Buy fake blood

What is fake blood?

Fake blood is blood that looks real but is safe for your skin. You know it from Halloween, but it's used just as much on film sets, in the theatre and at first-aid training. Good fake blood has the right colour, the right thickness and behaves like real blood.

That last part is where most people come unstuck. Blood from a fresh wound is bright and thin. Blood from an older wound is dark and thick. Pick the wrong one and your whole look falls apart, however good your wound is otherwise. In our blog realistic Halloween wounds with latex we show you step by step how it all works together.

Why buy at SchminkenGrime.nl?

You'll also find fake blood at the cheaper high-street shops, but it's nowhere near the same quality as the fake blood in our shop. Cheap blood is often too pink or too purple, stains badly on skin and clothing, or is too transparent or too sticky.

We only sell fake blood from good make-up, grime and SFX brands such as Mehron, Ben Nye, Mouldlife, European Body Art, The Dark Arts Company, Grimas and Superstar. Several of these brands are made specifically to hold up under camera and stage lighting and to look like the real thing. With over a hundred kinds, you choose exactly what you need instead of making do with whatever's to hand.

How do you use fake blood?

Work from thick to thin. First fill the base of your wound with thick blood so it stays put and gives depth. Then let thin blood run down from the top edge so it finds its own way. It's that uneven trail that makes it look real.

Apply it with a brush, a sponge or just your fingers. Build it up slowly, because you can always add more and taking it away is a lot harder. If you're building a wound with wax, latex, silicone or gelatine, only add the blood once that wound is completely finished.

Working on clothing? The blood from The Dark Arts Company is suitable for that. Always test a small spot in an inconspicuous place first, as every fabric reacts differently.

How do you remove fake blood?

You get it off your skin in two steps. First wash the skin with lukewarm water and a mild soap to remove most of the fake blood. Any remaining traces come off easily with a makeup remover. For sensitive skin, use a hypoallergenic soap.

From clothing, rinse away as much as you can under cold water, never warm, as heat sets the stain. Then treat it with a stain remover, let it soak in and wash on the coldest setting with an enzyme detergent.

Which fake blood should you choose?

For a fresh wound, go for light red blood. For an older injury or a zombie, dark red or aged blood works better. And for an alien or a zombie with a bit of colour, we also have green blood.

For thickness you choose between thin blood that runs and drips, and thick blood that stays put. We also have blood gel for building up wounds, blood paste and blood powder that you mix yourself. If the blood needs to stay in place without transferring, look at the blood that dries. If the blood comes from the mouth, filter for blood that's safe to use in your mouth.

What do you use fake blood for?

• Halloween looks such as zombies, vampires and injured victims
• Wounds, cuts and grazes in film and television
• Theatre and musical productions, where the blood has to read from a distance too
• First-aid and trauma training with realistic injuries
• Bloodstains on costumes and props

Tips from SchminkenGrime.nl

Order in good time. In the week before Halloween we're rushed off our feet and the popular kinds are the first to sell out.

Buy thick and thin blood together. Almost everyone who only gets thin blood finds out it runs everywhere except where it's meant to stay.

Frequently asked questions about fake blood

Is fake blood washable?
Some fake blood comes off more easily than others; each product explains how to remove it. We recommend washing the skin first with water and soap to take off the bulk of it. Then remove any colour traces with a makeup remover such as Ben Nye's Remove-it All, ProClean or Mouldlife Life Wipes.

Does fake blood come out of clothing?
Usually it does, if you're quick. Rinse cold, apply stain remover, let it soak in and wash on the coldest setting with an enzyme detergent. The blood from The Dark Arts Company is made specifically for costumes too and generally leaves no lasting stain, but always test a corner first. Note: Superstar's thin fake blood stains clothing badly and is harder to wash out.

How do I get fake blood off my hands?
With an oil-based remover or ordinary vegetable oil from the kitchen. Rub the oil in, wipe off with a cloth and then wash with water and soap. Soap and water alone often isn't enough. A nail brush can be handy for the edges of your nails.

What's the difference from cheap high-street fake blood?
The colour, the thickness and how real it looks. Cheap fake blood usually isn't made to look as much like real blood as possible. It's cheap, but on the skin it often doesn't look like it could be real blood. The colour is frequently too pink, orange or purple. It quickly looks like paint, or else too transparent. Professional fake blood comes in different thicknesses and shades, so you can make a fresh wound look different from an old one. For a one-off night the cheap stuff can be fine. But if you want people to wonder whether it's real, you'll notice the difference straight away.

Does fake blood dry?
Most fake blood doesn't. It stays wet and a little sticky on your skin, which keeps it looking fresh. That's exactly the idea, but it also means it keeps transferring onto everything you touch. If you want blood that stays put, filter for fake blood that dries.

Which fake blood is safe to use in your mouth?
Only blood that's made specifically for it can be used safely in the mouth. Filter for blood that's safe for your mouth, such as capsules from Superstar, Mehron, Ben Nye or Grimas. Never use ordinary fake blood or fake blood that dries in your mouth. Ben Nye's Zesty Mint blood and Mouldlife's fake blood have a lovely peppermint taste.

How much fake blood do I need?
For a Halloween look with a few wounds you'll usually get a long way with 30 ml. If you're working with a whole group, a production or a film set, the large bottles from 250 ml up to a litre work out cheaper.

Read more about fake blood and wounds

Want to see how it works in practice? Check out realistic Halloween wounds with latex, making a fake wound with claw marks or creating a bloody mask.

On our YouTube channel you can see the colours and thicknesses in action, with videos about Transfusion Blood by European Body Art, all the kinds of blood from The Dark Arts Company and Mouldlife's fake blood.

Can't work it out? Ask us on WhatsApp.