How to copy Doja Cat's MTV awards spider lashes this Halloween

Tips from a pro makeup artist

Beauty Crew Beauty Editor / October 22 2023

October 31st is fast approaching, which means it’s time to get your Halloween costumes ready. 

Before you start getting anxious about the impending deadline, we’ve made helpful and curated lists detailing the most searched Halloween makeup trends, Halloween nail art looks, and the best celebrity Halloween beauty looks of all time, so you can slay the spooky season. 

As far as we’re concerned, Halloween is meant to be scary, not stressful, which is why if you’re firmly in the lazy girl camp when it comes to Halloween makeup, and want to get away with doing the bare minimum on the scariest day of the year (not just on Mondays), then we’ve got the perfect lowkey look for you.

Introducing: Spider lashes, as seen on Doja Cat at the 2023 MTV VMA’s.

According to Doja Cat’s makeup artist Ernesto Casillas, her spider lashes were inspired by the cobweb dress she wore on the red carpet and he used a combination of Maybelline’s Color Tattoo Eye Stix ($23 at Big W) in the shades ‘I Am Confident’ and ‘I Am Shining “to create a whimsical, iridescent eyeshadow look” that complemented Doja’s spiked and clumpy lashes. 

The exact steps to recreate Doja Cat’s spider lashes

According to professional makeup artist Saffron Hughes from FalseEyelashes, Doja Cat’s spiky lashes can be recreated in just five easy steps…

1/ Clean your mascara wand

"Before applying the first layer of mascara, wipe off excess product from the mascara wand with a tissue,” says Hughes. “This ensures that your lashes stay separated, allowing for maximum volume to be achieved.” 

2/ Create the illusion of fuller lashes

Apply your first coat of mascara as you usually would; wiggling the wand of the mascara at the root of the lash and brushing upwards. However, for the second coat, avoid upwards motions. Instead, brush the lashes on the outer corner of your eye outwards and your inner lashes towards the inner corner of your brow. “This technique creates the illusion of fuller lashes by extending them in a straight line from their roots” says Hughes.

3/ Thicken ‘em up

When creating spider lashes, there’s a thin line between a thick lash and a clumpy one. To avoid over-applying mascara to your lashes, Hughes recommends delicately pressing the mascara wand into the base of your lash line five to 10 times to give the appearance of a thicker lash root. 

4/ Add some spikes

To create that spiked spidery look, Hughes says you need to pick up a pair of tweezers to pinch the lashes together in sections. “These sections can be complemented with the addition of individual lashes, strategically spaced along each lash line,” she explains. "Doja Cat's makeup artist used this technique by placing individual lashes in the inner corner, centre, and outer corner of the eye.” However, if you are going to add false lashes to your look, she advises opting for a clear-toned adhesive “for a flawless, seamless finish.”

5/ Enhance with eyeliner

"For an even wider-eyed appearance, apply pencil eyeliner along the outer third of your lash line,” says Hughes. “This technique enhances the thickness of the lashes on the outer third of your eye, resulting in a broader and more youthful look."

After an equally eye-catching hair look to try this spooky season? Joey King just debuted gold hair at Schiaparelli, and this is how her hair stylist did it.

Image credit: Getty

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).