# Applying accesories to your face/skin



## bignick (Sep 25, 2008)

After yet another trip to the halloween store i decided to take a walk down the make up and accesories aisle. I saw some really cool scars and wounds that i would like to try one day but i don't know the first thing to applying that kind of stuff and having it look good. I am sure i am not alone in this category so i was wondering if any of you have any experience with products like this maybe you could share your wealth of information on the matter. Maybe post up a how to or what products people should stay away from and which are really complex to do and which are really easy to do. Maybe even a lesson on blending the accessory so that it matches your skin tone. 

Anyone have any insight on this sort of stuff?


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## Cassie7 (Sep 16, 2007)

bignick, To use those appliances you'll need spirit gum (it's a glue), makeup (to make it look bruised or to blend into your own skintone, depends on the look you're going for), liquid latex (if you want to soften the seam line) and alcohol.

First thing, put a dot of spirit gum on the inside of your arm to test for allergy. Do the same with the liquid latex.

Once you know that you're not allergic, shave, wash and wipe down the area with alcohol. You have to shave if you're going to use latex as it's impossible to get out of hair. Even the faintest peach fuzz on a woman's cheek makes appliance removal very painful. The washing and alcohol wipe will help the spirit gum and latex stick better and last longer.

Lay out your appliance upside down and put spirit gum around all the edges. Apply spirit gum to where you plan to place the appliance on your skin. Wait until the spirit gum becomes tacky before putting the appliance on. This is the most common mistake that people make. They try to put the appliance on while the spirit gum is too wet.

Some makeup artists recommend dabbing a cotton ball on the spirit gum on your skin. This will leave traces of the cotton on your skin to give the spirit gum on the appliance more texture to grab on and adhere to.

Once the appliance is on, put thin layers of liquid latex around the appliance seam to better hide the seam. I just use my finger when doing this. Do it in thin layers, allow to dry completely between layers. Just keep adding layers until you're happy with it.

Apply makeup for the look you want and that's it.


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## Monstermaker (Aug 4, 2008)

Something even simpler for scars is "Rigid Colloidon". I comes in a small bottle that looks like clear nail polish. You paint it on in jagged scar-like lines, let dry, repeat for a couple of coats. As it dries, it pulls/puckers your skin to resemble scars. I even put some fake blood in the scars to make them look fresh. It's a good effect.

Also BigNick, one of the best ways to get into make -up is to buy some items after the season's over(Cheaper) and play with it during the off-season. You can develope all kinds of interesting effects by experimenting with different combinations.


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## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

Ooh, thanks for the tip about the cotton wool, wish I knew that last year! My profile picture is my first ever attempt with prosthetics last year, and while I was quite happy with it, I can now see how I can make it better this year. One problem I had was a wound on my neck kept coming loose when I moved or turned my head, cotton wool might have helped that.....

Ana


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Has anyone used "skin Putty" to add bumps or lumps to their face?


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## Cassie7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Skin Putty (aka nose putty, aka morticians wax) is fantastic stuff once you get a little practice with it. The best tip I could give anyone using it for the first time is that you need to put a little baby oil on your fingers before handling it because it's very sticky. And it's easier to spread on the skin using a small putty knife. You'll have to anchor the putty with one hand while using the knife to smooth it on the skin. It also helps to start out with some spirit gum on your skin before applying the putty. Once it's in place, coat it with a couple layers of latex, paint and you're good to go!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

I see I'm a bit late on this, but Cassie answered your questions with flying colors!


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## Cassie7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Thank you Sickie, speaking as an amateur, I am humbled :}


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## Cassie7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Monstermaker said:


> one of the best ways to get into make -up is to buy some items after the season's over(Cheaper) and play with it during the off-season. You can develope all kinds of interesting effects by experimenting with different combinations.


Excellent advice. You'll find tubes of creme make up for like $1 (though I find them at Walmart at 1$ all the time this time of year, but they're like $2-3 at other Halloween stores). I found cans of white hair spray at Big Lots for 50 cents/can a few months ago. You just have to keep an eye out for sales. But the week of Halloween and the week after is the best time to look locally for sales for this type of thing.

But products like liquid latex, generally runs around the same price year round . And it's the same with Morticians wax.

Monstermaker is absolutely right...buy the products that you can off season and experiment is the best and most relaxed way to learn. Plus it's fun. No pressure


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## scarem76 (Oct 5, 2008)

I'm doing this


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Here are a few vids on you tube you that might help you get started on make up


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I cannot stress the importance of doing an allergy test on yourself every year. I developed an allergy to pine and spirit gum will react with my skin and eat a hole in my skin. I was at work, in 3/4 face prosthetic makeup when this allergy decided to kick into high gear. I wanted to rip my face off. Needless to say, the whiney personell guy wasn't happy when I had to go home to remove my makeup, or risk anaphalactic shock. You can also use castor oil sealer once you apply the latex. I now use latex to apply my prosthetics. 
Don't know if it was mentioned above, but if you use spirit gum, you want it to be a bit tacky...put some on the prosthetic and them some on your face..let them get a bit tacky & apply. USE A HAIRDRYER on cool setting, or you will wait forever for the stuff to dry. Doing prosthetics & makeup right can take a while....my worms-coming-out-of-my-face (painted gummy worms) took 3-4 hours. I also suggest you practice, doing spots on your face to check adhesion & practicing your makeup. Mehron makes some great makeup books & cheat sheets/quik tip sheets. Latex is funny & will re-hydrate if you sweat a lot (it will turn white again). 
Good luck! You have your hands full for H'ween!


d5


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## Cassie7 (Sep 16, 2007)

debbie is absolutely correct. Testing for allergies is ALWAYS the first step in doing this. Trust me, you want to know before you go slathering latex or spirit gum all over your face.

Anywho...onto what I wanted to post. Here's a video directly from Woochie on applying their product. I don't know what that bruising crystals they mention are though. I've never seen or heard of them. Neat trick with the powder puff though, I hadn't thought of that.

I'll post more videos as I come across helpful ones.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNPz8xdvBpw"]YouTube- Woochie® FX Kit Termin-8 Application[/nomedia]

Here's a good one (again from Woochie)...

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X5Pt0AG9R8"]YouTube- Woochie® Bloody Bolt Application[/nomedia]


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## freakywoman (Oct 8, 2008)

wow ! I am so glad I stumbled upon this thread ! Exactly the information I was looking for ! Thanks Cassie and others ! I wasn't sure about doing this, but I think I am going to add an appliance to my costume this year !


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

I would stipple the latex, rather than brushing it across though. Brushing leaves streak marks hard to get rid of.


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## RAWR (Apr 4, 2008)

the make up i have to blend in with my skin shows where the liquid latex was applied by having to different shades of the color use. What do I do to stop this?


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Cream makeups will do that, a good set of Alcohol Activated Makeup is what i like to use and is worth every penny.

http://hauntwiki.com/index.php?title=Alcohol_Activated_Makeup_AA_Makeup


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Oh, and I forgot to mention- you can get really many really cool effects by simply picking at and rolling the latex on your skin when it gets to a gummy, tacky stage...you can pull layers off & leave them dangling, exposing your skin underneath. I like to then make my skin underneath look all dead & rotted. You can even create ridges and then put another layer of latex over that pulled or textured latex..it's pretty awesome. I have many Woochie scar appliances & whatnot, but the effects i make on my own face always seem to blend seamlessley & don't come off or tug at my skin (I am very fair skinned and sensitive skin).I never really know what I will put on my face or what I will llook like: I kinda start with an idea of what I want to look like, and shoot for that, but as the stuff dries and I play with it, I usually come up with even better ideas. And last piece of advice: make sure somebody ***takes pictures*** of your makeup in a tight shot. Looking back, I have only one good shot of my makeup in all the years I did it (sigh). The best makeups & effects were when no one could even tell what gender I was, I was so gross. And then there's time I scared the poo out of the 7 year old getting a drink at the water fountain in my office....all I did was walk out the door and the kid turned white as a ghost. If I had said "BOO!" she might have passed out....ahh...the good ol' days....
Putting a lot of time and patience into putting the latex, hair, makeup etc. on can make up for not much talent. You can get creative too by applying Vaseline for a oily look in your wounds...heck, I even put gel frosting on my face one year...glycerin works too. And small wads of toilet paper make great maggots! YUM!

5r


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## ScreamingScarecrow (Oct 1, 2008)

Not that I have a ton of experience here but I have "glued" a few set of horns and stuff to my head over the years and I can honestly tell you that hot glue is not the way to go... Just kidding  -I've usually used just liquid latex but I've found that persperation can cause the latex to soften, slip and fail so believe or not I have an anitpersparent stick just for halloween and I use that first to prevent the perspiration.


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