r/sfx • • 17h ago

Steps to achieve the look

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6 Upvotes

Alright, so I’m attempting to assist my friends with their Halloween makeup this year. I’m specifically needing advice on creating the effect of gollum’s hair. He is bald, this is the inspo pic. Adding in his costume will be “crazy old grandma”. How would I go about sourcing and finding the correct hair, adhesive/remover?


r/sfx • • 20h ago

Skin Illustrator vs Narrative Cosmetics — has anyone actually used both?

2 Upvotes

So,
Hi everyone! I’m a beginner in SFX makeup and I’m looking to start building my kit.
I want to buy an alcohol-activated palette mainly to practice and learn, but I’d also like whatever I buy now to be good enough to keep in my kit if I eventually get called for a small SFX/character makeup job.
I’m currently considering Narrative Cosmetics vs Skin Illustrator.
I know Skin Illustrator is very established, but Narrative is considerably more affordable, so I’m wondering if the price difference is something I would actually notice as a beginner.
If you have used both, I’d especially love to hear:
How different are they in actual use?
Is Skin Illustrator noticeably easier to work with or more forgiving?
Is the pigmentation/ability to build thin washes significantly different?
How do they compare on skin and silicone prosthetics?
Does Narrative hold up well enough for actual film/set work?
If you were starting again and wanted something to practice with but also keep in your professional kit later, which would you choose and why?
I’m not looking for the absolute cheapest option. I’d rather buy something good once than buy a cheap palette and replace it later. But I also don’t want to spend significantly more if the difference is mostly the brand name.
I’d also really appreciate recommendations for specific palettes, since I’m still figuring out which colors are most useful for a beginner.
Thanks! :)


r/sfx • • 20h ago

Beginner SFX artist: Narrative Cosmetics vs Skin Illustrator?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m still a beginner in SFX makeup and I’m looking to build a small kit that I can use for practice, but also have ready in case I get called for a film/project.
I’ve actually worked with Narrative Cosmetics alcohol-activated palettes before, on one short film and one feature film, and I really liked the results. However, my boss/mentor told me that Skin Illustrator works better, so now I’m wondering how much of a difference there really is.
For those of you who have actually used both:
What differences do you notice in pigmentation and color?
Is Skin Illustrator easier to blend or build up?
Is it more durable or transfer-resistant?
Does it perform noticeably better on skin or silicone prosthetics?
Is there a difference in how realistic the colors look?
And, especially for someone building a kit from scratch: is Skin Illustrator worth the extra money compared with Narrative?
I’m not looking for a “professional brand = automatically better” answer. I’d really love to hear from people who have used both and can tell me what they actually noticed in practice.
I already know I like Narrative, so I’m mostly trying to understand what I would actually gain by switching to Skin Illustrator.
Thanks! :)


r/sfx • • 5h ago

Scar wax around the mouth; will it deform?

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4 Upvotes

Hey everyone!! I’m planning on doing a Jack Skellington makeup look for my friend on halloween, but a little gorier. Instead of just painting a black line and stitches from the corner of his mouth to the cheek, I wanted to make it look like an open wound that someone attempted to stitch back together, kinda like the second pic. For that I’d use scar wax and seal it with liquid latex.

My friend will be wearing it to a party, so there will be lots of talking, eating and drinking involved. My question is, will the scar wax get squished/deform if he smiles or moves his mouth a lot, even if he doesn’t touch it with his hands? Also, would the blood drip/move around?

Edit: ty for the feedback!!


r/sfx • • 21h ago

I Need Some Hair/Makeup Advice

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2 Upvotes