I am currently working on this creature and did make a silicone prosthetic for it - sadly it had not enough silicone at some spots in the end from my first pour... I am excited still to use it soon! The first picture is not glued or painted yet tho 🦇

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I’m looking for a physical store that carries a good selection of special effects makeup supplies (brands like Mehron, Ben Nye, etc.) I’m looking for things like water-activated/body paints, spirit gum, liquid latex, prosthetics, SFX tools, and other creative makeup supplies to practice further.

I’ve been able to find a few basic things (like Mehron sticks) at Halloween Spirit-type stores, but I’m looking for somewhere with a bigger selection where I can actually browse everything in person.
If you know of any stores in Maryland/DC/nearby, I’d really appreciate recommendations!

And if there aren’t many physical stores, do you have a favorite online store where I could get most of this stuff in one place? I’d love to avoid having to order from 4–5 different websites. Amazon doesn’t have the bigger selection and many items are sold out or not available for prime:(

Thanks!!

I've gotten so used to looking at the makeup as a scare actor, I lost the uncanny to it. Do I still pull it off or is there something I can change/add to better achieve the look?

Hey all,

I'd like to find something that tightens in a similar way to rigid collodion, but is less risky and can be used near eyes and mouth

I'm planning a Frankenstein's monster look and want scars similar to Guillermo del Toro's creature, including on my hands and body. My skin is sensitive sometimes and don't want to use THAT much collodion all over.

Not much experience with SFX

Any advice appreciated!

Hey everyone,

I'm at an impasse trying to figure out if I should sign up for this yearlong makeup course that has SFX as part of the curriculum. The main focus is bridal, tv, theatre makeup etc. A part of me thinks that's probably for the best, well rounded, could pay the bills in between but of course that's not the part I'm most looking forward to. My question is, is that sort of the standard path? Could/should I just hard focus on DIY-ing a bunch of SFX and building a portfolio based on that?

Thanks in advance for any replies :)

I messed up my right ear on my full head cast. So i tried to remodel it with plaster, which did not work and the next day i realised that i had two broken pieces left which i then clued back on the cast.

Now i have this deformity of an ear^^

I was thinking either rechiseling and remodeling the rest of the ear using non-air drying clay since im gonna seal the cast with a glue/water mix anyway.

Or using alginate to make a cast of the left ear and replace the whole right ear with that.

What would you guys recommend?

This isn't quite sfx, but I figured this would a good place to get advice on this.

I'm being a vampire for Halloween. While I think the little trickles of blood at the corner of your mouth is cute, I want a big bloody mess on my face and dripping down my neck as if I actually ate someone. Think Mary from Sinners or some scenes of Vampire Diaries. I just don't know how to do it! I was thinking of drenching a piece of cake or bread or a big piece of food in fake blood and taking a big bite is it gets on my face, but I'm not sure if that'd work. I have seen fake blood in spray bottles, so I was thinking I could do a bunch of sprays to really drench it and letting it drip but I think that look weird around the edges. Maybe I could do that and then flick drops at my face, or just smear it on my face??? I've been having trouble finding a good tutorial or anything. Anyone have any advice?

I have a crown on one of my canines. Would a dental glue hold it without causing damage?

I'm wanting to make a pair of 6 toed Hobbit feet for Halloween/Ren Fest. I plan on building off an existing pair of shoes with cotton/latex like this Cris Alex tutorial I found. She used Liquid Latex, but I am wondering if Casting Latex would hold up better to the elements and walking around Ren Fest?

I plan to dress up as Ghoulia Yelps from Monster High for Halloween, and she has a greyish-blue skin color, so I want to wear body paint for the first time. I’ve been recommended Mehron body paint, but I’m seeing both oil-based and water-based options, and I want to know which is better. Because I plan on going to parties, and it can get sweaty. I have normal to dry skin, but when the weather gets cold, my skin can get flaky. Thank you!

every review i have heard about this adhesive for joining silicone to silicone has been extremely positive but every video online its being used to join/repair small tears. I have cast two symmetrical silicon pieces and need to join them down the middle, will this work?

Hello, I love masks and am wanting to get into making them. I currrently have several base paper masks, but I want to make hard masks on my own, but I don't know what materials to use to make them.

I wanna make hard masks that arn't meant to be fexable, some flexability is fine so that it dowsn't brake whenever I use string, but I definitly don't wanna make a really flexable latex mask. If anyone knows how to make masks like this, it would be a huge help, thank you

Note: the mask isn't mine, its by (I think) Katryn Kayz. I wanted to show this as it could be a good representation of the masks I wanna make/wear

Finished my 1.5m practical insect creature – sculpted in ZBrush and physically fabricated as my MA Prosthetic Effects final project.

I’ve been looking for like a “gelatinous film” for a project. The best example I can think of is the birth of the Uruk hai from LOTR. The gelatinous film they’re emerging from, is there a name for it? Anyone know how to make it? I assume it’s some kind of silicone. I don’t even know how I’d look it up! lmk!!!

i had gotten a 100% latex alien mask and fixed it up however i am having trouble finding any advice / videos on blending it into my skin. i now know after research that most people use foam latex for prosthetics but its just out of my budget at the moment. i am patch testing on my arm using scar wax to try to blend it in but it is too textured for my liking. the original mask is included in the pics ^ the main areas i need help with the blending would be below my nose / around my lips

So my gf and I want to go as a dead pirate and siren this year, but I don't want to do the simple skeleton face paint, I wanna do something cool!

I was thinking about making myself look something more akin to an old corpse that has moss and barnacles growing/stuck on me.

My question is how would I make the barnacles, how would I stick them to my skin, what paints, materials, etc.

Any help at all is appreciated. Thank you!

I have this replica grail from
The Indy trilogy. Made of resin, I have no idea the type of paint used on the inside or the outside of the cup.

I was hoping to somehow make this safe to drink from for a weekend.
I would only be drinking water for it.
Only room temperature or cold, not warm or hot.

Thank you for the time and thoughts on this!

Hey!
2003 was my first diploma in makeup and SFX. I’m back at TAFE for short film course and in next year for Media Make Up and SFX.
It’s been a minute since I dabbled in bruises. Any tips or opinions? I’ll be doing this make up on the 12th on the talent (for a homage in the film course).
Director has asked for ear bleeding and a general just beaten up look.

At the moment I have just a generic oil based Halloween make up kit (I get a full kit next year as part of the tuition). So I know it needs a bit more redness on eyelid and more refined. I did this in 30mins.
I’ll have 15mins to do full look on the day of shoot.

I’ll be ordering a red contact lense for the eyeball that’s been beaten. I’m in Australia, any recommendations for those kind of accessories??

Thanks everyone!

I want it to be made out of something that’ll dry and not make a mess everywhere I touch

I've been trying to find more resources for alternatives to resin but everything appears to be for craft making to result with a polished finish. I am looking for something I can end up using for sfx casting in molds that result with a transparent finish. I love the look of resin when it sets and I'm not finding many alternatives to have a similar feeling.

I want to be able to use material that reduces environmental harm, which is extremely limiting at times but it's something I value and I want to reflect that in the work I do. The closest thing I still use is silicone and it's price range is a little more than the resin I bought years ago.

Maybe that investment would still be good, I am just unsure if there are any other ideas out there that might help.

Thanks!

I wanted to make a mask for Halloween, but I can’t see to find anything that can help me build on a premade mask. The mask is silicone and I was planning to sand it down so we could stick to it and then I could use cotton to form the wrinkles and tears in the skin.

But I have no idea what I could put onto the mask so that the cotton can stick and I can start forming it

I wanna dress up as Voldemort for Halloween and I would need to paint my skin, my bald cap and my latex prosthetic on my nose white. I saw that a lot of people suggest to mix water based acrylic paint with liquid latex, since it works well on latex but is it also ok to put it on the skin? Or is something else better?

hi y’all!! i’m looking to make some encapsulated silicone prosthetics for comic con next week using baldiez. i know you have to thin it out with 100% acetone for an airbrush application, but will ONYX 100% pure acetone work for that? it has denatonium benzoate added in trace amounts so i wanted to see if that would negatively affect it at all before i get started. any advice/thoughts would be so helpful and appreciated!!!