A: Soheyr Azar: (with her pharmacist cap on...) Baby oil/mineral oil does work well and is non-irritating to the SKIN, but it does have adverse effects inside the EYE. The eye is mostly water and can not tolerate oil well. Baby oil has been reported to have collected INSIDE the eyeball and this is VERY BAD. Keep it out of the eyes. Keep ALL oils out of the eyes.

All oils can and will go rancid. Store in the refrigerator for more longevity. Do not put fingers into the jars--use an new applicator, swab, etc. each time -- since using your fingers or reusing swabs puts germs into the jars and breaks the cream down. Makeup and creams really should be replaced about every 6 months to 1 year.

Q: How long does makeup keep?

A: Aziza Sa'id: Makeup, even though it often has preservatives in it, does not keep forever... it can become rancid and can become a home for bacteria. Most makeup will keep for 6 months or a year if it is properly stored (avoid excessive heat) and handled (don't re-use applicators). After that it should be replaced. Also watch for changes in color, smell and consistency - if any of these occur, throw it out and get new makeup. Whenever possible, do not re-use applicators - a fresh one each time will reduce the amount of bacteria you put into the makeup container. A professional makeup artist once told me she never touches the makeup (in the container) with an applicator that has touched the client's skin - that way she doesn't contaminate the makeup. She goes through a lot of applicators, but doesn't have any problem with the makeup going bad early or with passing eye infections between clients...

A: Soheyr Azar: (with her pharmacist cap on...) All oils and oil-based products can and will go rancid. Store in the refrigerator for more longevity. Do not put fingers into the jars--use an new applicator, swab, etc. each time -- since using your fingers or reusing swabs puts germs into the jars and breaks the cream down. Makeup and creams really should be replaced about every 6 months to 1 year.

Q: Why do I need all that makeup anyway?

A: Laurie: (Warning: I have a BA in Theatre and I'm not afraid to use it!)

First, the audience can't SEE your face under stage lighting unless you accentuate and exaggerate your features! The lighting is normally so bright that your face washes out and become a blob with no eyes or mouth or any real shape to it. Most folks (those who haven't performed before) don't quite understand how much the lighting washes out faces. If you can, get together with some other people in a stage area and look at each other under performance lights without proper make-up, and then look at someone else (perhaps your teacher?) with the real thing on.

Or see if you can get to a theatrical performance where they can meet the stage actors after seeing the show before they get washed up. You will see the actors on stage, where they look "normal", and then see them afterwards where they just look bloody weird with all that stage make-up on. Or see if you can get to the local TV studio while they are taping the news. The anchors wear almost as much make-up as we do sometimes!

I DO find that there is a calming ritual to putting on my make-up, to transforming my plain, bookwormish, costumer-with-the-tape-measure-around-my-neck self into a dancer, into someone who commands attention and admiration on stage. It allows me to become someone else, be it a sequined diva or a sweet girl folk dancing. It allows me to put on that mantle of confidence that I rarely (if ever) actually feel when I step out on stage. And all that with the brush of some blush and heavy eyeliner!

It takes a while to get to that place as a performer for some folks -- I am lucky in that I've had prior theatre experience and have pretty much always used putting my make-up and costume on as a ritual to calm the stage nerves. (For as much as I enjoy performing, there is always that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, especially right before I go on when I can't ever remember a darn thing. Then the music comes up and I'm fine. Shrug... Go figure...)

A: Aziza Sa'id: My usual advice to people who don't usually wear make up is put on WAY more color than you think you need, then stand back from the mirror 5 feet and see how it looks. This will give you an idea of what you look like to an audience from 10 feet away. If you can't clearly see your features (Gee, Bill, does the dancer have eyes?) you're not done yet. Get some help from someone you know who's stage makeup looks good to you... while they are on stage.

A: Alia: It is part of what makes a dancer a professional, part of our craft. Aside from the very practical reasons, that you're facial expressions will show up better. Lights, including sunlight washes people out. Distance blends details together. So grab the foundation and those false eyelashes...

A: Zemyna: When I looked at photos of Martha Graham in a modern dance book, with her ultra-exagerated eye make-up, I had a revelation - I "got-it." Go take a look at her photos. Grrreeaaat!

A: Elisa: The best makeup I've found for stage is M.A.C. - the colors are all high pigment, they go on well, last, and will not crease. The M.A.C. makeup counter girls will be more than thrilled to help you out with a stage look. The best mascara IN THE WORLD (for dancing) is L'Oreal Waterproof Lash Out. Run, don't walk, to the drugstore & get some. If you do it right, everyone will think you have false eyelashes on. Hold the brush close to the base of your lashes, "scrub" the brush a little to deposit the color, then brush it out to the ends. 2 coats, or more!. I like to put one coat of non-waterproof mascara as a base coat so the waterproof stuff will wash off easier later. The foundation I use is Clinique Work Out Makeup. Sweat resistant, really good coverage.

A: Eris: Maybelline Waterproof Ultraliner -- easily available, cheap, and this stuff does NOT come off! Lipstick-wise, I love Revlon's ColorStay.

A: Shahenda: I have found that Maybelliene's "Eye Express Easy Lining Pen" works really well. What I generally do is apply the liquid eyeliner first...let it dry well...then follow over top with a smudge proof waterproof kohl type eyeliner. This keeps the eyeliner in place for several hours. In terms of kohl eyeliners I like the products from a company called Lord & Berry.

In terms of good eye-shadow...I love Clinique's "Stay the Day Eye Shadow". Talk about a product that lives up to its name! They last me all day (well..at least 8 or 10 hours) without giving me greasy creases of gunk.

To seal it all off...a company called Benefit makes a product called "She-laq". It is a clear liquid "sealant" that applies with a tiny brush to seal in your eye makeup for the ultimate staying power.

A: Aziza - Ontario, Canada: Well where to begin? For eyeliner (1,000 thanks for the recommendation Auntie Rocky!!!) Maybelline Waterproof eyeliner. I have yet to end up with raccoon eyes and believe me I put it through its paces. As for other makeup, I use Revlon Colorstay foundation. In fact, the entire Colorstay line is great!!!

A: Joyce: For more "heavy duty" cover up, there is Dermablend Cover Cream line that is unbelievable. If applied in thin layers, it doesn't crease or cake, and that stuff will stay on through a couple of performances.

A: Ayana: After eighteen years of stage performance in various venues, I would highly recommend going to a performing/theatrical arts supply store in your area. They will have a good line of theatrical make-up (Ben Nye comes to mind), which will hold through heavy sweat and will also hold up under professional stage lighting. They also have a hypo-allergenic line.

Q: How do I apply makeup so it stays when I dance (even if I sweat)?

A: Elisa: The technique I use is: foundation, including the eyelids. Set with powder. Apply dry color (eye shadow & blush), set with powder. Another layer of color (the powder will have dulled the first layer a bit; this brings the color back up and will also help it last longer). Apply "wet" color (eyeliner, lipstick) & mascara. After performing, PAT your face with a towel, NEVER RUB. Or fan your face & walk around a bit to cool down. You can splash your face with water (ONLY if you used waterproof mascara!) and PAT dry.

For eye liner - consider using a fine angle brush (for eyeliner or brows), wet, with eye shadow. I start with the brush wet enough so the color goes on like ink, then layer more on with the water/color ratio more like a paste. Let dry a moment, & you can set it with even more dry color. It will not budge! You will need to wash your face twice to get it off, maybe with eye makeup remover. This method works great not only because it lasts and won't smear, but also because it's much easier to apply than liquid liner (yet looks the same) and dries a lot faster, and you can use any color of eye shadow you want.

A: Aziza Sa'id: Here's what I do, it stays very well, although sometimes if I sweat especially hard I will get a bit of under eye smudge....

I prefer a powdercream foundation, (usually found in a compact, not a bottle or tube) - it's an oil based foundation that goes on like a cream. That is followed by powdered blush & contour. This sets very well with a dusting of translucent finishing powder. Even if I sweat hard, the powdercream stuff doesn't seem to run... at the end of the show I just pat my face down lightly with a tissue and the makeup sets right back in place... no touch up needed for the 2nd show.

I set my eyeshadow by applying a light layer of concealer cream (nude or white) first, then powder eyeshadow over that - this never runs - and it doesn't crease either!

I use a liquid waterproof eyeliner, Maybelline makes a good one. I like the liquid formula because it's easy to get a clean narrow line and doesn't budge, even with sweating.

I use a waterproof black mascara, the one I really liked has been discontinued so I'm looking for a new candidate... using a clean mascara brush to apply a light coat of Vaseline over the mascara helps quite a bit.

I use Colorstay lipstick - if you put it on, let it set up 60 sec, then blot - actually stays put - doesn't come off on your glass, or your guy - or your veil either - unless you rub! For other lipsticks, I use an over-coat of My Lips Are Sealed - a roll-on gloss that does a remarkably good job of what it says.

I've just started using some loose powder eyeshadows and I'm liking them a lot! The ones I've got are made locally and have the most intense colors and stay put (over consealer as above). They're expensive but it takes very little to get a good, rich color, so I think they'll last pretty well. Available from: Cheryl Coleman / Ron Evans POBox 332 Calimesa, CA 92320 (909)795-5924.

 

Q: I don't usually wear much makeup... How do I apply makeup for stage?

A: Aziza Sa'id: If you are exposing skin, it's good to have all that skin look approximately the same color (face, neck, arms, stomach, legs). Foundation just to your jaw line and then your lovely alabaster neck (I've seen that a lot!) .... well, the audience will know what's you and what's not! You can use the same foundation on the rest of your body as you do on your face, or you can get theatrical body makeup, just be sure the color matches.

If you can, try your makeup on and check it under the club's lights to see how it works a day or two BEFORE the show.

My usual advice to people who don't usually wear make up is put on WAY more color than you think you need. For restaurant work, stand back from the mirror 5 feet and see how it looks. This will give you an idea of what you look like to an audience from 10 feet away. If you can't clearly see your features (Gee, Bill, does the dancer have eyes?) you're not done yet. Get some help from someone you know who's stage makeup looks good to you... while they are on stage. If you are going to be on stage where you will be further from the audience, check your makeup from further away from the mirror... 10 or 15 feet if you can.

Lighting has a big effect on how your makeup looks... normal restaurant lighting is no problem - similar to your house lighting but may be brighter or dimmer. Club lighting may be quite different, however. Be sure to take your makeup kit with you to the gig in case you need to make adjustments once you get there.

If the lighting is dimmer than your house lights, you will need more defined makeup and perhaps a lighter foundation.

If there are good spot lights, what looks good at home (5 feet from your mirror) may be fine, but you may need to add more defined shadows.

If the lighting is colored (red, amber, blue-yech!) you may need to alter the usual color scheme you use. I found out the hard way about that one - The club had all red stage lights - lovely warm color, but when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror from the stage, my entire red/pink/fuschia based makeup had Completely VANISHED! I went out the next day and bought a brown-based makeup set - which will show up under red lights - for use when I dance in that club.

A: Jocelyne: Kevyn Aucoin's book Making Faces is a good book that you might find useful.

A: Marya: I found a great book: Stage Makeup Step By Step by Rosemarie Swinfield. . The only drawback is that it does not address sweat other than that caused by stage lighting. I sweat a lot!! I drip, I splatter, I drench!! Delilahs video on costuming recommends using a foundation designed for aerobics. I couldn't find the brand she uses but the local Rite Aide had a reasonable substitute. Using professional theatrical makeup is vital, it resists sweat much better than any regular makeup.

The other important thing to remember is stage make up does not necessarily look good except under stage lighting.

A: Saghirah: My teacher used to tell us..."more lips", "more eyes", "more cheeks"...after she had examined each and every one of us in the dressing room. I'd then look back at the mirror and think..."MORE???, I already look like a drag queen!" But believe me, under those stage lights, you look like you almost have no makeup on at all! Ever seen yourself in a video or photo afterwards? Take that as an indicator to how much more heavy handed you need to be next time!

I have discovered that closely studying the newsreaders gives me lots of ideas on how to do my makeup, or try something different. For one thing, you get a good close up of their face usually on and off for at least half an hour...plus they are professionally made up, especially for TV and especially to look gorgeous in those close ups!

A: Joya: I know some small-chested dancers who accentuate their decolletage by putting brown shadow in the middle and highlighter on the breasts. Also, some of my troupe mates put iridescent glitter gel on their shoulders and breasts.

A: Shanna: Light reflects off of foundation and powder, so if nothing else it can be good to dust the neck and chest (and stomach if you like) with powder. This way you get the same "finish" all over. This happens in photos too, and is why you see some pictures with a bright/shiny face and darker or matte neck/chest/body. One doesn't have to do this everyday, but for performance and photo taking (which often go hand in hand) I think it's a good idea.

Light also brings things forward and dark causes them to recede. Which is why it's good to use a darker contour powder around the jawline, hairline, collarbone, cleavage. It adds dimension to the face and body.

A: Asha: I have stretch marks, and I don't wear bikinis, so I am much more tanned on my extremities. I solve this by wearing a fishnet body stocking (they tend to come in a suntan tone) when I wear bra and belt sets. Not only does it even out the skin tone, but I truly believe that it presents a more polished look.

 

Q: What about makeup tips for fluorescent or stage lighting?

A: Jenny: Wear a lipstick that is a very very orange red, to look pink. Red bases are often blue tinted, which turns brown under stage lights. Wear foundation a shade darker than normal day wear. Wear blusher applied more heavily than normal. For stage, eyes should be overdone and use false eyelashes as they will appear small & piggy if worn as normal.

 

Q: Do you have any recommendations for learning about makeup?

A: Dawn's Video Recommendations:

Maleah's Face It! is designed specifically with the dancer's needs in mind. I was fortunate enough to get a makeover from Maleah when I lived in San Diego and I found her tips and techniques invaluable! I highly recommend that if you are in the Southern California area to either get a personal consultation and if you are too far away, try to see this video.

Fat Chance Belly Dance has a delightful video for those dancers pursuing a more Tribal/Fusion style of dance called Fat Chance Makeup and Costume Video. This video is filled with lots of info, tips and techniques for achieving this look. I recommend it to all dancers really, because aside from the facial tattoos the makeup hints are applicable for all performers. This video also has the advantage that it is quite affordable.

A: Dawn's Book Recommendations:

While many folks have mentioned Kevin Aucoin's The Art of Makeup and Making Faces on the list, I would like to mention a few other makeup books that are worth checking into.

Richard Corsan's Stage Makeup With over 400 pages and thousands of illustrations, this book is considered THE industry bible by theatrical makeup artists. It's expensive, huge and packed with info, much of which will have little direct application for dance (Would you ever use the period makeup section? Would you ever apply prosthetics? Perhaps!) If you can only afford one serious book on the art and craft of makeup, this is it.

Penny Delamar's The Complete Make-Up Artists: Working in Film, Television and Theater. Half the size of Corsan's book but much less than half the cost. This book covers all the basics of application of makeup. Very useful are the hints and tips for handling different lighting situations, which can be quite helpful for the dancer. The perspective and technique can be awkward in places, but in general, this is a really good book.

Vincent J-R Kehoe's The Technique of the Professional Make Up Artist This book is great for it's in depth discussion of television makeup. For those dancers who are producing performance or instructional videos, this book can be an invaluable resource for adjusting your standard makeup techniques for the video media.

A: Dawn's Internet Recommendations: There are hoards of web sites for cosmetic companies, makeup artists, fashion experts and others designed to lure you into buying product. However, most include makeup 'tips' as bonus sections of their sites. In my estimation, the best one I have found is http://www.ivillage.com/beauty/experts/ The emphasis is on glamour and day wear, but many of the issues tips can be integrated into the routines of dancers. For an easy to use list of makeup web sites I recommend the open directory: http://dmoz.org/Shopping/Health_and_Beauty/Cosmetics

A: Bronwyn: One resource that might help since there are so many options out there are the books by Paula Begoun, including Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me. It covers cosmetics and cleansers, etc. She also has a book on hair care products. Her website is http://www.cosmeticscop.com. She's a one person Consumer Reports for the personal care industry. The information allowed me to find less expensive products that still didn't make my eyes all red and puffy.

A: Marya: A great book: Stage Makeup Step By Step by Rosemarie Swinfield. The only drawback is that it does not address sweat other than that caused by stage lighting. I sweat a lot!! I drip, I splatter, I drench!! Delilahs video on costuming recommends using a foundation designed for aerobics. I couldn't find the brand she uses but the local Rite Aide had a reasonable substitute. Using professional theatrical makeup is vital, it resists sweat much better than any regular makeup.

A: Aziza Sa'id: Here are some other resources you may find helpful... Period Make-Up for the Stage: Step-By-Step by Rosemarie Swinfield

The Face Is a Canvas: The Design and Technique of Theatrical Makeup by Irene Corey

Make-up Techniques for Photography by Cliff and Nancy Hollenbeck

Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin

Ultimate Makeup and Beauty Book by Mary Quant

Pamela Taylor's Professional Makeup Course A Reviewer: Excellent content for anyone interested in learning real behind the scenes techniques from a true professional. This video is great for personal and or professional use, and contains information such as: How to choose and use the correct colors according your skin tone and facial palette. Contouring, highlighting, brow shaping and much more. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning behind the scenes professional techniques!

 

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