When October 31st comes round, millions of people will be getting ready to get dressed up, go out and have fun. If you’re wearing prosthetics to take your outfit to the next level you are certainly going to stand out in the crowd, but you will also need to take a little extra care to make sure your makeup looks good when it goes on and stays looking good through the evening, so we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you look your best, based on feedback from our customers over the last 6 years.

1. Buy early and do tests

If you buy a costume, you try it on before the big night, right? If at all possible you should do the same with your prosthetics – but be aware that all prosthetics are not reusable. Our silicone prosthetics are 100% reusable and so they can be fully applied and painted for tests as many times as you like. Our gelatine prosthetics are intended to be used once, although some customers have managed multiple uses by not using too much adhesive and not blending the edges. If you are buying prosthetics that are not reusable you can still do a basic test by just applying adhesive in a few spots to tack it onto your skin for a test run. Trials will give you an idea of how easy or difficult it is to apply your prosthetic and how long it will take, which is good to know as you don’t want to rush your application. If you’re going to all this extra effort, you want to look good!

2. Start Clean

It’s always a good idea to clean both your skin and the back of your prosthetic with 99% alcohol before applying it to make sure you have absolutely clean surfaces to work with. Even if you don’t have cosmetic makeup or moisturiser on your skin, there will always be natural oils that will act as a barrier when you apply your adhesive, and you will have handled the prosthetic a lot before application so those oils could be on there too. You can buy 99% alcohol at most pharmacies and at various places online including Amazon UK and Amazon US. If you are ordering online don’t forget that it could take a little extra shipping time as alcohol is flammable (but completely skin safe) – so no smoking when you work with it!

3. Pre paint as much as you can

It’s far easier to paint colour into wounds before you apply a prosthetic – especially if you’re applying it to yourself. Use a fine brush and take as much time as possible to add details, highlight edges and create shadows; it will look amazing once it’s applied! Even non-wound prosthetics (zombie brows for example) can be pre painted if you like. Add a base tone, veins and spots and then once it’s applied you only have the task of blending your skin to match the prosthetic which can sometimes be a far easier job.

4. Bring extra adhesive

If you’re going out for the night with friends, it’s all to easy to forget about your prosthetic once it’s applied. On a film set, someone in prosthetics will have a crew of makeup artists standing by off camera to monitor and fix any issues as soon as they come up – on a night out you won’t have that luxury. Remember you are going to eat, drink, dance and generally have a good time, and all of that is going to take its toll on your prosthetic as the night wears on so bring a little extra adhesive and a few cotton swabs with you just in case you need to do a quick fix to keep your makeup looking perfect.

5. Take extra care with mouth prosthetics

If you are applying prosthetics around the mouth it’s going to get maximum wear and tear as it’s the most flexible part of the face and the most likely area to pick up moisture. We recommend using our NimbaFix Silicone Adhesive around the mouth (even for gelatine prosthetics) as it gives a little extra bond. And on that note…

6. Bring straws

If you’re going to a Halloween party, it’s safe to say that you’re going to be enjoying a few drinks. If you are wearing prosthetics that are near your mouth, bring a few drinking straws with you to avoid drinking from glasses when you can. You may feel a little odd drinking beer through a straw, but you’re already dressed as a zombie, so who cares?!

7. Removal takes time too

So the night is over, you’ve had a blast and you won first prize at the fancy dress party, and now it’s time to head home. Don’t forget that you still need to remove your prosthetic and more importantly, the glue underneath. Our adhesive remover soaks into the glue and breaks it down so you don’t need to scrub, but it will still take a little time to completely clean large areas. Lots of customers have simply gone to bed with a well powdered face to tackle the job the next morning with remover and a hot shower, which sounds like a good option for those who are going to party hard.

8. Have fun!

The reason you’ve gone to this extra trouble is because you want your Halloween to be extra special, so make sure you enjoy the makeup process as much as possible – it’s all part of the experience! Try rounding up a few friends who all want to wear prosthetics for the evening (our Zombie Walk Party Pack has enough kit for up to 7 people!) and help make each other up to get the best possible effect – watch our videos together to learn as many tips and tricks as possible and apply them all so you look absolutely killer when you step out, and be each others makeup artists for the evening; check in, help with touch ups and prepare for everyone to want to have their photos taken with you all night, because that is going to happen. Just don’t frighten too many kids along the way!

If you are going zombie this Halloween, check out the video below where we show you how to not only apply the prosthetic but also how to distress your clothing for maximum effect.

Got a makeup FX question or comment?

We love hearing from Nimba Creations customers, Cosplayers, Actors, Movie Makers and Makeup FX artists at every stage of their career. If you’ve got a question or comment about our products, Makeup FX or want to show off your lastest creation you can contact us via our Facebook Page.