Influencer Natalie Violette Reveals the Grueling Reality Behind Her 4-Hour Halloween Makeup Series That Starts in Summer — and Why She Still Loves Every Minute of It
For makeup artist and content creator Natalie Violette, Halloween isn’t just a single day of costumes and candy — it’s an entire season of transformation, creativity, and grit. Every October, while most people are just starting to think about pumpkins and decorations, Natalie is already deep in production for her month-long Halloween makeup series — a self-imposed artistic challenge that pushes her talent, patience, and endurance to their limits. Each of her looks can take up to four hours to complete, and she begins filming and creating them in the heat of summer, months before the spooky season officially begins.
“It’s definitely grueling,” she told People in a recent interview. “By the time most people are thinking about Halloween, I’ve already been doing looks since July. But I love it — it’s my favorite time of year. There’s something so freeing about becoming someone else, even for a few hours.”
Natalie’s Halloween series has become an annual tradition for her millions of followers across social media. Her page is filled with mesmerizing transformations — from eerie, skeletal masterpieces like her Jack Skellington-inspired design, to vibrant comic book recreations of iconic villains like Poison Ivy. Her ability to blend cinematic artistry with makeup precision has made her one of the most respected Halloween creators online. But behind every viral post lies an intense process that few get to see.
Each look begins with weeks of planning. Natalie spends time sketching out designs, testing colors, sourcing wigs and prosthetics, and researching lighting setups. “I can’t just sit down and start painting,” she explained. “There’s a lot of technical prep. If one element is off — the light, the paint consistency, even my mood — it can ruin the entire shot.”
The average look takes about four hours, sometimes longer if the details are intricate. She films the process herself, often repeating steps to capture clean angles for her video content. “It’s not just about doing makeup,” she said. “It’s about storytelling. People watch not only to see the final look but to feel that transformation happen in real time.”
Starting her Halloween series in summer may seem excessive, but for Natalie, it’s necessary. “The algorithm doesn’t wait for October,” she laughed. “If you want to dominate Halloween season, you have to start way before everyone else. I usually begin in late June or early July, just to make sure I have enough time to film, edit, and post daily in October.”
This year’s series was her most ambitious yet. She recreated more than 31 distinct looks, including references to cult horror films, nostalgic childhood favorites, and a few completely original characters. Fans eagerly anticipate each new post, flooding her comment section with requests and praise. Some even try to recreate her looks at home, a trend that has turned her audience into a thriving creative community.
Despite the success, Natalie admits the process isn’t glamorous. “It’s a lot of long nights and aching shoulders,” she confessed. “I sit in front of a mirror for hours. Sometimes, I have to take breaks because the makeup starts to crack or the contact lenses dry my eyes out. It’s exhausting, but when I see the final photo, it feels worth it.”
Her passion for Halloween runs deep. Growing up, Natalie was fascinated by costume design and movie makeup. “I used to watch behind-the-scenes documentaries about monster movies and think, ‘That’s magic,’” she said. “The idea that makeup could completely transform someone stuck with me. I didn’t want to just look pretty — I wanted to look unrecognizable.”
That mindset still drives her work today. Unlike many beauty influencers who focus on trends or commercial collaborations, Natalie’s Halloween content leans into the weird and otherworldly. One week she might appear as a bloodless porcelain doll, and the next as a creature straight out of a gothic fairytale. “Halloween gives me permission to experiment,” she said. “It’s the one time of year where people actually want to see something strange or unsettling.”
The emotional side of her craft is what keeps her going, even when the workload feels overwhelming. “When people tell me my looks inspired them to create something — even if it’s just face paint for a costume party — that means everything to me,” she said. “It reminds me that this isn’t just makeup. It’s art.”
Still, Natalie admits that the pressure to outdo herself each year can be daunting. “There’s always this little voice that says, ‘Last year was amazing — can you top that?’” she said. “I have to remind myself that growth doesn’t always mean bigger or more complicated. Sometimes it’s about emotion, about creating something that connects with people.”
To balance her demanding schedule, Natalie plans her series months in advance, often shooting multiple looks in one week. “By the time October hits, I’m editing nonstop,” she said. “There’s so much behind-the-scenes work that people don’t realize — cutting videos, adding music, writing captions, responding to comments. It’s a full-time job and then some.”
Her dedication has paid off. Brands have reached out to collaborate, and her fan base continues to grow with each passing Halloween season. But even with the success, Natalie insists that her motivation remains personal. “I don’t do it for fame,” she said. “I do it because it makes me happy. I love the art of transformation — it’s like I get to live in a different world for a few hours.”
Natalie’s approach to makeup is deeply rooted in storytelling. Every color choice, contour, and shadow carries intention. Her Poison Ivy look, for example, was designed to evoke not just beauty but power. “She’s a villain, but she’s also a protector of nature,” Natalie said. “I wanted to capture that tension — strength wrapped in elegance.”
Her fans often comment on how her work blurs the line between makeup and cinematic special effects. “That’s the goal,” Natalie said with a smile. “I want people to look at a photo and forget it’s makeup for a second. I want them to feel something.”
Even after Halloween ends, Natalie doesn’t stop creating. She spends November reflecting on her favorite looks, analyzing what worked and what didn’t, and brainstorming ideas for the next year. “It’s funny,” she said, “I’ll tell myself I’m taking a break, but by December, I’m already jotting down notes for next October.”
The hours, the exhaustion, and the months of early preparation might sound intense to anyone else, but for Natalie, it’s simply part of who she is. “Halloween is my creative Olympics,” she said. “It tests everything — my skills, my patience, my vision. But when I see someone recreate one of my looks, or when a young artist messages me saying I inspired them, it’s all worth it.”
In a world saturated with quick content and fleeting trends, Natalie Violette’s Halloween series stands out because it’s built on devotion. Each brushstroke, each prosthetic piece, each four-hour transformation reflects a labor of love. Her artistry reminds fans that creativity isn’t about perfection — it’s about persistence. And as October fades into November, one thing remains clear: for Natalie, Halloween never really ends.
