Whether you want to be a wicked witch, a tiger, a vampire or a member of the walking dead, local business Daydreams and Nightmares can help bring your favorite Halloween character to life. Through the use of professional makeup and talented makeup artists, Daydreams and Nightmares can help add that perfect finishing touch to complete your Halloween transformation.

Dana Walters, owner of Daydreams and Nightmares, says that many times people who try to apply their own theatrical makeup at home are using the wrong techniques to ensure a look that lasts through the entire evening.

“So many people want to use tutorials on sites like YouTube, but those tutorials are not always accurate,” said Walters. “For example, there’s a popular one for a zombie-look that uses tissue paper, but it really does not end up looking good and usually falls off quickly. We use products such as silicone gel, and it looks real. A lot of people just use techniques that don’t really work, but we’ll make sure to actually tell our customers what works and what doesn’t.”

Using professional products such as Ben Nye – a brand of theatrical makeup that can also be used for everyday use – the artists can create realistic looking wounds and a myriad of different looks.

In fact, the business has become so well known for their realistic-looking makeup work that many of the local high schools in Modesto utilize the store’s makeup artists for their Every 15 minutes program – a program designed to show students a hauntingly realistic scenario of the dangers of drinking and driving.

While the business is open year-round, the store gets swamped with makeup appointments as Halloween draws near.

“We have a lot of customers requesting Day of the Dead makeup, tons of zombies, and full body paintings as well,” said Walters. “There was one customer who comes each year to get the full body painting service, and has been transformed into a zebra one year and a character from the movie ‘Avatar’ the year before that.”

The store offers a complete line of fake blood, all of which are non-toxic and can be put in one’s mouth.

“There’s even a line of fake blood that we carry that is mint flavored, so it doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth,” said Walters.

And while many local costume and Halloween stores offer the ever-popular vampire fangs, Daydreams and Nightmares goes the extra mile and molds each pair of vampire fangs with the customer in-store to guarantee a perfect fit.

“It’s our favorite time of the year around here,” said Walters. “It’s really fun to see what people want to have done.”

Although walk-ins are welcomed, an appointment is highly recommended throughout the month of October. Makeup appointments generally start at $50 and increase in price depending on the amount of work needed.

Daydreams and Nightmares is located at 1408 N. Carpenter Rd. in Modesto, and can be reached by calling (209) 575-0023.



— CARA HALLAM/
209 staff reporter