s Day of the Dead Halloween look again in 2016. One other responded, “Loosen up ppl. It is a costume.” In fact, it isn’t simply Tisdale who has sparked debates on the matter throughout social media. Stars like Kate Hudson and Hilary Duff and numerous Instagram influencers have additionally stepped out on All Hallows’ Eve sporting what’s also known as “sugar cranium” make-up, adopted by dozens of critics calling it cultural appropriation. However is it?

As a Latina who lived in Mexico Metropolis through the youth of my childhood, and who continues to usually go to the nation with deep appreciation for the tradition, I am going to admit I used to be initially confused by the backlash. Whereas Día de los Muertos is on no account associated to Halloween — in truth, the 2 holidays are totally separate — neither is it solely noticed in Mexico, it was one in every of my favorites to have a good time rising up.

Over the course of three days, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, we might paint plates and collectible figurines with vivid patterns and shapes, bake scrumptious pan de muerto (candy bread), and adorn calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls) with shiny tissue paper to convey to the altar — all to honor the demise of family members. Nonetheless, for individuals outdoors of the tradition, not acknowledging the custom’s origins (which is part-indigenous and part-Catholic), and as an alternative seeing it as nothing however an incredible Halloween costume, is offensive — nevertheless it does not must be.

“As a make-up artist, I’ve seen the sugar cranium make-up development blow up and fall within the line of appropriation, however I additionally love seeing individuals expressing their artwork and representing my tradition,” Mexican-American make-up artist Valeria Leyva tells POPSUGAR. “Día de los Muertos is extra than simply portray your face with the form of a sugar cranium; we’re honoring our family members which have left this earth. We see demise as the start of one other life, so there’s a very fine line between appropriation and appreciation. It relies on the best way you see it and in addition how individuals carry a convention that is not initially theirs.”

The largest level of rivalry, provides Regina Merson, Mexican-American magnificence entrepreneur and founding father of Reina Rebelde, is the various factors of differentiation between Día de los Muertos and some other vacation the place dressing in costume is ritualized, like Halloween.

“It isn’t a vacation about fantasy or horror, however moderately one thing that’s meant to be soulful and uplifting and constructive,” says Merson. “One of the offensive issues is when individuals paint a Catrina and make the look intersect with one thing scary and bloody. That Catrina represents your lifeless relative, not a comic book ebook character.”

As an alternative, sugar cranium make-up has a spot when accomplished with the correct intentions, and with respect and understanding of its significance. That is additionally why Merson created three new Reina Rebelde merchandise — a 4 Play Wet Dry Eye Color in Azteca ($23), On Your Face Contour + Color Trio in Coqueta ($23), and Lip Brilliance color in Bomba ($17) — in honor of the vacation: to have a good time all issues stunning in regards to the custom.

“As soon as individuals perceive how sacred the vacation is, I invite them to hitch, take part, and admire the tradition,” says Merson. “The make-up you create [in honor of Día de los Muertos] needs to be stunning, colourful, and uplifting. You’re channeling somebody you liked, you might be celebrating their life on earth and their soul’s return go to from the afterlife. That feeling of affection and respect ought to inform the make-up.”