Moorpark College Theater Student Shares Spooky Makeup Techniques

It seems these days, Halloween costumes are tending toward the sexy, pretty or funny. But for you traditionalists who want to go the spooky route, here are some techniques you can use for creating eerie makeup effects.

Amielee Eastin, a freshman at Moorpark College, who hopes to be a film maker one day, showed Patch how to create some scary Halloween makeup effects. Eastin said that creating a fake black eye is easy for beginners, while fake abrasions might take a few tries for the stage-makeup newbie.

Eastin started playing with makeup effects when she participated in theater at Moorpark High School.

“I bought the makeup kit that we were required to purchase, and I just started having fun,” said Eastin. “My mom was also a face painter as I grew up, so I was exposed to this sort of thing a lot as a kid.”

 The supplies you’ll need to create a black eye and abrasion are as follow and are likely available at the year-round Halloween Shop and the here for Halloween Spirit store:

- a makeup sponge

- a face paint kit (like Ben Nye’s “Bruises and Abrasions” kit available at boutiques that specialize in stage makeup)

- a stipple sponge

- liquid latex

- stage blood (Eastin prefers the gel over the liquid)

- an eyeshadow applicator

The Black Eye (or any Bruise):

1. Start with a base of yellow paint wherever you want to create the bruise.

2. Next, add a little bit of the blue and purple paint. Blend it in and use a slightly heavier hand under the eye than above. It should be darker where the skin is naturally darker.

3. Add a little bit of the brown (which appears reddish on the skin) on the darker areas and blend in.

4. Use the dark bluish hue and apply a small amount to the area that looks like it took the “direct hit” (like the lower rim of the eye-socket).

5. Finally, use a stipple sponge to apply little red dots above and below to look like broken blood vessels. If you add too much, just blend it in and use a lighter hand the next time you try to apply.

Fake Abrasion:

1. Use a sponge or brush to apply a thin layer of liquid latex (do a spot test 24 hours before to make sure you’re not allergic). Let it dry.

2. Use a toothpick or your nail to open the latex a little to open up the “abrasion.”

3. Push the latex back gently with your finger and roll it to the sides. Take your time so as not to tear the latex.

4. Use the sponge to apply the red face paint to the inside of the abrasion, being careful to avoid getting it on the latex. Use the darker brownish-red and just blend it in to get a brighter color.

6. Add a little bit of yellow (and green if you’d like) around the edge to get an infected look.

7. Use a q-tip or eyeshadow applicator to apply “blood gel” to the wound. Hold your arm up to see how gravity would have the blood move and apply accordingly. Then swab a thin layer over the entire inside of the “wound”.

8. Let dry 5-10 minutes. The final product will still feel sticky.

Note: You can always add more layers of color to get your desired effect. Also, you can use spray sealer (available in most places that sell face paint) to seal “wound”. Just be careful using these sealing products anywhere near your eyes.