Halloween Look - Glasgow/Chelsea Smile (WARNING:GRAPHIC!)



Hi!

So I am venturing out into SFX makeup & I have been doing a lot of playing around! I have done a few looks that I will be sharing over the next few days.

The first look I will be sharing with you has a few different names, it is most commonly referred to as the Glasgow Smile, Chelsea Smile or Joker Smile.

Definition from Wikipedia:

A Glasgow smile (also known as a Glasgow, Chelsea, or Cheshire grin) is a wound caused by making small cuts on the corners of a victim's mouth, then beating or stabbing him/her until the muscles in the face contract, causing the cuts to extend up the cheeks to the victim's ears. This leaves a scar in the shape of a smile, hence the name.

 My brother bought me Ben Nye Nose/Scar Wax a few years ago for Christmas because I was planning on getting into FX makeup, however, I got side tracked & never got to play around. So fast forward to a few weeks ago, I started debating what I should do for Halloween. I started researching when a picture of the Chelsea Smile popped up. I was instantly in love with the detail & I knew I had to give it a try.

 I started with scar wax & molded it to about 3" long. I didn't know I should use Spirit Gum, so I didn't have that available (which would have made this much easier!). But I applied that to the side of my mouth, I worked one side at a time. I used a metal spatula to help mold the scar wax as close to my skin & make it blend. The wax is very sticky so I kept my hands coated with Vaseline to keep it from sticking to them. I applied 2-3 coats of liquid latex, allowing each coat to dry in between.

You want to be VERY careful with the next step, I took a pair of small scissors & starting making small snips at the wax/latex. I wanted it to looked jagged & ripped, not be a clean cut line. I also took a little latex on my fingers & bunched it together to look like the skin was torn.

I used Mehron Master Bruise Wheel for the color. I used a deep burgundy color all over the wound & black under the flaps. This will create depth and dimension. I used a small paintbrush from a craft store for the application. I applied Mehron Coagulated Blood on a small brush all over the open area, this is almost like a gel & gives the illusion of a cut before it has scabbed over. Then, I applied fake blood that I got at a Halloween store. I used a sponge & stippling motion to make it appear more real. *Make sure that wherever you apply the latex does not have any hair, it will rip it out & it hurts!

I hope you like this look!

Krystle