How to Make Fake Wounds, Bruises & Cuts

Add fake wounds, bruises and cuts before painting your face.

Fake wounds, bruises and cuts complete gory character costumes for Halloween or a film project. Amateur makeup artists seeking to create these special effects will find that using simple household items will help them produce such effects easily. These methods are low-cost, require little time and are simple to remove after use.

Things You'll Need

• Petroleum jelly
• 4 oz. mixing bowl
• Red food coloring
• Toothpick
• Cocoa powder
• 1-ply toilet paper
• Popsicle stick
• Foundation sponge
• Powder eyeshadow
• Eyeliner pencils
• Red lipstick
• Fake blood

Instructions

Fake Wounds

1. Place 1/2 tsp. of petroleum jelly into a 4 oz. mixing bowl, and add red food coloring to it. Mix the petroleum jelly and the food coloring together with a toothpick until mixed.

2. Add 1/2 tsp. of cocoa powder into the jelly mixture. The cocoa powder will darken the mixture to make the wound seem fresh.

3. Tear one sqaure of toilet paper into two to four sections, depending on the size of the wound. Place one piece of toilet paper against the skin, and cover it with the red jelly-cocoa mixture using a popsicle stick.

4. Slightly pinch the edges and sides of the paper with the thumb and index fingers to mold the wound. Use the toothpick to slightly lift areas in the center.

Fake Bruises

1. Create a bruise that is 2 to 3 inches in diameter by patting one light layer of red eyeshadow onto the skin using a foundation sponge. Make an irregular circular shape on the skin's surface for a realistic look.

2. Cover the red eyeshadow with one layer of brown eyeshadow. Apply the color evenly over the painted area, while permitting 1/2 inch of the red eyeshadow to remain on the outer edges.

3. Add a layer of purple eyeshadow in the center of the bruise, 1/2 inch in from the brown eyeshadow. Lightly spread out the purple eyeshadow to the edges, over the brown, with your fingers.

Fake Cuts

1. Wet the end of a black eyeliner pencil, and draw a line across the desired area of the skin.

2. Trace over the black eyeliner line with red lipstick. A true red or brick red will work best. Using the tips of your index fingers, spread the lipstick out from the center to the outer edges.

3. Blot one light layer of purple eyeshadow over the red lipstick with a foundation sponge. This will create an "infected" cut look.

4. Place fake blood from a costume store down the center of the cut, if a fresh cut look is desired.

References

• Halloween Website: Fake Wounds Recipe
• Kinder Art: Homemade Halloween Makeup, Face Paint, Bruises and Fake Blood
• Living On A Dime: Frighteningly Frugal Fun