Alien Infestation Costume

Clearly I was not quite myself this year for Halloween, as otherworldly creatures could be seen crawling beneath my skin — and bursting out of certain parts of it! For my costume creation, titled "Alien Infestation," I was inspired by extraterrestrial life forms and Sci-Fi movies of old, as well as trypophobia (an aversion to patterns of holes). It took about three weeks to acquire and create all of the pieces involved in this look. I used liquid latex thickened with baking soda, as well as cotton, paints, long acrylic nails, and super glue, to make the trypophobia and face prosthetics. Some other materials I used to bring this extraterrestrial look to life: craft moss, various sizes of transparent cabochons, glow-in-the-dark paints, pre-colored Crayola Model Magic, faux plants, mini LED lights, a small amount of tulle, medical bandages, fabric glue, aloe vera gel, stipple sponges, tacky glue, glass eye beads, paint brushes, fake blood, and a LOT of spirit gum. Through trial and error, I found baking soda to be the best thickening agent for liquid latex, as it provided a good consistency and was mold-resistant (liquid latex prosthetics made with flour often develop mold spots if not promptly refrigerated to preserve the piece after making it). Also, I took extra care when making the prosthetics to create paper-thin edges that were easy to blend into the skin for a more realistic look. My partner even got in on the fun, complementing my look by dressing as a doctor — my attending physician.