Halloween Makeup Tips and Tricks

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Halloween Makeup Tips and Tricks

Girl (4-5) with painted face — victorjori / Getty Images

After face painting for nearly ten years at music festivals, I have created more Darth Mauls and Spidermans than I care to count. Working with organized zombie walks and convention panels, I have also made a fair few realistic injuries. From butterflies to 'braaaaains', the quality and type of makeup you use can make or break a costume.

Here are my picks for specific makeup jobs:

Best Face Paint for Kids and Adults
Sexy Halloween Makeup for Women
Apply Realistic Wounds and Scars
Fake Skin and Wound Pieces
Rain's Fake Blood Recipes

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Liquid Latex for Wounds and Scars

Fake Puncture Wound using liquid latex by Rain Blanken. Rain Blanken

I use Mehron liquid latex for all of my wound work. This liquid latex dries fairly quickly with the aid of a hair dryer (alternate hot/cold air), and builds up nicely between applications. I can create raised areas, like bullet holes, as well as the illusion of chunks of missing skin.

Select a wound below to see it and learn how to make it:

Additional easy effects:

Tip: My number one tip when is to make sure that the latex has dried before you try to apply any more latex or makeup on top of it. Patience with a hair dryer is key, or you may just end up with a gooey, messy blob. Try ripping apart a dried dot of latex for a really gross open wound.

Liquid latex is a must-have in your zombie makeup box. It's easy to apply and can get you is disgustingly realistic results.

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How to Apply Sexy Costume Makeup

"Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I'm just a girl who wishes for the world."

Oh Marilyn, aren't we all? Whether you are dressing up as a 50's goddess like Marilyn Monroe, or just a fairy with some flash, you'll need a bit of lipstick to seal the deal. Here are some great ways to dress up your face to perfect the illusion:

Poison Ivy Makeup - This one also works for woodland fairies.
Video: How to Apply Fairy Makeup - Our Beautiful Kacie Marie shows us how to put on the pixie ritz.
How to Apply Red Lipstick - Without looking like a clown!
Smokey Eye Tutorial
Video: How to Apply False Eyelashes - Add some volume without caking on the mascara.
Apply & Remove Fake Nails - Like at the salon... only cheaper!

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Best Face Paint for Kids and Adults

I like to use Snazaroo face paints for just about all of my makeup work. It is great for everything from tiger faces on kids to yellow-blue bruising on zombie arms.

This is a cake paint, meaning it sits in a pot and it slightly hard until a moist sponge is applied. The dry nature of the paint means that you can make it last a long time, and apply as thin or thick as you like.

This paint is more of a makeup, wearing just like a soft foundation. It is light, lets your skin breathe, and wipes off with a bit of water. The downside is that Snazaroo paints will sweat off after a long day.

To keep the makeup from wearing away, you can get a setting powder, which will help to ward off sweat and accidental touches to the face. One money-saving trick is to use cornstarch instead of setting powder.

Face Painting Tutorials for Kids:

Skull Face Paint Tutorial
Tiger Face Paint Tutorial
Kitty Cat Face Paint Tutorial
Spider Man Face Paint Tutorial
Witch Face Paint Tutorial

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Fake Skin and Wound Pieces

Fake eye applied with Spirit Gum and liquid latex. Rain Blanken

There is more than one way to skin a cat... and there are more than a few ways to make fake skin. First off, here are a few home solutions to save you a few bucks:

Scabs - Create crispy scabs to top off the gross-out look.
Prop Guts - This fake flesh can go a long way to decorate a gross-out room.
Fake Flesh - Flesh chunks for decoration or gross effects.
9 Wounds that Look Absolutely Real

If you are looking for a good brand of wound pieces, I highly suggest the selection at Spirit Halloween online. There are a lot of small, inexpensive pieces, and an assortments of professional high-end effects.

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Rain's Fake Blood Recipes

Dripping fake blood recipe. Rain Blanken

There is a lot of nice fake blood out on the market, but the ingredients are so inexpensive and easy to mimic at home. Let's look at more than a few ways to create a blood that is a romantic or disgusting as you like:

Spray-Bottle Blood - Use this thin blood recipe to flick with a paintbrush or spray from a bottle.
Dark, Thin Blood - This is a lightweight blood that is suitable for smearing on your clothes or hand printing walls.
Thick, Realistic Blood - This is a brownish blood, great for creating the look of old blood on clothing.
Gross Blood - The flakes of skin make it extra delicious.
Dripping Blood - A great consistency for dripping down walls, tables and, okay, maybe even your face.

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Make Your Own Disguises

Need a more than makeup to pull off your trickery? Make a fake mustache, beard or wig. I'll even show you how to put on a bald cap and stitch a cloak with my tutorials. No one will ever recognize you on party night... or at the grocery store, whatever. Hey, I don't judge.