Zombie makeup tips, by a Great Adventure Fright Fest artist

Halloween's coming up in just a few weeks — and if you don't have your zombie look down, it's not too late.

New Jersey 101.5 caught up with special makeup expert Tony Mandile and the rest of the talented artists at Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest workshop last weekend for a frighteningly up-close look at how they work their magic.

News director Eric Scott even got a turn in Tony's chair (keep an eye on NJ 101.5 all this week for even more of Eric at his creepiest, and lots more from the Fright Fest workshop!).

But not everyone's so fortunate — so we convinced Tony to share some of his zombie makeup secrets:

Source of Infection

A good zombie should have a good wound. You can achieve a simple gory wound with some liquid latex and tissue.

Use a foam cosmetic sponge to apply a small amount of liquid latex to a clean area of skin (avoid any hair). Tear off a piece of tissue and lay it onto the latex. Stipple more latex on top of the tissue. Dry with a hair dryer.

Once dry, you can create tears in the tissue to simulate an open wound. Color with makeup and blood.

Zombie Pallor

You'll obviously want a nice pale, deathly skin tone to go along with your new zombie wound. You can achieve this with Halloween makeup kits or regular cosmetic foundations.

Start by using foam cosmetics sponges to blend the lightest possible foundation onto your face.

Also, don't neglect neck, hands, arms, etc. to give the illusion of those sunken zombie features. Use the darkest possible foundation to blend dark hollows around your eyes, into the hollows of your cheeks and behind the jaw.

The idea here is to give the illusion of the skin shriveling and sinking into the features of the skull.

Zombie 'do

Now that you are appropriately pale and wounded, you can neglect the coiffure. At the very least, tousle and tease your hair so it looks messy and unkempt.

If you want to go full-on "Walking Dead" rub some hair conditioner into your dry hair for a gross, stringy look.

Blood!

The red, gooey icing on the zombie cake! There are many types of theatrical blood products available at Halloween.

You can buy some convincing thick blood gel to fill into your latex and tissue wound.

You can also make your own mouth-safe blood by mixing red food coloring (with a few drops of green) into Karo corn syrup. This sweet concoction is good for adding extra blood to your zombie clothes or drooling out of your mouth.

But be careful: It will stain clothing and carpeting, kids! It's the oldest and simplest blood formula around!

When you are ready to join the land of the living, simply peel off your latex wound and wash with yourself with soap and water! Happy Haunting!

Tony Mandile and Anatomy FX assume no liability for misuse of any products. The information here is presented in good faith. Be advised that some people suffer from latex allergies. If minor skin irritation occurs, clean the area thoroughly and discontinue use.

So how's the finished product look?

We can't thank Tony enough. Be sure to check out more of his work at AnatomyFX.com, on Facebook or on Instagram @FXTony. Got a project in mind? Reach him at TonyM@AnatomyFX.com or 732-604-0212.