We did some field testing of various commercial fake bloods, comparing a number of traits including viscosity, washability, smear quality and taste.

Image copyright Oliver Facey 2014, from Odyssey LARP. Mouldlife Venial.

DEFINITIONS



Viscosity: 1-5, where “1” is watery and runny, “5” is paste or thick gel.

Dry time: When left on skin at room temperature.

Water solubility: 1-5. Water soluble bloods can be diluted to make them go further, but sweat off more easily.

Opacity: 1-5. Real blood is about a 3-4.

Washability: We stuck a white cotton square in the wash at 30 degrees with normal household detergent.



FANTASY THEATRE BLUT



Manufacturer/distributer: Commonly found at fest LRP traders’ stalls.

Price: £2.95/15ml



Viscosity: 1

Dry time: 45min+

Water solubility: 2

Opacity: 5

Appearance when smeared : 1







Initial appearance (white skin): 4

Initial appearance (white cloth): 2

: 1

Taste: 3

Washability: 1

Comments: Smears to an unconvincing purple colour. On cloth, separates with a “tie dye” effect. Stains white cloth. Effervesces & forms layer in water. “Paintlike” consistency. Very opaque and doesn’t thin. Smells a bit like nail varnish, may include alcohol. Good for a fresh wound, but we’re unconvinced with the results when dried/smeared.









Overall score: 2

Image copyright Oliver Facey 2014, from Odyssey LARP. Mouldlife Venial.



RCMA COLOUR PROCESS BLOOD “A”





Manufacturer/distributer: Research Council of Make-Up Artists

Price: £12.50/30ml



Viscosity: 2

Dry time: 2

Water solubility: 5

Opacity: 1

Smear: 3



Initial appearance (white skin): 5 / 2

Initial appearance (white cloth): 4 / 2

Dry appearance: 4 / 2

Taste: 4

Washability: 4



Comments: A nice dilutable/water soluble blood, runny and not syrup-based so great potential for use in pumps and bags. Our testers had a great deal of confusion over this blood – it seemed that one day it was a brilliant midrange blood with a nice dark brownish smear and good dry appearance, and the next it was an unacceptably fake-looking pinkish “food colouring” sample. We eventually resolved the confusion by comparing natural and artificial light. It turns out that RCMA “A” is great under artificial light – and rubbish in sunlight! The split “appearance” results reflect this. Indoor LARPing only for this expensive but high-quality blood.



Overall score: 4 / 2 (indoor / outdoor)



MEHRON STAGE BLOOD 152-4





Manufacturer/distributer: Mehron, through Dauphines



Price: £12.50/500ml



Viscosity: 5

Dry time: 3

Water solubility: 2

Opacity:3

Smear: 5



Initial appearance (white skin): 4

Initial appearance (white cloth): 2

Dry appearance: 4

Taste: 3

Washability: 4



Comments: A thick, dark, treacle-like blood that looks great on skin but too thick and dark for use on most clothing. Syrupy flavour with a slight bitter aftertaste, odd smell. Great price if you’re after something viscous to cover yourself in.



Overall score: 3

KENSINGTON GORE CLOTTED BLOOD



This is what a kilogramme of clot looks like. Cat for scale.

Manufacturer/distributer: Mouldlife / Kensington Gore via Dauphines

Price: £5.60/50g or £32/kg



Viscosity: 5 (paste/clot)

Dry time: 20min

Water solubility: 1

Opacity: 3

Smear: 6



Initial appearance (white skin): 5

Initial appearance (white cloth): 5

Dry appearance: 5

Taste: 2

Washability: 4



Comments: Despite a deliciously minty scent, this tastes unpleasantly chalky – which is about the only bad thing we can say about it. It’s a “clot” rather than a liquid blood, but for all intents and purposes it looks like you’ve just cut yourself and given it a minute to dry. Fantastic brownish quality to the smear, great realistic midrange opacity and wonderful colour. Just a shame it’s not water soluble! (Has recently become available by the kilo, to the delight of your reviewers.) Highly suitable for all wound applications except where you need a good run/drip/spatter effect. MISCIBLE WITH KRYOLAN F/X!



Overall score: 5

SNAZAROO SPECIAL EFFECTS GEL BLOOD

Manufacturer/distributer: Snazaroo via most party shops/fancy dress shops

Price: £3 for 50ml

Viscosity: 4 (gelatinous)

Dry time: 30min

Water solubility: 2



Opacity: 1

Smear: 2 (bright red)

Initial appearance (white skin): 1

Initial appearance (white cloth): 2

Dry appearance: 2



Taste: -1

Washability: 5



Comments: A bright red, transparent gel blood. Use only in emergencies! Some testers have reported tingling or burning sensations on lips and sensitive skin. DON’T get this in your mouth or eyes! Taste is described as “the death of all your hopes and dreams” and “we needed to wash this out with hard liquor”. Acceptable for a dab of fresh blood here and there, but not great for dried blood, smear or use in quantity. May stain skin.



Overall score: 1

KRYOLAN F/X BLOOD DARK



Image copyright Tom Garnett 2014, from Odyssey LARP. Kryolan dark. Look at that gorgeous scab!



Manufacturer/distributer: Kryolan via Dauphines or Struts

Price: £4.80/50ml

Viscosity: 2

Dry time: 15min

Water solubility: 4



Opacity: 3

Smear: 5

Initial appearance (white skin): 5

Initial appearance (white cloth): 4

Dry appearance: 5



Taste: 3 (a bit soapy)

Washability: 5



Comments: Reviewer’s choice. We love this realistically runny, not-too-sticky venous blood that leaves a gorgeous scab – perfect for picking off and flicking at your mates an hour after the battle. Loses out slightly to Kensington in a taste test, but not unacceptable as a mouthblood. Water soluble, so can be “topped up” if your bottle goes squishy. The 50ml tubes are a good size for carrying discreetly and with a secure screwcap, you won’t suffer from the squeeze bottle “I have been fatally injured in my pocket” problem. We’re sad it’s not available by the litre!



Overall score: 5

GM PROBLOOD DARK ORIGINAL



Manufacturer/distributer: GM via Screen Face

Price: £6.60/60ml



Viscosity: 3

Dry time: Unknown (long)

Water solubility: -1. “is this that oil from The X-Files?”

Opacity: 1

Smear: 2 (great colour, horrible texture)



Initial appearance (white skin): 5

Initial appearance (white cloth): 2 (“On” is the operative word – cloth doesn’t absorb this normally)

Dry appearance: Remains sticky/tacky “forever”

Taste: 5

Washability: 5



Comments: Delicious! Sadly this oil-based blood, despite having a great colour and taste, leaves such an odd smear on skin that is even slightly damp (think oil on Teflon) that we can’t give it a high overall score. Like Kensington, an effectively “non-drying” blood that will remain tacky / retain a liquid appearance for a long time, so ideal for some monster applications. Pleasingly transparent, with a nice colour range in natural and artificial lights.



Overall score: 3

MOULDLIFE VENIAL (KENSINGTON GORE)

Image copyright Oliver Facey 2014, from Insurrection LRP. Mouldlife Venial.

Manufacturer/distributer: Kensington Gore / Mouldlife via Dauphines

Price: £30/kilo



Viscosity: 2

Dry time: 1hr+ / wetlook / “non drying”

Water solubility: 0

Opacity: 2

Smear: 5



Initial appearance (white skin): 4

Initial appearance (white cloth): 5

Dry appearance: Wetlook / “non drying”

Taste: 4

Washability: 5



Comments: The best “bulk buy” on our list, this is a high-quality stageblood that looks great under most lights and comes in very cheaply for a quantity that will last a long time. With a strong, sweet peppermint taste, good medium-range viscosity and opacity and a very convincing smear, this is one of the strongest bloods on our list. It only avoids reviewer’s choice by being a “non-drying” blood – ideal for wet look effects and monsters who need to look freshly blooded hours after initial makeup, but disappointing for PC wounds which should dry in the field. A lack of water solubility also means there’s no way to “stretch” your blood for larger quantities and splash.



Overall score: 4

KRYOLAN SPEZIAL FILMBLUT



Manufacturer/distributer: Kryolan via Dauphines

Price: £9.30/100ml



Viscosity: 2

Dry time: 1hr+ / non-drying

Water solubility: 0

Opacity: 2

Smear: 2 (pinkish)



Initial appearance (white skin): 3

Initial appearance (white cloth): 3

Dry appearance: N/A

Taste: 0

Washability: 5



Comments: A pinkish/purple “filmblood” that presumably looks good under film lights – we were unimpressed under both natural and artificial light. Quite oily and non-drying.



Overall score: 2

Image copyright Tom Garnett 2014, from Pioneers LARP. Blood unknown.

KRYOLAN INTERNAL BLOOD



Manufacturer/distributer: Kryolan via Dauphines

Price: £13/100ml



Viscosity: 2

Dry time: 1hr+ / non-drying

Water solubility: 0

Opacity: 5

Smear: 2 (pinkish-purple)



Initial appearance (white skin): 3

Initial appearance (white cloth): 3

Dry appearance: N/A

Taste: 0

Washability: 5



Comments: This is very much like a paintlike, totally opaque Filmblood, but rendered safe for internal (mouth) use. Disappointing smear. Probably great under film light.



Overall score: 2

GRAFTOBIAN THEATRICAL BLOOD PASTE



Manufacturer/distributer: Graftobian via Dauphines

Price: £6/oz



Viscosity: 6 (paste)

Dry time: Non-drying

Water solubility: 1

Opacity: 3

Smear: 3



Initial appearance (white skin): 3

Initial appearance (white cloth): 2 (paste – not absorbed)

Dry appearance: N/A

Taste: 3 (sweet but chalky)

Washability: 4



Comments: A bright wound filler paste by Graftobian, ideal for use in “fresh cut” latex prosthetics. Not recommended for scabs or smear – find something darker; this is very light and tends to pink.



Overall score: 3

BEN NYE STAGE BLOOD



Image copyright Tom Garnett 2014, from Vusoria LARP.



Manufacturer/distributer: Ben Nye via SP Services

Price: £16/500ml



Viscosity: 3

Dry time: 40min

Water solubility: 3

Opacity: 2

Smear: 2



Initial appearance (white skin): 4

Initial appearance (white cloth): 3

Dry appearance: 3

Taste: 5

Washability: 5



Comments: A nicely flexible (and delicious) midrange blood let down by a disappointing smear quality and lack of absorption into cloth.



Overall score: 3

MANDALA STUDIOS “RICH 101”

Manufacturer/distributer: Mandala LRP

Price: unknown (we bled all over the price label)



Viscosity: 4

Dry time: 30min

Water solubility: 3

Opacity: 4

Smear: 3



Initial appearance (white skin): 3

Initial appearance (white cloth): 3

Dry appearance: 2

Taste: 2

Washability: 5



Comments: A thick, viscous blood which tends towards the “paintlike” in both consistency and dried appearance. Very good colour, slightly odd texture with high opacity. Dries to a “bloodstain” rather than a scab. Relatively tasteless with a slightly chalky/tangy flavour. A good all-round field blood.



Overall score: 3

Image copyright David Lascelles 2014, from Odyssey LARP. Kryolan F/X.

MOULDLIFE AGED (KENSINGTON GORE)

Manufacturer/distributer: Kensington Gore / Mouldlife via Dauphines

Price: £5.60/50g or £32/kg



Viscosity: 3

Dry time: 1hr+ / wetlook / “non drying”

Water solubility: 0

Opacity: 3

Smear: 5



Initial appearance (white skin): 4

Initial appearance (white cloth): 5

Dry appearance: Wetlook / “non drying”

Taste: 4

Washability: 5



Comments: Thicker and less runny than its Venial brother, a very nice blood for zombies and other darker/gorier applications. Less of a strong peppermint flavour. Other than colour and viscosity, functionally identical to Mouldlife Venial.



Overall score: 4

KRYOLAN FRESHSCRATCH



Image copyright Oliver Facey 2014, from Insurrection LRP. Freshscratch and unknown liquid blood (I guess Mouldlife from the smear.)





Manufacturer/distributer: Kryolan via Kryolan via Dauphines or Struts

Price: £7/50ml



Viscosity: 6 (paste)

Dry time: 5min

Water solubility: 2

Opacity: 4

Smear: 3



Initial appearance (white skin): 3

Initial appearance (white cloth): 4

Dry appearance: 5

Taste: 2

Washability: 4



Comments: Another in our “not actually a blood” series, Freshscratch is used for creating scabs and older wounds. It’s a paste much like Graftobian, but significantly darker and more scablike. It dries to a nice gooey/flaky consistency that cracks under heat and on flexible surfaces, just like a scab. Tends to purple when smeared.



Overall score: 4

KRYOLAN WOUND FILLER DARK



Kryolan Wound Filler makes for good grazes and scrapes in small quantities. Hand is blogger’s own.



Manufacturer/distributer: Kryolan via Dauphines or Struts

Price: £8.75 / 50ml



Viscosity: 5 (paste)

Dry time: 5min

Water solubility: 3

Opacity: 4

Smear: 4



Initial appearance (white skin): 5

Initial appearance (white cloth): 4

Dry appearance: 5

Taste: 1

Washability: 4



Comments: This “wound filler” is a paste used to supply the bloodied-flesh look inside wound appliances and other makeup jobs. It’s a horrifying spongey texture out of the pot, like a lighter, airier Freshscratch. Makes good scabs/grazes when smeared, particularly when blended with a bit of Mouldlife Clot. The colour is better than Scratch when smeared, with less of the unrealistic purple effect. Tastes horrendous.



Overall score: 4

KRYOLAN HYDRO FIX BLOOD





Manufacturer/distributer: Kryolan via Dauphines

Price: £10.75 / 20ml



Viscosity: 4

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water solubility: 3

Opacity: 4

Smear: 5



Initial appearance (white skin): 3

Initial appearance (white cloth): 3

Dry appearance: 5

Taste: N/A

Washability: 4



Comments: OK, so yes, this is super expensive, but bear with me because it’s also super exciting. This is basically a tackier, paste-consistency version of Kryolan F/X, but made with alcohol so that it evaporates and “dries” very very quickly and more comprehensively than its water-based cousins. While this means you need to be careful around eyes, mouth and mucous membranes, and it’s not as “friendly” a blood for splashing around in quantity, it also means that you get EXACTLY the scab you want developing on the battlefield as soon as your wounds are applied. The dried flakes crumble just like real blood. One for the surgeon’s medkit!



Overall score: 4

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This man has suffered a sporting injury and is actually bleeding from a minor headwound. Note the midrange opacity and orange-red smear tone where it has mixed with his sweat. Image copyright Oliver Facey 2014, from Odyssey LARP.

Caveats:

- This doesn’t include any home-made concoctions. There are some great “make your own” fakebloods out there, but quality and manufacture is so variable that we haven’t included any in our reviews.

- Results are skewed towards “use as a LARP PC in the field”, so we’ve tended to give lower marks to things we wouldn’t be happy covering ourselves in after a mosh (but which may nevertheless be great for make-up artists creating beautiful NPCs in the studio).

- Credit to Dan A, Frances H, Tea, Fyrheafoc, Bluebottle, Duckbunny and anyone else I’ve missed from the initial two rounds of testing.

- Our opinions are subjective and YMMV. If yours does, please do write your own review - the more opinions the better.

- Source links tend to be “the last place I bought this from” rather than “the cheapest/best/most reliable distributor”.

- I’m very aware that all these are only tested on white skin so far - if any LARPers of colour have insights, photos or comparisons to offer, they would be gratefully received.