How to make fake blood: A last-minute Halloween make-up trick (or treat)

Watch the video for how to do it... (more info below)

Important: If you've allergies, please check the ingredients beforehand. I have sensitive skin and found no issues, but I’m a MoneySaver and not a dermatologist! Thanks

Halloween is my favourite time of year. I’ve previously worked as a zombie being shot at with paintballs, and played a dead wench at the London Dungeons, so I’ve spent years applying horror make-up to my skin and going through many kinds of fake blood products. 

It can often be the case when you buy gory make-up, you only use it once and by the time next All Hallows Eve comes around, it’s all dried up and goes to waste. After trialling and testing products at home, I've come up with what I think is the best recipe to replicate fake blood, and you can use it to make as much or as little as you need, again and again. 

Although a small bottle of fake blood can cost as little as £1 on the high street, this is just a quick last-minute trick – ideal if you can’t get to the shops in time for Halloween, or if your local shop’s sold out. Plus, if you occasionally bake at home, you may find you already have everything you need at the back of a kitchen cupboard.

It's also a fun activity if you’ve got kids, and unlike a lot of shop-bought fake blood, this is technically edible, so could also be used as a topping on any scary treats you’re making.

The best fake blood recipe:

• Syrup (2x tablespoons) to create a thick, sticky base for the mixture.

• Red food colouring (1x tablespoon) for obvious reasons.

• Cocoa powder (1/2 a teaspoon) to darken the colour, and any budget brand will do – as it happened, I had Green & Black's at home, but this definitely wouldn't be cheapest.

That's all you need! Just mix them together and you should have something resembling sticky, dark red blood. And by all means play around with consistency to create different looks. For example, for 'fresher' blood, add more food colouring and less cocoa powder.

Tricks for applying your fake blood:

Have a look at this second video to see how simple (and cheap) household items can be used to create various effects with your homemade fake blood.

Obviously, you can use your imagination but I've found metal scourers work well for 'burns', scourer sponges for 'scratches' and a spray bottle with added water for runnier blood.

And that’s all there is to it. If you try this at home feel free to send us your photos on Twitter or Facebook. Happy Halloween!