Make Zombie FX Makeup
For the last three weeks I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to make something that would behave like latex so I could make my own Halloween mask. After much tweaking, I found something that is wonderful to work with, very cheap, extremely non-toxic, and made from something you can get at a grocery store. No, it does not behave exactly like the latex you buy for $50 a pop, but it is a good “starter fx makeup” that you can use to practice before going to film school, or just use for fun anytime.
First, I started with a recipe for slime (see my flesh-colored slime) and tried adding different things to thicken it, etc. But no matter what I did to the slime, the stuff had a mind of its own and would not behave in any way I wanted it to. Though it’s a good basis for homemade guts and gore, you can’t put it on your face and have it stay.
Then I tried tapioca flour as the basis for homemade latex. This particular flour is great because it is downright rubbery when cooked (it’s what makes Brazilian cheese breads so chewey and good).
But back to my quest. Latex. House paint has latex, so I cooked up a couple tablespoons of tapioca with 1 cup water and, at the very last, added 1/4 cup of latex paint. I liked how it dried, but it dried so slow, I’d have to start now if I wanted to make something for next year’s Halloween.
Then I tried adding silicone/latex caulk to the tapioca concoction. Didn’t like that so much. Too sticky and soft.
Next I tried adding school glue. About as good as the caulk recipe.
Finally I thought to try the tapioca all by itself, and bingo! Homemade latex-like gum for special effects makeup.
Fake Burn Scar
Special Effects Nose
Fake Breasts
The video below shows me cooking up a batch of tapioca for special effects makeup.
I found that different consistencies were good for different things:
1. One cup water with 2 LEVEL tablespoons of tapioca flour is good for face glue. Smear it on your face as a prep for the faux-latex mask or to make toilet paper stick to your face, etc.
2. One cup water with 4 LEVEL tablespoons of tapioca flour is the best consistency for fx burn scars. Because it goes on clear, it takes on the color of your skin and looks like a real scar. No other makeup is necessary to blend it in.
3. One cup water with 6-7 LEVEL tablespoons of tapioca flour is the best consistency for bulkier special effects makeup–such as the Zombie makeup above. (See also my Beauty and the Beast special effects makeup on Instructables).
4. Fake breasts can be made of any consistency. The thicker the recipe, the perkier the boobs. The thickest I’ve made this recipe is 8 Tbsp/cup of water. Any thicker, and it becomes very hard to stir evenly while cooking. Ideal for firm breasts, but the 8 Tbsp recipe does not work well for face makeup because it doesn’t want to stick or blend down into your skin as I show in the Zombie makeup.
How to Cook a Batch of “Latex”
Put cold water in a sauce pan and mix in the tapioca flour until dissolved and KEEP STIRRING (and add liquid makeup to add the desired skin color if you want). If you stop stirring, the tapioca will settle and harden. Place the pan on the stove and turn the burner on medium. Keep stirring for a couple minutes. The mixture will turn to a translucent gum. Keep cooking another 30 seconds or so. Turn off heat. Let the latex-like mixture cool before using.
This research was fun, and I hope you have fun with it and save a ton of money with this simple recipe.
Again, all of the above FX makeup will be much better if you use the new FAUXTEX recipe! See what else can be made with the new recipe: brains, a nose, hairy hands…
Can you make masks out of this?!?!?!
This won’t work for reusable masks. It’s only a one-time gummy substance that can be used to make a mask directly on your face for a day of fun. Hope you enjoy using it!
Hi, I’m participating in a cross-dressing pageant in a few weeks to help raise money for muscular dystrophy. I really want to go all out for this and make my self a pair of fake breasts (I am a sculptor) but I don’t want to spend the $70+ on the latex to make them. So I was wondering how long it took for the recipe with the latex paint in it to dry and how long they lasted. I only need them to last about 2-3 weeks while I do this. Also how fragile is the final recipe? Does it crack after a few days? How do they feel?
Richard, in response to your question, I waited hours for the tapioca-with-latex recipe to dry and it wouldn’t dry, so I gave up on that recipe. I suggest trying out the fake breasts tutorial on this site for the best solution. I’m pretty sure these will last a couple weeks, and assuming you’re going to wear clothes with them, they would be even more realistic than latex breasts because they’re soft like real boobies. Besides, the ingredients are so cheap and easy to work with, you can make a new pair every day IF you want. Have fun and raise a lot of money!
1. Once the “Almost latex” has cooled, how long do you have to work with it before it sets?
I plan to have about 20 kids 1st thru 4th grade make alien hands by taping two fingers together on household rubber gloves and then covering the tape with the”almost latex” so the finger is still pliable.
2. Do you think the “almost latex” will work for this type of application?
Sueallen, that sounds like a fun project with your kids! The thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t really set. It’s just a workable gum that can be used for this type of FX makeup for a day or so (for playtime/movie-making). I’ll try your idea tomorrow and make a little video so you and your kids can see how to do it and will put a link to Youtube once it’s done. Stay tuned!
Ei, para fazer uma máscara de velho, realística, tipo essas: http://www.siliconemasks.com/images/view/the-elder-mask-large1.jpg
essa massa é adequada?
Experimente! Sei que a massa sai bem macia. Não vai parecer resecada como a cara desse homem, mas vai parecer enrugada sim.
so I looked this up to see if it could cover up scars, I had back surgery a couple years back(the scar is rather deep and make-up never covers it with out leaving the indention) and for a big dance I wanted to cover the scar sense my dress was strapless, anyway when I put this mix on would it leave lines of where the latex stopped? or if easyier would this be ale to be poured and made into thin shets and then placed over? also does it move when you move or would it break and chip off?
if anything I thought there was nothing I could lose trying and seeing if it worked for the purpose I wanted.
Samantha, thanks for stopping by. First of all, good for you for going strapless after back surgery! As for using this “almost latex” recipe for covering a scar, I’m afraid I would advise against it. From playing with it, I don’t think it would hold up under the rubbing of a dress strap. For your purposes I think real latex will do a good job. Even though it’s expensive, you’d only have to use a little each time, so it would last many dances! Here’s a link to a sample size on Amazon: 117 (4.5 Oz, Soft Beige) Mehron Liquid Latex
I hope your night is one you will want to remember forever!