Halloween Makeup
Submitted by malhope
DIY Halloween makeup uses pantry corn syrup, cornstarch, and food coloring layered with tissue strips for kid-safe, lickable face paint. Build warts, scars, and ghoul effects.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
0 minREADY
20 minDIY Halloween makeup is the old-school kitchen craft that beats every drugstore face paint kit on the shelf. With nothing but corn syrup, cornstarch, flour, water, and a few drops of food coloring, you can build full-coverage costume makeup that’s edible (no panic if a kid licks their lips), peels off cleanly, and washes away with warm water.
The technique is a layered build. An untinted base goes on first, painted onto skin and immediately covered with single-ply tissue strips that grab the makeup like spackle. Once that base sets, colored mixtures get painted over the top in any pattern. Multiple coats build deeper, candy-color saturation.
The special effects are where this shines. Cotton tucked under damp untinted base builds up brows, scars, or witch noses. Puffed Wheat cereal stuck on with the same mixture becomes warts. A dusting of flour at the end gives a ghoulish, dead-pale finish.
Tips for Success
- Mix the cornstarch and flour with the water and corn syrup gradually, stirring constantly. Dumping it all at once leaves lumps you can’t paint smoothly.
- Use single-ply (separated) tissue, not double-ply or paper towels. Thicker materials don’t conform to skin and crack visibly.
- Avoid the eye area completely. The mixture stings if it gets in eyes and the tissue doesn’t peel safely from eyelashes.
- Use a hair dryer on cool air to speed drying between coats. Hot air can liquefy the corn syrup base.
Variations
- Mix cocoa powder into the base for a brown skin tone without food coloring.
- Add a teaspoon of unscented cold cream for a smoother glide on sensitive skin.
- Use vegetable-based food colorings (beet juice, turmeric, spirulina) for natural pigments.
Ingredients
Directions
In bowl, mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon flour.
Gradually stir in ¾ cup Karo corn syrup and ¼ cup water until smooth.
This amount will make up 4 children’s faces.
Divide mixture between 4 paper cups.
Color 3 batches with food colors of your choice (½ teaspoon liquid or ¼ teaspoon paste for each batch).
Leave 1 batch untinted.
For additional colors, prepare more makeup.
Separate tissues into single layers; tear lengthwise into 2-inch wide strips.
Using swabs or brush, paint generous coat of untinted mixture on forehead; place strip of tissue over area; pat firmly with fingertips.
Brush on more of same mixture to cover any dry spots on tissue.
Continue painting rest of face, one area at a time, and covering it with tissue.
Don’t paint eyelids or around eyes.
Let dry about 15 minutes; time depends on temperature and humidity.
Stir colored batches before using.
Paint on 1 color at a time as desired.
Let dry slightly before using another color if you want them to blend, or let dry completely if you don’t.
To speed process, use hair dryer on air setting.
For deeper, smoother, candy-color effect, use several coats of same color (allow to dry slightly between coats).
TO BUILD UP EYEBROWS, nose or chin (or for beard) apple cotton to damp, untinted mixture.
Paint with more of the same. Cover with tissue and paint desired color. FOR GHOULISH EFFECT, dust made-up face with flour. FOR WARTS, stick on Puffed Wheat cereal with untinted mixture, then coat with layers of mixture-soaked tissue. Paint desired color. TO REMOVE MAKEUP, wet face, then gently peel tissue away. Wash face with warm water.
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