Hire a Makeup Artist for Halloween & Try These Special Effects Makeup Looks
Special effects makeup is makeup that creates visual illusions. Also called SFX makeup, special effects can transform an everyday person into a ghoulish creature or magical beast with clever use of colour and shape. While it’s most common on fantasy and sci-fi film sets, you can hire a special effects makeup artist for Halloween to experience this wild and wonderful artistry first-hand.
Here are four types of special effects makeup to try this Halloween:
- Realistic Animals
Say goodbye to cat ears and an eyeliner-darkened nose this year and create a super-realistic rendition of your favourite feline instead. A professional makeup artist can bring out the fluffy texture of a cat’s cheeks or paint the individual hairs of a mighty tiger, leopard, or lion on your face. Other exciting animal looks for Halloween could be colourful birds, cutesy mice, or animated antelope that look like they walked out of Narnia.
2. Wounds and Injuries
Gore is a fundamental part of SFX makeup that every Halloween makeup artist must master. Creating fake facial injuries is not easy, so if you want something realistic, working with a makeup artist is the way to go. They can add texture and colour to your skin to create anything from third-degree burns to exposed bone. You can also take it a step further by adding needles or blades to the mix for a truly terrifying look.
3. Mythical Creatures
Hiring a makeup artist for Halloween opens worlds of possibility regarding mythical creatures. Now, you can recreate characters from Spiderwick, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Avatar, or the fantasy universe of your own imagination. You can even put a gory twist on friendly unicorns or sprites, or make your monster makeup extend down your neck and arms to blend into your costume.
4. Prosthetics Makeup
Prosthetics is a type of special effects makeup that brings your look to life using 3D elements. Commonly made from silicone or latex, prosthetics make you completely unrecognisable so you can truly sneak up on your friends this Halloween. Your makeup artist can change your chin, jaw, nose, ears, and cheeks to turn you into a witch, troll, or goblin of your choosing. You can even wear a wig, contacts, and false teeth to go the extra mile!
What Techniques and Materials Do SFX Makeup Artists Use?
Special effects makeup artists generally work with silicone, liquid latex, and gelatine to create texture on the skin. For gory looks, they often use specialised fake blood gels, powders, and paints. A SFX MUA can apply the makeup by hand or use an airbrushing tool to spray the paint onto the skin gently. They always use highly pigmented, professional makeup palettes to mix the desired makeup colours for each look.
Need a special effects makeup artist for Halloween this year? Look no further than Liliano Artistry. Let me know what spooky look you’re after, and I will come to you!
