Easy Halloween Makeup Tips

By Melissa Barlow on October 6th, 2009

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I don’t know about you, but I’m really hoping to see a return to good old Halloween basics soon. What happened to all the Scary Ladies? A pair of furry animal ears, lingerie and heels really isn’t a Halloween costume in my opinion. So in keeping with my quest to keep Halloween spooky I’m going to share some easy do-it-yourself make up effects.

How to Make Your Own Blood

1 c. Karo Syrup

Denture Adhesive (Optional)

This is one of the easiest recipes for fake blood.
To Make: Mix all ingredients, except the denture adhesive, in a disposable container until you have the color you want. The mixture is ready to use then but it can run off the skin easily unless you add the denture adhesive to thicken it up. Denture adhesive is non-toxic so you can use the blood in your mouth. It takes a few minutes for the adhesive to thicken so start with a small amount and mix in slowly. It will continue to thicken as it sits. With thicker blood the sky’s the limit when it comes to costume creativity.

Gruesome Skin Effects with Gelatin

1 ounce Knox Gelatin (any color Jello works too)

Tongue Depressor or Manicure stick

Please remember to use caution and common sense when experimenting with this.
To Make: Mix gelatin and water in a small bowl. Let Set for 3 minutes. After that you can use your tongue depressor to form all kinds of shapes on the wax paper. Warts, scars, cuts, blisters even burns. Want something bigger? Double or even triple the recipe. When the gelatin is set peel it off the wax paper and use eyelash adhesive to stick it to the skin. Make sure you allow the glue to get tacky on both the skin and the gelatin piece before you place it for maximum stickiness.

Maximum Horror with Tissue and Latex

1 or 2 ounces Cinema Secrets Liquid Latex

1 box of 1ply tissues (the cheaper the better)

Hair dryer with cool setting or a fan.

Note: Make sure you do a patch test first on the inside of your arm if you don’t know if you are allergic to latex.

This is for the true Halloween lover as it is the most complex and labor intensive. You can really get creative with this method.
To Apply: If you are going to apply this to anywhere near your hairline apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the hairline first. Pour a small amount of latex into a small bowl. Tear a sponge in half and use the uneven side to stipple latex directly onto the skin where you want the effect. Tear off all sharp edges of a tissue and press it into the latex while it is still wet. Apply a second coat of latex covering the whole tissue and sculpt it into the shape you want it to dry in. The thicker you apply the latex the longer it will take to dry. Dry with a hair dryer on the cool setting. Once it is dry you can rip the tissue open in a wide gash or in multiple places simulating a burn or whatever you can think of. Paint with greasepaint’s or really any cream make up to make it look like what you want. A big gash filled with thickened blood looks really creepy.

Ladies, let’s put the spooky back in Halloween! It’s really fun to experiment with these techniques and this can be a fun activity to do with your kids. Have a Happy Halloween!

(Pic courtesy of www.wisebread.com)