Well tickle my bolts and call me Frankenstein! Is it that time o' the year again already? Yaaaay, Halloween!

...Okay, so it's not Halloween, but what it IS... is the commercialized beginning of the Halloween sell season. Now, dislike as you will the over-emphasis on sales in our consumer world, and the sadness of the already-out Halloween decor and candy and the like... but at least join me in reveling, for the season of the Halloween Cheapo makeup is at hand.

Haaallelujaaaah!

So for those of you have been looking for makeup to start doing fun lil' projects and the like... now is your chance. Take up thine dollars and cents salvaged from yonder futon, and run thy rear end to a WalMart or other mass-market sorta store, and buy a few of the cheapo few-dollar makeup kits.

Of course, if you use high class material and have the knack n' know-how, you can achieve 'better' results. Paints will go on smoother, blend easier, etc. But you really don't have to have the paints-of-the-moment. You can work with almost anything. Just adjust how you use it to get the best results.


Suggested Shopping List:

Here are some things you're going to want to make sure you pick up, to have a nice well-rounded collection.


Buy a kit with at least one tube of cream white makeup. It's great for taming crappy grease paint. Which we'll get to in a second. For example:



This is a little harder to explain. You know those color wheels/plastic trays of makeup that come in Halloween kits? Well, the absolute WORST type looks like plastic paint in and of itself, and it's usually in a very shallow container. You don't want that kind. It's evil. You want the kind that looks greasy, like if you stuck your finger in it you'd regret it. It usually comes in a little bit of a deeper tray, too. For example:



Look at the larger version of this. The triangle shaped trays? They're. See how plasticy they are? See how seldom I've used them? They're divas, don't like to bend to anyone's authority. But the tray in the middle- awww, that's the ticket. Nice and greasy. >3 Add some cream makeup (usually tubed and white) to this to make it SO much easier to tame.

You want makeup crayons. In that above thumb, they're all over. ...They're best used for grinding up and painting w/ a normal paintbrush- but it's a LOT of makeup for a dirt cheap price. Stock up on the kits that have these in 'em. Then use the same tip as above: add cream makeup and it becomes very versatile and cooperative.



If you can find a kit with it, buy one with wax. It will probably be in a little plastic tray, and be a tan color. Sometimes it's called "nose wax", "scar wax/effects wax" etc. Some kits even call it "wound gel". Why, I don't know. Dropped on their heads as children. *shrug* It's worth playing with, but if you have a little more cash, I suggest going online and springing for some Ben Nye Wax... or 3D Wound Gel.



Other wax tips: [link]


DON'T use the paintbrushes that come with the cheapo kits unless you have No. Other. Option. If you buy one thing "fer realz", let it be the paintbrushes. You can get a package of them for like five bucks in the craft section at Walmart, if you're still on 'the budg'.

....Okay, I lied. If you buy TWO things "fer realz", let it be a) the paintbrushes and b) Pond's Cold Cream. It's the best for getting the stuff off afterward. Seriously. Just go to CVS or Walmart or Sally's Beauty Supply and get a nice jar of Pond's. It's much cheaper than professional "theater grade" makeup remover, and I find it works better because it doesn't leave your face all greasy.

Street Stoof



Don't forget- you can use ANYTHING you have, even before/after Halloween. As you can see (if you click on the thumbnail), it's just normal old makeup: CG, Maybelline, Revlon, Wet & Wild... you can even use tinted chapsticks because, hey, put it on thickly or cut off slivers, you can do some nifty things. Cream eyeshadows are easier to use- they go on without needing to be tempted and show up well. If you're using powder shadows, try experimenting with less/more water on the brush.

> Blood n' Guts



I don't recommend spending your money on fake blood if you're on a budget- because you can make your own at home very easily. However, if you come across a bottle of "fake skin", grab some- it's actually a cheapo liquid latex and can be used in MANY different ways.

Some fake blood tutorials:
Other tips for liquid latex:

Cheat Sheet Mini-List

*Look for kits with wax crayons and grease paint
*Get at least one tube of white makeup. It's usually separate, or can be found in clown/vampire kits.
*Get kits with wax in it if you can find it.
*Buy a real paintbrush or two.
*Pond's Cold Cream


Happy Hunting! ^_^