"Trick or Treat, smell my feet,
give me something good to eat. . ."

Susan's Halloween Makeup Hints

Now that Halloween is fast approaching, are you confused about how to dress up the kids or yourself for Trick-or-Treating or for that party you've just been invited to? Furthermore, is an "inner monster" taking shape deep within your mind and demanding to get onto your face? Well, if you are concerned about what to do about makeup (spooky or otherwise), this web page is full of helpful hints that will make your Halloween planning a little less scary:

• Fortunately, there are a lot of places selling Halloween makeup and props at this time of year. If you are planning on shopping for anything, make your shopping trips as soon as possible, because these places get CROWDED, especially within the last two weeks before Halloween.

• If you are confused about where to look and you want to find something better than what the Halloween section at your local drug or variety store has to offer, here are several stores in the Seattle metropolitan area that have excellent arts and crafts and/or Halloween/theatrical supply departments:

• Champion Party Supply (has an extensive Halloween/theatrical supply department with informed sales personnel who are very helpful [tester makeup samples available])
• Display Supply and Costume (has an extensive Halloween/theatrical supply department with informed sales personnel who are very helpful [tester makeup samples available])
• University Bookstore (has an excellent arts and crafts supply department [mold-casting liquid latex available here])
• If you wish to search the Web for theatrical makeup web sites, get an opinion from Yahoo or Hotbot/Lycos here.

• For best results, use the theatrical quality type makeup. These are more opaque than the stuff you buy in the drugstore beauty section. If you are looking for particular brands, Ben Nye, Steins, Mehron, Kryolan and Ben Cooper are all good bets. These companies have been manufacturing theatrical makeup for years.

• Read the application and removal directions on the containers of any makeup you buy. And don't forget to read any FDA-required warnings!

• Try out the type of makeup you are interested in before you buy it. Most Halloween makeup counters and theatrical supply stores have tester samples, and store personnel will usually give you assistance and helpful advice. Be aware that makeup is NOT returnable, especially if the package has been opened.

Painting Your Face

Putting It On

• WARNING! Be very careful about putting on any makeup very close to your eyes if it contains any red dye!! This warning is required by the FDA on face makeup. According to the results of cruel tests performed on defenseless little domestic animals, the red dye chemical can cause severe irritation and even infections if it gets into the eyes.

• It is easy to change the apparent shape of your face by varying the colors of the makeup you put on. For example, use lighter colors as highlights for parts of your face that you want to stand out (e.g., noses and cheekbones); darker colors can alter the shape of these features by shading. Colors can be blended right on your face -- very easily if you are using greasepaint-based makeup.

• If you are using grease-based makeup, don't forget to finish your face with powder (you women should know all about this).

• If you are a "person of color", note that dark-skinned faces can have a variety of highlight colors--from reddish orange-brown to grayish-silver (the latter highlight color is often noticable on very dark skins). If you check out your own natural highlight colors before applying your makeup, the results will look more natural for you.

• WARNING! Never paint liquid latex on your skin unless the manufacturer says it is safe to do so. Only theatrical makeup quality liquid latex contains FDA-approved curing agents. Also, be sure that you are NOT allergic to latex. Furthermore, never paint liquid latex into your hair. It is not removable unless you pull your hair out by the roots (ouch!) or cut it off.
  
  
• If you are on a very tight budget and don't want to buy much in the way of makeup, ground up dry bread crumbs and burnt cork can be used for interesting effects. A coating of VEGETABLE oil can even be used to bind these items to your face.
  

  Historical note: simple makeup materials of this type have been used for centuries, and actors routinely put on their own makeup. To cut makeup costs, poor struggling actors in Elizabethan England actually smeared pieces of ham on their faces to make their makeup stick. This is the real origin of the expression "ham actor."

Children's Makeup - Special Considerations

• Purchase makeup that is easy to remove with soap and water -- so when the party or trick-or-treating is over, removing the makeup involves nothing more than washing the face. In addition, soap and water removable makeups are more comfortable for children -- and active people of all ages -- to wear (incidentally, they were originally developed for physically active performers, such as ballet dancers). There are many flat pancake or liquid makeups that are soap and water removable.

• Don't forget to investigate face-painting kits (these are the color sets that you see at face-painting booths). Kids really enjoy these.

• WARNING! Remember my earlier warning about red dyes and eyes? Since children are more likely to touch and rub their faces, you should NEVER put any makeup containing red dye anywhere near their eyes. Furthermore, if you find your children raiding the lipstick collections of their older female relatives so they can paint the stuff around their eyes for a spooky look -- DON'T LET THEM DO IT! Who needs an extra trip to the doctor's office? (Also, lipstick is very difficult to remove from the face, and who wants to chase the kids around the house with a washcloth?)

• WARNING! Do NOT use liquid latex on a child's skin. Ditto for harsh, alcohol-based makeup removers and spirit gum. Remember that a child's skin is more sensitive than an adult's.

• If you want to use "glue" to stick things to a child's face, that sticky corn syrup in your kitchen cupboard or some first-aid tape from your medicine cabinet will work just fine. If you use the latter to stick on a large piece, roll a length of the tape inside-out, stick it to itself, and then stick it to the back of whatever you want to stick to the face. (F/X tape found in Halloween shops stick very well, but they are more difficult to remove from a child's face (ouch). You can also use glue as an adhesive, but it MUST be labelled SCHOOL GLUE!! This type of glue is formulated especially for children's use and cleanup is very easy.

• WARNING! Elmer's Glue-All and other crafting glues should never, ever be used--not even on an adult's face!!! And please, DON'T EVER use "crazy" glue!

Blood, Gore & Guts (Casualty Section)

Have you ever watched those bloody "splatter" movies and wondered what you would look like if YOU were one of those unfortunate victims of cinematic violence? Here are some hints for those who want to victimize themselves this Halloween.

• Check out those wound and scar makeup kits if you are planning to buy your makeup.

• If you don't want to buy a bottle of "stage blood", corn syrup mixed with red food coloring makes great artificial blood. You can easily mix up a whole lot if you really want to "gross out" your friends.

• For really ugly cuts, smear a good dab of derma wax (available as a component of makeup kits) onto your skin and smooth the edges with sculpting tools or a spoon that has been first lubricated with a little cold cream. Use a dull(!) spreading knife to make an incision in the wax. (At this time, you may wish to paint a colloidal film [available at some Halloween shops] onto the derma wax to seal it, because over the course of an evening, the derma wax can dry out.) Then paint the incision with your fake blood. Use face makeup to carefully blend the edges of the derma wax into your skin color.

• If you are into bullet wounds, press the smooth round end of a pen into the derma wax instead of using a knife. Paint the hole with fake blood. Hint: add some black creme makeup around the edges of the hole to simulate a friction burn from the bullet.

• Get bitten by a vampire this Halloween! Use the same technique as above, but use a more pointed object) to make a pair of fang marks.

Three-Dimensional Makeup (Appliances)

Do you want to all the way and wear 3-dimensional prosthetic makeup not unlike those worn by the actors in Hollywood? Well, you can do it -- provided that you are not allergic to latex. Three-dimensional prosthetic pieces are attached to the face with spirit gum, and the edges are carefully faired into your skin surface with derma wax.

Three-dimensional prosthetic pieces (called "appliances" in Hollywood) can be purchased as a kit at your local Halloween counter. (Several outfits, such as Wootchie and Scarecrow, manufacture a variety of appliances, including fangs, scars, pointed ears and witch noses.) Several types of latex appliances are available: regular latex prosthetics and the softer, spongy, more delicate foam latex prosthetics (the latter is the type actually used in Hollywood).

If none of the commercially available prosthetics fits you or your "inner monster" is demanding a special, unique look, you can really unleash your creativity by making your own custom latex appliances. Liquid latex and sculpting materials can be used to do this very easily , especially if you are good at sculpting.
The results may not be quite as realistic as that obtainable by foam latex (THE choice material of Hollywood makeup artists), but be advised that working in foam latex requires that you mix several kinds of noxious chemicals. You may even need a set-up to bake your latex pieces (if you use the hot foam system). Since most persons are not theatrical makeup professionals who care to muck around with all this stuff, check out my 3-D Makeup Page for instructions on how you can you make your own custom 3-dimensional makeup out of the liquid latex that is readily available at Halloween counters, theatrical supply shops and even some hobby shops.

The picture on the left is a photograph of me wearing my custom, home-made liquid latex Klingon forehead. This illustrates the kind of results obtainable through the liquid latex technique described on my 3-D Makeup Page.

Resources, References and Links

All the ideas I have presented were obtained from a variety of resources and references. For those of you who really enjoy the world of makeup and make-believe, here are some of my favorite information sources:

• Monstrous Books
  The books listed below have been very helpful to me. However, many are currently out of print, so each title contains a link to Amazon.com. Feel free to let them locate a copy for you.
  
  
  • Dick Smith's Do-It-Yourself Monster Makeup by Dick Smith
    Pub: Harmony Books (Crown Publishers, Inc.), New York, NY (1986)
    This is a fantastic makeup book for beginners and my favorite resource. As a matter of fact, some of my helpful hints originally came from this very useful reference. For those on tight budgets it is full of useful ideas, and I heartily recommend this book for children. (In case you are not familiar with the author of this work, Dick Smith started out playing with monster makeup as a hobby and ended up becoming a professional makeup artist in Hollywood [fans of the TV series Movie Magic may have seen him on F/X makeup episodes]. His credits include the special effects makeup for several movies -- The Exorcist, The Godfather, Altered States, and Amadeus [the latter won him the Academy Award for makeup].) This book is available at many Halloween counters and theatrical supply shops.
    
    
  • Create Your Own Stage Faces by Douglas Young
    Pub: Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ (1985)
    Some of the material in my "Painting Your Face" section came from this reference. It is not strong on fantastic characters, for it is primarily a general stage makeup book. It does, however, give detailed instructions on how to use all the different kinds of theatrical makeup. I highly recommend this volume to anybody who is interested in taking drama classes.
    
    
  • Monsters--An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings by John Michael Greer
    Pub: Llewellyn Publications
    This is not a makeup book, but it contains a lot of useful information for those who are interested in studying the lore of monsters and magic in many cultures. It also contains a monster field guide and hints for investigating monster reports (though I don't suggest that anyone make "ghostbusting" a serious career).
    
    
  • Techniques of Three-Dimensional Makeup by Lee Baygan
    Pub: Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, NY (1982)
    If my material on 3-D makeup has gotten you really excited--enough to make you want to try your hand at really PROFESSIONAL makeup, I highly recommend this book written by the Director of Makeup for NBC. This volume concentrates on techniques for making foam latex appliances, so if you really are intent on mucking around with the noxious chemicals and investing in the necessary equipment, this is the book for you! It is available in some theatrical makeup shops.
    
    
    
• World-Wide Web Monster Hunt
  Search the Web for special effects/theatrical makeup and professional makeup artists for the monstrous at heart.
  
  
• Makeup instruction sheets for individual character types are often available for free at many Halloween counters and theatrical makeup shops. Don't forget to pick up some of these during your Halloween shopping trips.