Every year in the last week of October, Catrina faces fill TikTok: white face paint, decorated eyes, a black nose tip, stitched lips and a crown of marigolds. This year the most copied version is not a makeup tutorial but a transformation: you stand there in your normal clothes, a line of golden light rises from your shoes, and everything it touches turns into Día de Muertos. This guide explains where the look comes from, why the light-sweep version took off, and how to make a 10-second version of yourself from 1 photo with the AI Day of the Dead Makeup template on Viberot, no face paint needed.

A woman in Catrina makeup and a crown of marigolds and roses smiles at the camera after the golden light sweep
After the sweep: Catrina makeup, a flower crown and an embroidered gown

Where Catrina makeup comes from#

Día de Muertos, celebrated in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is a festive holiday for remembering people who have died, with altars, marigolds, candles and food. La Catrina, the elegant skeleton lady in a wide hat, started as a satirical print by José Guadalupe Posada in the early 1900s and became one of the holiday's best-loved symbols. Painting your face as a Catrina (or as her partner, the Catrín) is a way of joining the celebration, not a Halloween horror costume.

In Spanish the search is "maquillaje de catrina", and it is several times bigger than the English "day of the dead makeup" every October. Most of those searches are for makeup tutorials. The AI version gives you the finished look without the hour of face paint.

Why the light-sweep version went viral#

  • The change is visible. Instead of a cut, a line of light moves up your body and you can watch your outfit change under it.
  • It ends on a portrait. The last seconds are a front-facing shot of the finished Catrina face, which works as a profile picture too.
  • It looks like a celebration. Gold light, marigolds and an embroidered gown feel festive, not spooky.
  • The real makeup is hard. A clean Catrina face takes practice, brushes and an hour in front of the mirror.
  • It has a deadline. It belongs to the days before November 2, which pushes everyone to post now.

The shot, second by second#

Here is what the 10-second version you get looks like:

  1. 0–2s: You. A full-body shot of you in the place from your photo, in the clothes and shoes you wore in it.
  2. 2–5s: The sweep starts. A thin golden line rises from your shoes. Below it, your outfit is already a black gown embroidered with orange marigolds and red roses; above it, still your own clothes.
  3. 5–7s: The face. The line crosses your chest and face, leaving Catrina makeup painted on and a crown of marigolds and roses on your head.
  4. 7–10s: The pose. A front-facing medium shot: you smile and pose as marigold petals drift past.

If the photo shows a man, he becomes a Catrín: a black suit with marigold embroidery, a bow tie, a rose in the buttonhole and a black top hat with marigolds. The clip comes with soft sound effects (a shimmer on the sweep, rustling fabric, festival ambience) and no song.

Step by step: how to do AI Day of the Dead makeup#

  1. Open the template. Go to the AI Day of the Dead Makeup page and sign in.
  2. Upload one photo. A clear photo of one person facing the camera, ideally full body.
  3. Pick the aspect ratio. 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, or 16:9 for YouTube.
  4. Pick a quality. Standard 480p or 720p is enough for social. Higher tiers give more detail and cost more.
  5. Generate. No prompt to write: the light sweep, the makeup, the outfit and the sound are already set. Rendering usually takes a few minutes.
  6. Download and post. You get a 10-second MP4 ready to upload.

Picking a photo that works#

Works well Causes trouble
One person, full body, shoes visible Group photos where the face is tiny
Front-facing, looking at the camera Sunglasses, masks, faces turned away
Even light, face clearly visible Heavy filters, very dark or blurry photos
A calm or smiling expression Hands covering the face
  • Your face stays yours. The skull makeup is painted on your own face; your eye colour, nose, mouth, hair colour and hairstyle come from your photo.
  • Your background stays. The clip keeps the place from your photo and adds gold light and drifting petals.
  • Full body helps the sweep. A half-body photo still works, but the rise from the shoes reads best when your feet are in the photo.

Note

Photos that appear to show public figures or celebrities are rejected before any credits are charged. Use photos of yourself or people who agreed to be in your video.

Ideas for your post#

  • Before-and-after caption. "Me on October 31 vs. me on November 1".
  • Duet a tutorial. Post it next to a real Catrina makeup tutorial: "an hour of face paint vs. one photo".
  • Couples. Make a Catrina and a Catrín from two photos and post them side by side.
  • Honour someone. Pair it with the Marigold Bridge template, where a loved one or a pet crosses a bridge of marigolds, for a Día de Muertos post.
  • More transformations. Try the AI Button Eyes Transformation for a Halloween look.
  • Hashtags. #diademuertos, #catrina, #catrinamakeup and #dayofthedead put your clip where people are already watching.

AI Catrina vs. CapCut templates and real makeup#

CapCut has several Catrina templates this year, but most of them put a generated character in a fixed scene, so the face in the result is often not quite yours. Real makeup gives you the real look but takes skill, paint and time.

The AI Day of the Dead Makeup template makes a new clip from your photo:

  • No app to install. It runs in the browser on your phone or computer.
  • A real transformation. The light sweep and the outfit change happen in one continuous shot.
  • Still you. Your features, hair and background stay; the makeup, crown and costume are added.
  • Catrina or Catrín. The outfit follows the person in the photo.
  • Two aspect ratios. 9:16 vertical or 16:9 widescreen.

How much it costs#

A Standard 720p Day of the Dead makeup video costs 137 credits; 480p costs 64. Higher tiers cost more, and the exact price is always shown next to the Generate button before you start. Credit packs are one-time payments, not a subscription. They start at $9.90 for 600 credits and never expire. If a generation fails, the credits go straight back to your balance. See the pricing page for details.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the AI Day of the Dead makeup transformation?#

A 10-second video made from one photo: a golden light rises from your shoes to your head and turns you into a Catrina, with skull face paint, a flower crown and an embroidered gown.

Is it disrespectful to the holiday?#

The template is made as a tribute: marigolds, gold light and elegant Catrina face paint, no blood and no horror skulls. If you post it, a caption about who you are remembering or celebrating is a nice touch.

How much does it cost?#

64 credits at 480p and 137 credits at Standard 720p. The price is shown before you generate.

How many photos do I need?#

  1. One clear photo of one person.

Does it keep my face?#

Yes. The makeup is painted on your own face, so your eyes, nose, mouth and hair stay the same in every frame.

Does it work for men?#

Yes. Men get the Catrín version: black suit, bow tie and a top hat with marigolds.

Can I use my pet?#

Not yet. The template is made for one person.

Does it have music?#

No song, only sound effects generated for the clip. Add any track from your platform's library when you post, and follow your platform's rules on labelling AI-generated content.

Which photos are rejected?#

Photos that appear to show public figures or celebrities are blocked before any credits are charged, and explicit images are always blocked.