How to Choose Fake Blood

There are so many different kinds of fake blood! It seems like you need to be a phlebotomist to figure it out. Nope — you just need a little guidance from Manhattan Wardrobe Supply on how to choose fake blood for all of your Halloween or wardrobe needs. We carry a LOT of fake blood — a whole wall’s worth!– to suit your every need.

How to Choose Fake Blood: Skin

When you’re using fake blood that is going to get on an actor’s skin, you really want to ensure that it’s safe.  You wouldn’t go slinging paint on your actors just because you like the effect, and the same is true of fake blood. Here are the blood products that are safe for face and body skin. In order to use blood in the mouth, the product needs to be labeled “Mouth Blood”. This is very important because otherwise you can make your actor sick.

K.D. 151 Products: Award winning  Make-up Artist, Ken Diaz developed his”K.D. 151 Bloodline” to meet the needs of the Make-Up, Hair, Wardrobe, Special Effects and Prop Departments for Film and Television which all had numerous and specific blood needs. His line consists of twenty of the most commonly asked for types of blood and they mimic the characteristics of actual human blood at its various stages. There is also a “Mouth Blood” in this line of blood.

Fleet Street Bloodworks:The Fleet Street Drying Bloods are designed for use on skin and hair and they stay moist looking even when they are dry. They also stay put without migrating or dissipating as the day wears on. They are available in 2 colors: Fresh and Dark.

Mehron 152P Edible Mouth  Blood:  Mehron Mouth Blood is a viscous, lifelike, nearly opaque liquid that is non-toxic and so safe it’s even edible and therefore can be used in and around the mouth.  This Professional Stage Blood washes off skin easily with soap and water. (Please test for staining on clothing before applying)

How to Choose Fake Blood: Teeth

If you are looking to make bloody teeth you should try Fleet St. Pegworks tooth Lacquer Palette #2 . In the palette you will find “bloody’ and “aged blood”. This product is very safe and easy to use (and you’ll have other colors around for other sorts of tooth aging you might want to do!).

How to Choose Fake Blood: Clothing

Not every blood can be used on clothing, as they stain and never come out, which on movie or TV sets might not be a big deal. What about theater, where costumes are laundered and reused, or your own wardrobe, if you’re just using the blood for a costume?  We can’t guarantee it, and be sure to do a quick swab on a hidden part of the fabric to test, but we recommend using Reel Blood by Reel Creations and our own brand, MWS Blood, for use on clothing.

Reel Blood Original has long been a favorite of costumers because of its washability, and it shows up beautifully in both photographs and HD.  It comes in multiple varieties as well: Lung Blood is  the bright color of oxygenated blood from the lungs. It is formulated for dark skin, dark clothing or dark surfaces so that it will show up on screen. Aged blood is a darker shade than the original formula. It still flows but is beginning to turn brown like it’s been sitting around a bit longer. Our own brand, MWS blood is formulated in two colors: light and dark and comes in two viscosities as well: regular and thin. Both of these bloods can be used on the skin. Tip: if you add a small amount of detergent when mixing blood, it will come out of clothing easier.

How to Choose Fake Blood: Blood in Bulk

Sometimes, you just need a big pool of blood.  Please don’t tell us why you need it, and we honestly don’t want to see the video, but we know it DOES happen (we aren’t fans of the scene in Carrie with all of the blood either, for the record). When you need a ton of blood, you need to think practically.  You can’t fill a pool with fake blood you’ve purchased in 8oz bottles (and can you imagine the recycling for that one?). For those situations, we  recommend our own brand of fake blood, MWS Blood.  We sell it in gallon containers, and it’s the most economical of all of the stage bloods that we carry. If you are looking for a more permanent solution, such as for a set or a haunted house, try Perma-Blood, which is a permanent blood paint. It’s waterproof, and it won’t go anywhere!

Whatever you’re filling your pool with blood for a Halloween party (don’t ask us to clean that one up!) or you just want a little blood for a costume, Manhattan Wardrobe Supply has the blood that you need.