Alien Infestation
A recent Halloween costume creation, “Alien Infestation” took about 3 weeks to bring to extraterrestrial life, and I had a blast expanding my SFX makeup skills during the process. I know I certainly have more to learn, but I enjoy taking on a new SFX challenge each year.
When making the face and body prosthetics, I discovered that baking soda is an excellent thickening agent for liquid latex (and, unlike flour, it doesn’t allow mold to form in unrefrigerated prosthetics). I also experimented with using glow-in-the-dark paints on certain pieces of the costume, and I was able to create the “glowing stomach” effect by using mini LED lights that were stored in a tulle pouch pinned to the bodysuit I wore beneath the hospital gown.
Also, browsing the floral sections of local craft stores led to some interesting finds, with artificial plants lending unique textures and shapes to the look. My husband even got in on the fun, dressing as an attending physician to complement my Alien Infestation patient costume.
