Ellie Williams Cosplay Makeup: How to Get Her Look Right
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I’m gonna be straight with you—nailing Ellie Williams cosplay makeup is way trickier than it looks.
She’s got that raw, apocalypse-survivor vibe that’s equal parts tough and vulnerable, and if your makeup’s too polished or Instagram-perfect, you’re gonna miss the whole point of her character.
I’ve seen so many cosplayers go all out with the costume and wig, then slap on a full glam face that screams “I just left Sephora,” and it totally breaks the illusion.
Ellie doesn’t have time for contour palettes or highlight—she’s literally fighting for her life in a fungal apocalypse.
So if you wanna do her justice, you gotta think less “beauty guru” and more “I haven’t seen a mirror in three weeks but I’m still kinda pretty.”
And yeah, that’s harder to pull off than it sounds.
Understanding Ellie’s Character Before You Touch Makeup
Before you even open your makeup bag, you need to get inside Ellie’s head a little.
She’s not trying to look good for anyone.
Her appearance is shaped by survival, trauma, and the fact that skincare routines don’t exist in her world.
In the first game, she’s younger—about 14—so her face is softer, more freckled, and she’s got that kid-like curiosity still in her eyes.
By Part II, she’s 19 and she’s been through hell.
Her face is harder, her eyes are narrower and more guarded, and she’s got visible scars and wear that show what she’s been through.
The HBO series version leans into a slightly more naturalistic look, thanks to Bella Ramsey’s portrayal, but the core idea stays the same.
She’s a survivor first, everything else second.
So when you’re doing her makeup, your goal isn’t to look “pretty”—it’s to look real.
The Foundation of Ellie’s Look: Skin That’s Seen Some Stuff
Ellie’s skin isn’t flawless, and that’s the whole point.
You want to create a base that looks lived-in, not like you just finished a 10-step Korean skincare routine.
Start with a lightweight foundation or BB cream that matches your skin tone but doesn’t cover everything up.
You actually want some of your natural skin texture to show through.
If you’ve got any redness, slight blemishes, or uneven tone, let it peek through a little—it adds to the realism.
I usually go for something with a natural or even slightly matte finish because Ellie definitely isn’t glowing like she just used illuminating primer.
Apply it with your fingers or a damp sponge, and don’t blend it to absolute perfection.
Leave some areas a tiny bit uneven—especially around your hairline and jawline.
Real skin in real life (especially post-apocalypse life) isn’t one uniform color.
Key Tips for Ellie’s Base:
- Use lightweight coverage—no full-coverage foundation
- Let your natural skin texture show
- Keep it matte or natural, never dewy
- Blend with fingers for a more “unmade-up” look
- Don’t try to hide every imperfection
And here’s something people mess up all the time: Don’t use concealer under your eyes to brighten.
Ellie’s tired.
She doesn’t sleep well.
A little bit of natural darkness under the eyes actually helps sell the character, so unless you’ve got super dark circles that look unnatural, skip the heavy concealing.
Freckles Are Everything: How to Make Them Look Natural
This is where most people either nail it or totally blow it.
Ellie’s freckles are one of her most recognizable features, and they need to look like they’ve been there since birth—not like you just dotted them on five minutes ago.
I’ve tried a bunch of different methods, and honestly the best results come from layering different techniques together.
Start with a freckle pen in a light-to-medium brown shade (never black, that looks way too harsh).
Use it to place freckles across your nose and cheeks in random clusters.
The trick is to vary the size and intensity—some should be darker and more defined, others should be lighter and almost fade into your skin.
Don’t make them all the same size or space them evenly, because real freckles don’t work like that.
After you’ve dotted them on, take a clean fingertip and gently press (not rub) over some of them to soften the edges.
Then grab a brown eyeshadow (matte, a few shades darker than your skin) and a small brush, and add some additional lighter freckles around the ones you’ve already drawn.
This layering technique makes them look way more three-dimensional and natural.
Freckle Placement Guide:
- Concentrate them across the bridge of your nose
- Scatter them across your cheeks (heavier near your nose)
- Add a few on your forehead near your hairline
- Don’t forget your temples
- Put some on your chin and jawline too
- Extend them slightly onto your neck so there’s no harsh cutoff
If you’ve got naturally pale skin, you might wanna add just a hint of warmth with a light bronzer before you add freckles, because Ellie does spend time outdoors and has that sun-touched look.
But go super light—she’s not tan, just not vampiric.
Eyes That Have Seen Too Much: Creating Ellie’s Gaze
Ellie’s eyes are probably the most expressive part of her character, and this is where you can really show whether you’re doing young Ellie or older Ellie.
For younger Ellie (first game), her eyes are wider and more open, with that spark of curiosity and hope still there.
For older Ellie (Part II), her eyes are narrower, more guarded, with heavier lids that make her look constantly suspicious or tired.
Either way, you’re not doing dramatic eye makeup here.
Start with a matte taupe or soft brown eyeshadow and blend it gently into your crease.
This isn’t a cut crease, it’s barely even there—you just want the tiniest bit of definition to add some depth.
Then take that same shade (or an even lighter one) and smudge it along your lower lash line.
Not a thick line, just a soft shadow that makes your eyes look a little tired and lived-in.
For Part II Ellie, you can go slightly darker and heavier with this lower shadow.
Skip eyeliner completely, or if
