Homemade FX Brains Nose & Hairy Hands

This post will show you how to use homemade fauxtex (latex substitute) for some simple prosthetic makeup pieces (ideal for Halloween or homemade movies). The hardest part about using fauxtex is timing. You have to allow the substance to cool enough to handle but not enough that it sets before you’re finished with your FX makeup.
First we’ll make a simple nose. This will be a solid nose that you can place directly on your skin. If you want a prosthetic nose to put over your real nose, you can scoop out the center with a warm spoon to make room for your nose inside the prosthetic.

How to Make a Fauxtex Nose

Buy or shape a nose out of modelling clay in the shape you want to use. I purchased a sponge nose at the Dollar Store for this project.
Butter the surface of the model nose. You can use petroleum jelly or actual butter.

Place the model nose on a piece of wax paper. Carefully cover the surface of the nose with hot glue, making sure there are no gaps in the glue. Spread a little hot glue around the base so you have something to pull.
Allow the glue to harden, then pull it off the model nose.
Butter/lubricate the inside of the glue mold.
Pour warm fauxtex into the form. Cover with a piece of wax paper and let cool completely. The longer the prosthetic nose sets, the firmer it will be.
Gently remove the fauxtex nose from the form. If the nose is still sticky to the touch, use hand sanitizer on your fingers so the fauxtex doesn’t stick to your fingers.
To apply to skin, pass a hot knife or spatula over the back of the nose and touch it to your skin briefly. Wait a minute or two, then re-apply the nose to the sticky skin.

DIY Exposed Brains

There was quite a learning curve in making my exposed brain prosthetic. The main problem I had was not having a big enough chunk of time to work on the project, so the fake brain sat for days before I could work on it again. It still worked for my “zombie bait” FX makeup, but it would have been a lot better (softer, more realistic) if I’d finished the brain on the first day to use the following day.
Anyway, below is a video showing roughly how I made my brains. The cake decorating funnel was the best tool ever!

Basically, I covered a head form with plastic wrap, then spread a thin layer of warm fauxtex over the plastic. For the brains, I used a cake decorating funnel to squeeze out “gray matter” all over the base coat of fauxtex.
Once the fauxtex sets (two hours if you use the second recipe for fauxtex), you can use it by cuting the plastic wrap around the base of the brain and putting it on your stocking-ed head. Disguise the edges with gauze or more fauxtex.

Homemade Hairy Monster Hands

Lastly, I made a pair of “monster hands” in response to a request from a school teacher who wanted to make some for her students.
For the monster hands you see here, just apply warm fauxtex over gloved hands (you must be wearing the gloves). Spread the fauxtex around as evenly as you can. It will be somewhat lumpy. I held two sets of fingers together while I applied the fauxtex so the finished hand only has three fingers.

Apply pieces of fake fur, wool roving, or hair all over the sticky fauxtex until the monster hands are covered with hair.
You can add black claws with hot glue to the fingertips if you wish. Also optional: dust the “skin” of the hands with talcum powder or corn starch (or tapioca flour).
These hands can be used after the fauxtex sets an hour or two. They can be re-used one more day, but after that they will dry out (unless you keep them in a bag in the refrigerator).
I hope you have a lot of fun with fauxtex this Halloween (or anytime)!