Actions

From mere mortal to walking dead: Become a ravenous zombie in 10 easy steps

Posted
and last updated
Soon streets will swarm with ghastly ghouls and dreadful disguises for a day of tricking and treating. Zombies are a popular fixture on the big screen and on prime-time television and the mark of a true soulless corpse is a monstrous mug. Stephanie Mus, a makeup artist with Duality Artistry, was trained by a lead makeup artist on the “Zombieland” movie and broke down the gory process into 10 painless steps.

Makeup Materials

Basic
  • White cream makeup 
  • Blood (can be homemade with cocoa powder or store bought)
  • Black eyeliner
  • Black cream shadow
  • Mascara
  • Sponges
  • Setting powder
  • Makeup brushes or inexpensive art brush set of various sizes
 
Advanced
  • Molding paste
  • Bruise wheel makeup (or red and purple eye shadow)
  • Fake Scab makeup 

Makeup tutorial 

1. Apply basic white cream makeup to face. Don’t worry about applying near eyes as they will get black makeup.

 

2. Line eyes with black eyeliner and smudge black cream powder on eyelids extending up into brows. 

 

3. With a sponge, blend black makeup into white makeup. There should be a gradual fade between the two colors. 

 

4. Dip larger brush into black cream makeup and use to contour cheeks and around nose to give a sunken-in affect. 

 

5. Fill in lips with black cream makeup and apply mascara to eyelashes. Set black cream makeup on eyes with setting powder. Pack powder onto face with powder pouf.

 

6. Load up small brush with blood liquid and pat in corners of the mouth and eyes. Allow blood to drip down naturally. 

 
Advanced

 

7. Use bruise-colored makeup to layer red and purple around the eyes and lips. 

 

8. Add veins around the forehead and neck and apply silicone putty to neck for a bite mark. While putty is drying set veins with setting powder.

 

9. Apply red makeup around silicone putty to make the bite mark look swollen and infected. 

 

10. Use “fresh scab” makeup to inside of bite mark and apply blood drips around area. Apply fake blood to teeth if nontoxic.

 

Edible fake blood recipe

  • Corn syrup
  • Red food coloring
  • Chocolate syrup
Combine three ingredients into bottle and mix.