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Spooky

Two weeks ago it was a full moon and the official start of our Haunted Maze!
2012 

One of my favorite parts of Halloween is dressing up in different costumes. Normally, I don't wear much (if any) makeup, so I like to go all out for Halloween. Each year, I experiment trying different strategies without spending too much money on supplies. During our Haunted Maze at Pumpkins and More A-maiz-ing Farm, my role is usually to collect admissions. This makes it difficult to wear a complex costume, but I still like to have one. My "go to" is some type of zombie or walking dead girl. It has to be something I can throw together quickly since we are usually busy with customers all throughout the day. I also like something not TOO scary since some nights our kiddos stay out there with us.
2013


Two years ago, I read online about using unflavored gelatin powder as a liquid latex substitute. I used it to create this look:
2014

Last year on Halloween night, our friend and talented makeup artist Amanda provided us with a real theatrical treat.

Amanda's awesome 2015 makeup
Amanda's awesome 2015 makeup




















Sadly, though, she cannot do our makeup every weekend, so I have to substitute. This year, I wanted to take the look even further and using the gelatin, Elmer's glue, tissue, corn syrup, food coloring, and makeup I set out to make the best wounds yet.

Ahead of time, I created some scab-looking things using Elmer's glue. I created scar designs with it, let it dry, and peeled it off. And then... I forgot them! Haha. So instead I just used the gelatin. 

The first step of application was to make my face an even surface. I used a mixture of normal foundation and white makeup because my skin is somewhat sensitive. Then I used black costume makeup to make my eyes dark. 

Next, I mixed equal parts hot water and gelatin powder to create a liquid paste. With that, I painted my cheek and applied tissue. I repeated this process three times to get a decent wound. Before it was dry, I ripped the middle. I did the same thing on my forehead. I used the same foundation/white makeup combination to cover the scab.



Then, I shaded the wounds and went to work with blood. To me, a zombie can never have too much blood. I used some fake blood from my makeup kit but also a combination of corn syrup and food coloring. I dribbled it along my wounds and lips and used a rough sponge to dab it elsewhere. The results are not professional, but I definitely improve each year:

2016

2016 close up

Happy haunting! 


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