Review (SFX): Sculpt Gel

Hello All,

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Years!

As my first post of 2015, I'm going to talk about my favourite special effects product which is Sculpt Gel.

Sculpt Gel is a silicone make-up product that can be used to create almost anything from lacerations to burns and scars. Its a great alternative to wax and much easier to use. There are colourless versions of sculpt gel or there are flesh coloured ones. I prefer the clear ones as it is easier to match with the skin of the person to whom you are applying it to, but its down to personal preference.

It comes in 3 parts, A and B are the main components and C is a softener. Mix parts A and B equally in weight or volume and they will react and start to slowly harden. Add part C if you are applying make-up to an area which needs more flexibility such as the neck. Only mix small batches at a time because if it hardens on your palette while you are still working then it can no longer be used.

Using a blunt tool such as a metal or plastic spatula, apply to the skin sparingly and build up by adding more until you have achieved the shape of the laceration. Adding too much at first will cause it to be too heavy if you are using it on the face and it will droop.

It takes a little time to harden completely so you can speed the process up by using a hair dryer.

Once it is dry you can start colouring it using grease paints or whatever you like to use. It stays flexible and is resistant to water and sweat so is really durable.

I use it for just about anything but using it to make deep looking cuts is my favourite use for it. It creates a really realistic looking wound and it blends in to the skin easily.

To remove it, I use my spatula to get underneath the gel and gently peel it away from the skin, it can sting a bit if used on areas of the body with hair so be very gentle and use a make-up wipe on the skin as you peel it away to cool down the skin. To remove any left on the skin a make-up wipe can be used or a stronger remover.

You can buy sculpt gel from most special effects make-up providers such as Mouldlife and PS Composites.

Thanks for reading!
Here are two very different examples of what can be created with sculpt gel (both by myself, please have a look at my facebook page for more goriness and blood: facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup)

How to: Terminator inspired special effects make-up

Hi all, I've recently been playing around with using tin foil to look like metal underneath the skin. I tried it on my sister's arm first just to see how it would look and I was very pleased with the outcome! I then tried it on my own face and was also pleased with how this looked! I took inspiration from the Terminator films, it such a classic character and this would be a great look for halloween!
This is how I achieved it...

You will need:
Tin foil
Spirit gum and spirit gum remover
cinewax
Supracolour in red and black and bruise colours
Metal spatula
Artificial blood
Any brush you don't mind getting messy!

For the arm:
I wanted to make it look like there were gashes revealing the metal underneath so first off:

• I tore pieces of the tin foil into random strips making sure they didn't have any perfect edges.
• Then apply spirit gum to the edges and stick down where desired. (spirit gum is very, very strong glue so try to use as little as possible)
• I also applied thin strips of foil on a finger, and also on half of one and added little circles of foil on the back of the hand.
• Then, roll pieces of wax into sausages and using the spatula apply to the edges of the foil. This is to create the look of skin.
• I then used a small brush to outline the edges in red and blend it outwards onto the wax using my fingers. Then add some black around the edges to give the effect of burnt skin.
• I then added quite a lot of dark artificial blood to the foil and basically everywhere on the arm, blood just gives it that gore factor which makes it look more effective and realistic.

Finished look:

For the face:

You'll need the same materials as above. I just covered one half of my face but you can cover whichever areas you prefer. However try to avoid using the spirit gum too close to the eye as the skin is more delicate and more susceptible to damage. 

• I used larger pieces of foil this time, but not just one large piece as it wouldn't be flexible with the movement of the face and would be uncomfortable. 
• I first used a skin colour supracolour as a base for a bit more protection against the spirit gum and just applied this with a foundation brush. Then I stuck the foil to my face where I wanted them. As I wanted it to cover my eyebrow I applied a layer of wax over my eyebrow to stop any spirit gum sticking to the hairs as this would hurt a lot to get out!
• Once all the foil was stuck on and made sure the edges were all stuck down, I outlined the edges in red and black supracolour using a small brush and blended using my fingers.
• I then used the black supracolour to fill in the eye area to give it more depth.
• I then applied artificial blood around the edges and over the foil and smeared on the other half of my face to give it a more realistic look.

The finished look:

REMOVING

To remove the foil soak a cotton wool pad in mastix remover (not cotton wool balls as these have too many fibres) and gently rub the edges until they come away and continue to rub underneath so it peels away. Use a cotton bud when removing it from around the eye as the fumes are VERY strong. Then use a make-up wipe to remove the wax, supracolour and blood.

Well that is it! Hope you enjoyed reading this!

See you soon

Beth x

Liquid Latex: how to use and what to use it for

Liquid latex is a great, versatile product. You can create really cool effects with it and make just about anything out of it. However, if you're new to using it, it can be a bit tricky to use. It is available to buy from almost any special effects make up shops, I get mine from Charles Fox. Make sure that it is suitable to be used on the body.

Safety first! 

It contains ammonia so it is very fume-y and smelly, so try not to use it in small, confined areas. 
This is a bit of a given, but do not get it in your eyes!
When applying on the skin, always, always use vaseline underneath it, this provides a barrier between the latex and the skin - more importantly, the hairs on your skin because believe me when I say it will hurt like hell if you try and pull it off and its sticking to your hair. 
When using on the face, be careful when using it around the eyes as your skin is more delicate, so be extra careful when removing it.

How to apply

I like to use wedge make up sponges, they're soft and easy to use and you can cover large areas quickly with them. Liquid latex will ruin anything you apply it with so I just throw the sponge away after I've used it, you don't want to be using your make-up brushes to apply it with as it will just stick to the hairs. If you prefer using brushes you can always buy cheap ones and throw them away afterwards.

I pour how ever much I need in a small bowl and then just use the sponge and start dabbing onto the skin where desired. Make sure to cover the area of skin in vaseline first, not a thick layer as the latex will never dry, just a thin layer is needed. To speed up the drying process you can use a hair dryer. Once it has dried it will go clear, then, if you want it thicker, apply more layers of latex. It will start to dry as a yellow colour the thicker it is.

You can then colour it using supracolour. I find this is the best thing to use as it covers well and is highly pigmented. I use my fingers, brushes and sponges to apply it, depending on what the look is.

Uses

Liquid latex is a great way to create blisters, burns, scars, wrinkles and gashes. Essentially it is like having a second skin. It is also used to create prosthetic appliances such as ears and noses. As I said it is very versatile. It is a lot of fun to play around with and experiment with to see what you can come up with.

Here are some looks I have created with it..

This is a 2nd degree burn effect. Here I have applied a thin layer of liquid latex, used my fingers to pull up parts to create blisters, used my fingers to colour it using a 'burns wheel' which is a set of colours used to create burns, available from Charles Fox and lastly applied some artificial blood. 
(*tip* using a cocktail stick is a great way to pull up parts and create holes.)

 This is a 3rd degree burn look. I used the same techniques as above but more extreme. 

This was inspired by a character from a television show. I used liquid latex to make it look like my skin was splitting. I used the same technique to create blisters but ripped them a bit more so that some bits were hanging off my face. I then used a dark artificial blood to cover them as well as supracolour from the 'burns wheel'.

Removing

If you're using it on more 'hardy' parts of the body such as hands and arms then you can usually peel it straight off. If you're using on the face or if you have more sensitive skin, it is better to use a cloth soaked in warm soapy water, apply this to your skin and gently pull of the latex. I have also found that using facial wipes are quite effective. 
(*tip* if I have any left over in the bowl and it hasn't dried, I pour it back into the bottle. Do not pour it down a sink because it may block it. Wait until it dries and then just peel it out of the bowl and throw it in the bin.)


I hope you enjoyed this and that it is useful to you!
See you soon
Beth x

Links:
Charles Fox: http://www.charlesfox.co.uk/

My website: http://bhaggar94.wix.com/bethfx

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup

Hello

Hello, my name is Beth and I'm a recently qualified make-up artist, I did have a blog which I co-wrote with a friend but we decided that it would be better for us to get rid of it as we were neglecting it due to a lot of college work taking up most of our time. So I have decided to start a whole new blog in which I will post make-up tutorials, reviews, and also about my general life.

 I will try my best to make it as interesting as I can and if you would like me to do a particular tutorial or review of anything, please just let me know. On my previous blog I usually wrote about make-up products that were value for money and affordable so I will carry on with that, I think that you should still be able to achieve the look you want without having to pay out a fortune. I also love the special effects side of make-up, blood and gore, that sort of thing, so you will probably see a lot of that on here. Apologies if you are squeamish! 

So as this is my first post I'll put some pictures of my work on here and you can have a look :)
See you soon
Beth (you can contact me on twitter if you like: BHaggar)