Make-up hints


Have a look in here:
Djamila's hints for a stage make-up with many other links
Dschinny's make-up hints for a photo-shooting

With the time, I have gathered some experience with make-up, especially with stage make-up in colored light.
Rule of thumb: on stage, most part of the colors is simply swallowed by the light, so a colored eye shadow is not recommendable. You should prefer strong contrasts, black/white effects. Black sinks into the background, white becomes prominent.
Blue light swallows blue color, yellow light swallows yellow and red light swallows red color: the rouge and the lip stick become invisible.
You have a chance with pink, i.e. bluish rouge and lipstick, the blue portion is not swallowed completely by the light. Hint: buy colored light bulbs (incl. black light) and try at home what effect the different light colors have on your make-up.
Do not use glitter, it only reflects the light.

I have very good experience with Kryolan products, generally well tolerated, well covering, without glitter or fragrance and relatively cheap. You get it in special make-up or ballet shops (yellow pages!). On the homepage of Reyhan/Orienta you can see and order them.

Now prepare your face: wash it and apply cream, then wait for the cream to be absorbed.
Apply a foundation, a well covering make-up. Better use a color similar to that of your teint instead of trying to imitate sun tan! A fair face seems radiant and fresh, a dark one tired and wrinkly (a look at magazine photos will convince you). I use a sponge for applying the make-up, so I can distribute it more easily.
First cover any impurities of your skin, for example with this greenish cover stick.
You can also apply camouflage for that purpose, a thick, very well covering make-up that is massaged into the skin. After powdering, it is water-proof, wipe-proof and resistant against almost anything. Camouflage make-up hides birth marks and scars, but also pimples, moskito bites or other stains to be hidden.
You even can use camouflage as a foundation, that requires some practice but is very lasting!
Then cover your whole face with loose powder (fixing powder).

Next step: the eyes. First I clean the upper lid up to the eyebrows with a kleenex. Then I distribute a fixation on the eye lids to keep the eye shadow where I apply it. I use "Eye Shadow Base - Ombre Creme" by Lancaster, which more or less has my teint color. There will also be other suitable fixation products. I distribute these on the upper lid and powder it again.

Before I start applying eye shadow, I place a powder barrier below the eyes: dip the brush into the powder and place a thick layer below the eyes. You look like an owl, but later you can simply remove eye shadow crumbs with a compressed thick brush without leaving dark traces!

Now starts the painting: I always try to draw those Indian almond eyes. Therefore I use kajal stick or eyeliner (good for the upper lid) or this black fat-based Kryolan make-up (applied with a brush, powdered and very lasting!)
The black kajal (for a stage performance, it has to be black, for smaller events and/or closer contact to the audience it can be grey or dark brown) is applied in a thin, but visible line all around the eye including the inner eye corner. On the lower lid, it is applied both on the inside and below the lashes, right between the lash basis. Do not leave any fair parts between the lashes!
In the outer eye corner, the kajal line ends in a 1 - 1,5 cm (0.4 - 0.6 inches) long tip pointing towards the end of the eyebrow (according to eye shape). A straight or downward pointing eye line gives a sad expression!

Now I try to "enlarge" the eyes even more by applying eye shadow as a shadow above the lid fold. Above because then the eye shadow is still visible when the eye is open!
With charcoal-grey eye shadow, I draw a shadow above the lid fold, starting in the inner eye corner with a thin line (brush width 2 - 3 mm, 0.08 - 0,1 inch) that grows thicker towards the sides (6 - 10 mm, 0.23 - 0.31 inches). The upper edge follows the eyebrow bow, ending in the extension of the black kajal line. Wipe out the transition zone a bit.
Again powder to fix everything and keep the eye shadow in place.

The position of the eye shadow depends upon the eye shape: better leave it out if you have only little room between eye and eyebrow. If your eye lids are somewhat "sloped" , try to imitate larger eyes with dark shadow, upply artificial lashes for small eyes and for deep-set eyes - oh, it is not easy! Don't be angry if I can't offer hints for everyone; if in doubt, see a professional make-up expert. Write down (and make pictures of) anything you like, and then practice at home until you are satisfied with the result!

Now apply black mascara on the lashes, twice at least! Some like artificial lashes which are applied starting from the inside (before powdering!).
The eyebrows have to be highlighted: too bushy parts are trimmed and darkened (best with the almost dry mascara brush after finishing the lashes!)

Professionals place some rouge below the outer end of the eyebrow and also at the inner eye corner below the eyebrow, a bit downwards along the nose sides, that gives a fresh look. (I hope anybody understands that!)
Rouge may be applied rather generously (best with a brush) and next to the hair line and slightly above the eyes (careful!) to give the face some shape. For a narrow face, focus on the outer parts, for a wider face more on the inner part.

Draw a dark line (grey or brown) around the lips so that in reddish stage light you can see at least the shape of the lips. The lipstick for a stage event should be rather bluish. I prefer dry, well covering and long lasting (kiss proof?) lipsticks.

Some more hints:

And if you look into the mirror now and think: "looks great, but I can't go out like this!?" - then you have got it!

Perfume for comfort (not on sequins and rhinestones!), a last glance: does everything match? Fine, let's go!

3 recommended books:
Kevin Aucoin: All about Make-up, 59,00 €
Kevin Aucoin: Die Kunst des Make-up, 30,00 €
Rene Koch: Camouflage, 15,00 €
Check in a bookstore whether they are worthwhile buying!

Shiva has assisted me with these hints, in July 2000 Marisa das addes some input, thank you!


Copyright © 2000-2012 by Nadya - All rights reserved.
Last modified: