Inside the kits of three 13th Gate makeup artists

Ever wonder how exactly the nightmares at The 13th Gate become so grotesque? 225 went backstage and pulled off the masks to learn how the monsters get made.

Hover over each image to see what products the artists use to create a face of fear.

GRACE EMDEN

Special effects maven Grace Emden has been with The 13th Gate for six years, using prosthetics and a lot of creativity to transform ordinary actors into the disfigured and deformed characters that haunt the attraction. Attached to the dressing room is a closet full of lightweight foam latex prosthetics she uses to mimic everything from scars and open wounds to stitches and jutting bones. Emden works with the actors to create a story for each character that informs their makeup, then applies it as realistically as possible to bring that story to life.

HOLLEY DIXON

For Holley Dixon’s makeup effects, the nastier the better. Dixon is the master of diseases, burns and other grisly injuries at The 13th Gate, meaning she’s concocted her own recipe or two for the most realistic-looking mangled flesh. She’s even looked at photos of real burn victims for reference to make her looks as “organic” as possible. She swears by Ben Nye, a popular brand of stage makeup, for transforming her 20 or so actors a night.

SARAH BESS

Specializing in the most hauntingly beautiful creatures—think vampires, zombie brides and the like—Sarah Bess has been working with The 13th Gate for eight years. She’ll lay a pale foundation with airbrush first, then goes in with detailed brushwork, prosthetics and fake blood. She sometimes even uses a mini plunger to apply creepy contacts directly to actors’ eyeballs. In the living world, Bess owns Kiss & Makeup Full Service Studio for traditionally beautiful weddings and occasions—though she has done a Halloween-themed wedding before.

This article was originally published in the October 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.