We all have two weeks left to get our Halloween business in order. Have you figured out a costume concept yet? Why not start from the makeup and work your way down? A good paint job covers a lot of sins when it comes to costumes and props. 1: Custom Temporary Tattoos
Good for: Illustrated Man, Welcome to Night Vale, Tankgirl, looking awesome on Halloween
2: Zipper Installation
Good for: Robots, aliens, monsters, high concept mash-up costumes, Stepford Wives
3: Ripped Flesh
Good for: Terminator, zombie, alien, monster, slasher costumes
4: Optical Illusion
Good for: Killer dolls, non-human proportions, scaring the crap out of everyone you meet
5: Storebought Prosthetics
Good for: Making the quick party store makeup kit actually look like it's supposed to
6: Nose and Scar Wax
Good for: Free form injuries anywhere you want them
My recommended makeup supplies that can get you through almost any Halloween makeup you want:
A Wolfe Facepaint palette. There are cheaper brands (Snazaroo, Tulip), but they're not as good. Starblends, Mehron Paradise, and TAG also work really well. I prefer Wolfe for dark and bright and Starblends for white and gray. It's what you're comfortable with. Snazaroo never goes on smooth and Tulip does not wash off. Applied properly, Wolfe will not come off until you want it to. Soap and water is all it takes and it should sluice right off.
Barrier Spray. I use Mehron. It's a clear spray in a pump you use to create a barrier on your face before applying makeup. It will keep facepaint and greasepaint from sweating off as you wear it. Spray it all over and let it dry.
Translucent Setting Powder. I use Ben Nye. Let the makeup dry, then give it a good coat. I prefer a kabuki brush, but powder puffs work, too.
A Bruise Wheel or Injury Stack. I always use Ben Nye for this. It's a combination of four or five colors (a yellow, a red, a purple, a black, and sometimes a gray or green) that you stipple on in layers to create any range of realistic injuries. You can get the same effect with a roughed out foam sponge and your facepaint palette, but it will take a lot longer.
Spirit gum. Honestly, they all work. Pick up whichever cheapest applicator/remover kit you can find. The prosthetic video above said to use the prosthetic to tack up the gum; I always use a finger. You don't want to risk the appliance getting stuck in a bad position.
Liquid latex. 100% brand preference. I was trained with Ben Nye for this kind of makeup and stick to those products. It really is for blending edges or building up injuries or zombie/ripped skin effects. Obviously, before using on a child, you should do a spot test to see if they have a latex allergy. They are more common than you might think. Kroylan Pros-aide II is a good substitute; it works just as well as traditional Pros-aide but it is 100% latex free.
Foam beauty wedges. I go with the cheapest triangle ones I can find. Cut them in half and use one edge per color in grease or facepaint.
Stage blood. Make your own. Search around for a recipe that fits your allergy and placement needs. You don't want to use a dishsoap-based blood for your eyes or mouth and you probably don't need to spray your clothes with a food-based blood. They all work. Test a small batch before committing. Just remember the best blood color combination will always call for a few drops of blue. Or, you know, paint blood on with makeup and hit it with some gloss product afterwards. That works well.
I have a few more costuming posts to come, focusing on the full picture. Stay tuned.