Looking for a Halloween look that's equal parts artistry and staying power? MUA Kelsey Aanerud (@kelseyaanerud_mua) teamed up with TEMPTU to create a vivid rainbow clown — proof that SFX-level color doesn't have to feel heavy, crack, or quit halfway through the night.
Meet the Artist
Kelsey Aanerud is a self-taught special effects makeup artist based in West Fargo, North Dakota, and the founder of the I Do Crews, a wedding hair and makeup team serving wedding parties and special occasions for over a decade. What started with a focus on hair coloring evolved into a full-blown passion for makeup in all its forms — SFX, full glam, theatrical, "the weird, the unusual." She's become a go-to artist in the area for one-of-a-kind looks for photo shoots, galas, and — naturally — Halloween.
Her philosophy? She loves a challenge, and she wants clients to come to her with the character they've always wanted to become — because her answer is always yes.
The Look: Rainbow Clown
This is a clown with range: playful rainbow color up top, dramatic edge underneath. Built on a pale, porcelain-like base, Kelsey layered airbrushed color in a speckled, splatter-paint finish — then amped up the drama with smoky black detailing around the eyes, white contact lenses, and dark lips. A pink wig completes the transformation.
- Base: Pale, porcelain-white coverage airbrushed over the full face
- Color story: Rainbow brights — pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple — diffused across the cheeks, forehead, and nose with a speckled splatter texture
- Drama: Smoky black blown out around the eyes, white contacts, deep dark lips, and a swirl detail on the nose
- Finish: Equal parts cute and creepy — a clown that photographs like pop art
How She Did It
1. Line up your palette. Kelsey started with the full rainbow of Creamy Air Creative Colors — white, black, pink, red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and green — lined up and ready to go.
2. Load the airbrush. She squeezed the color directly into the cup of her handheld TEMPTU airbrush — no brushes, no sponges, no mess.
3. Lay down the base. Working in light, even layers, she airbrushed the pale base over the entire face — the canvas for everything to come.
4. Build the color. Next came the clown architecture: pink and red airbrushed around the eyes, nose, and mouth, then rainbow brights layered and blended outward for that diffused, watercolor-circus effect.
5. Add the drama. Kelsey switched to detail brushes for the precision work — smoky black blown out around the eyes, defined lips, and the signature nose swirl — then finished with the speckled splatter texture that gives the whole look its pop-art energy. A quick blot to perfect the edges, and the wig goes on.
Why Creamy Air for SFX
In her own words, TEMPTU's color line is the "best color line for SFX" she's tried — comfortable to wear, waterproof, and transfer-resistant. That combination is exactly what a Halloween look demands: bold, blendable color that runs beautifully through an airbrush and actually stays put all night.
Get the Look
Recreate Kelsey's rainbow clown with the Creamy Air Creative Colors Set — the same full-spectrum palette she used to build this look, designed to run flawlessly through your TEMPTU airbrush device.
Shop the Creamy Air Creative Colors Set on TEMPTU.com →
Credits: Look by Kelsey Aanerud (@kelseyaanerud_mua). Originally shared as an Instagram collaboration with @temptu.