How to remove SFX and Halloween make up

So as it draws closer to Halloween everyone has their ideas of what make up they want whether they're getting it done or doing it themselves! I've wrote this post to give some tips and tricks on how to make removing the make up less of a task.

First of all you want to protect yourself or your client depending on how messy your Halloween look is. Protect your clothing with a cape and protect your surroundings with kitchen roll and towels. You may also want to use a skin protector like DermaShield before the make up is applied.

Reading the instructions on the back of the product will usually give you some idea on how to remove it.

Water Based Make-up

This make up is commonly used at Halloween and on children as it just needs a little water to activate and is reasonably gentle on the skin. It is probably the easiest Halloween make up to remove as all you really need to remove it is water. I recommend wetting your entire face and rubbing your skin in circular motions. You can also use a face flannel. Once you have most of the make up off you can then get rid of any left over stains with a make up wipe or a facial cleanser.

Grease Based Make-up

Removing grease/cream based make up is a little more tricky. This make up does not need water to activate it. I wouldn't recommend it for oily skin as it may be a little too greasy, so I'd use water based paint instead. Unlike water based make up grease based make up can be a little harder to remove. I recommend using a cold cream make up remover, something like 9 to 5 by Lush. You should use a gentler make up remover that is made specifically for the eyes when working around the eye area. Superdrug's vitamin E eye make up remover is great. You can also use baby wipes and oils like olive or coconut to help remove any left over pigments. You want to make sure you wash and cleanse your skin after using oil so it doesn't leave your skin too greasy. After you have done this moisturise your skin according to your skin type. Dark pigments will be harder to remove off the skin.

Fake Blood

The most fun part of Halloween make up! Fake blood can kill or make a look. When removing blood you want to start of by removing the most of it with water. Just wet an old face cloth or cotton pads and remove the excess. Once the bulk of it is removed you can then try using a baby wipe or cold cream make up remover. If there is staining on your skin you can then go in with an oil. Olive or coconut will work great. If the blood still hasn't budged I really recommend using some shaving cream. This works brilliantly at removing stains.

Removing Adhesives/Prosthetics

Prosthetics and adhesives are a big part of some Halloween looks. If you are getting your special effects make up done by a professional they should tell you the best ways to remove your prosthetics/the adhesives. There are a number of different adhesives. Some of the cheaper and more common options tend to be prosaide, Kryolan and Ben Nye prosthetic adhesive, spirit gum and sometimes latex. Most of these adhesives will come with a remover e.g. spirit gum and prosaide remover. Some more expensive adhesives are Snappy G, Telesis 7 and Telesis 5.

There are a number of good removers such as Pro Clean, Adklen, Super Solv and spirit gum and prosaide remover. To remove your prosthetic you want to start by getting yourself an edge. You can do this by putting any of the removers stated above on a cotton pad and wiping it over the prosthetic edge. Once you have an edge you can then start to work under the prosthetic to release the glue from the skin. Get a bit of the remover on a brush and start working it under the appliance lifting the edge as you go. Do not tear the prosthetic piece off as this can irritate you skin and it won't feel very nice either!

After you have the piece removed you can use a hot wet face cloth or have a hot shower to remove any excess glue. To finish off you want to cleanse and moisturise your skin.

I really advise to remove your make up before you go to sleep because if you don't you could cause a skin break out and also could cause an allergic reaction.

I hope everyone has a lovely Halloween and hopefully your make up will be a lot easier to remove now.

Until next time!

Chloe x