Telokh_Amdo said:
Make-up works, but might smudge. I have used craft paints for many prosthetics and for my Sarr ears. When Lyonshel opens for business again (I think they may have already) you can get the paint they use for their cat masks. It dries a bit sticky so you have to put a little powder on it after it dries.
Water based makeup can be set to an extent with hairspray or a fixing spray. A few passes over the dry painted ears, let them dry and they should be be somewhat smudge-resistant. For Oil based makeup, try using translucent powder (or regular talcum powder).
LarPAX is simply Rick's own brand/mix of PAX paint. PAX paint is a mixture of 1:1 of Pros-Aid adhesive and Acrylic paint, thinned with water. There's regular Pros-Aid and then no-tack Pros-Aid 2. There are also knockoff versions available like Pro Adhesive.
(Pros-aid being a stronger adhesive for latex prosthetics than what spirit gum or liquid latex would hold, plus it has no fumes or bad smells)
markusdark said:
I have had a couple of instances where the latex items have decayed due to the use of makeup - but this may have just been a couple of bad pieces that I made. I rarely use the same latex prosthectics over a year.
I've found that oil based makeup can make prosthetics deteriorate.
(There's a reason why there'e a warning to not use vaseline/oil-based lubricant with condoms)
Oil-based items like vaseline, or in this case makeup, can eat away at the latex. Use water-based makeup to extend the life of prosthetics.
When working on a production of Alice in Wonderland, I used a clown white (oil based) for the actor playing the white rabbit, the other actors I used water based Kryolan aquacolors for the makeup. The white rabbit went through 3 copies of his nose over the show's run while the others only went through 1 copy.
If the prosthetic was feeling brittle or lost its strength and tears easily or stretches and doesn't stretch back to its original shape, then that could be the source.
Leaving /storing latex prosthetics somewhere where they're in direct sunlight for several hours a day for a long period of weeks/months can deteriorate the latex. Latex hates UV rays. It's like when you leave a rubber band on something and leave it in a window for months and then one day the elastic band breaks.
If your prosthetic turned gooey/mushy or feels crumbly/brittle, then this could be what happened.