A convincing zombie look comes down to layering, not a single “zombie green” product — here’s a step-by-step approach that works even for a first attempt.
1. Base
Apply a grey-green cream foundation or face paint across the whole face and neck, blending into the hairline and ears so there’s no visible line.
2. Shadow and Depth
Using a darker grey or purple cream shade, add shadow under the eyes, cheekbones, and temples to create a sunken, hollow look.
3. Texture
Mix a small amount of liquid latex with a bit of tissue paper, dab it onto small areas of the face, and let it dry to create raised, rotting “wound” texture. Once dry, paint the edges with dark red and black.
4. Blood
Use a thick fake blood gel (not thin liquid, which runs too much for photos) around the mouth, one eye, and any latex wounds.
5. Set It
A light dusting of translucent powder keeps the whole look from looking too wet or shiny under flash photography.
Tip
Practice the wound placement on the back of your hand first if you’ve never worked with liquid latex before — it dries faster than people expect.
Trying this look this year? Tag your before-and-after in the comments.