BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 For Cody Grammer, creating creepy characters and realistic wounds is more than a Halloween hobby. It’s a lifelong passion that has now led her to a national competition supporting children and families facing serious medical challenges.<\/p>\n
Grammer, a local special-effects makeup artist, is competing in Colossal’s 2026 Face of Halloween contest, which partners with Starlight Children’s Foundation to raise money for children and families facing serious medical challenges.<\/p>\n
The competition uses votes and donations to determine which contestants advance.<\/p>\n
Grammer says thousands of people entered the competition, and she has advanced to the top 20 in her group, where she currently ranks third.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a very young age, I became obsessed with horror, gore, and Halloween,\u201d Grammer said.<\/p>\n
That passion has grown into an artistic outlet, with Grammer using supplies such as liquid latex, glue and makeup to create realistic-looking cuts, gashes and other special effects.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe process basically goes: I lock myself in the bathroom if the kids are here, pump up the music, and just go to work for about 2 to 3 hours on my look, and I’ll pop out and scare the kids, and they love it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
But the competition represents more than an opportunity to showcase her makeup skills.<\/p>\n
Grammer says she has lost 115 pounds over the past year and has been working to explore new opportunities and become more confident in herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m just trying to branch out there and do more stuff now that I feel more confident in my own body,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She hopes her experience encourages others to step outside their comfort zones and pursue interests they may have never thought possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was just a stay-at-home mom, that my biggest achievement would be like my kids going to college, but I’m starting to think that I can do stuff too,\u201d Grammer said.<\/p>\n