Makeup FX

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on July 19, 2011

Whether you're dressing up for Halloween, putting on a play, or doing something else that involves creepy appearances, there are plenty of ways to achieve gruesome effects with common household items. Makeup FX is an e-book that details some techniques for simulating injuries and all kinds of other yucky stuff. It's definitely not a comprehensive guide, but it's not bad if you need some basic tips.

Makeup FX is really just a set of HTML files that can be viewed with any browser; it's like a Web site that's hosted on your own computer instead of on the Internet. A table of contents splits the techniques into beginner and intermediate levels, and there are sections for makeup, gore, effects, and costumes. Some of the more useful tips include recipes for fake blood and latex skin, and there are instructions for creating a variety of other nasty things such as fake burns, pus, phlegm, and rotting skin. We do wish that some of the instructions were more clearly written; for example, the instructions for the slitting-wrists effect (ick!) state, "Make or buy a prop knife. Use tubing and food coloring bottle, attach to end of tubing with blood. There should be skin on the skin, and knife should slit through it." After reading that, we're still not sure exactly how we would proceed if we wanted to create this effect. Still, although most of what's contained within Makeup FX could probably be found elsewhere on the Internet, it's not a bad collection of ideas. It might be worth checking out if you're into spooky special effects.

Makeup FX comes as a ZIP file and installs and uninstalls without issues.

 

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Publisher's Description

From Kelcey Coe:

Makeup FX is a tutorial with step-by-step directions to making makeup, costumes, props, and special effects using safe and commonly found household items. Other features include recipe-specific printing, convenient shopping links, an Index, background-switcher, and an easy, clean user interface. Makeup FX is recommended for Halloween or any project with a makeup and special effects budget under $100. It has been popular among amateur and independent, professional makeup artists for over 10 years.

What's new in this version: Version 2.1 features improved recipes, realistic themes, and fixes minor bugs.

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