When the audience first gets the chance to see a play, musical, or dance on stage, they do not normally focus on the theatre make up of the actors and dancers; instead, they get caught up in the art of the theatre production. However, the first time they get to meet these actors and dancers backstage, they are surprised that they do not resemble anyone that they had seen performing. The reason is the stage makeup.
Stage make up is thick, garish and can make anyone look like anything. One good example is the makeup used for the play Cats, where all of the actors resemble the feline characters they were playing. When properly applied, this stage make up can effectively augment both the actor and their roles. Improperly applied, and it can fade beneath the harsh stage lights.
Applying The Foundation
The very first to go on the skin would be the foundation and this has to be very thick. The colour chosen should be darker than the original skin tone. If there is no colour that goes well with the skin tone, two colours can be blended in together; the lighter tone always applied first before the darker one. The foundation should be made to blend into the hairline, over the face, the ears and down to the front and back of the neck. If the neckline is very low, make sure to apply it at least one or two inches below the neckline of the costume. This is necessary so the face does not look like a fake mask placed on the actor.
Applying The Blush
Once all of the foundation has been applied and allowed to dry, it is now the turn of the blush. For men, a rosy colour is preferred, but this would depend on their roles. The blush for the men is usually streaked across their cheekbones and blended above and below the cheek. For the women, it can be any shade but has to be very dark to be seen as an actual blush from the stage under the lights.
Applying Eye Make Up
The most complicated part of the makeup application is the eye makeup. First, apply the highlighter over the brow bone and then underneath the eye. Blend in well to avoid streaking. Second, a darker shade from the skin tone should be applied just above the eyelid, beneath the highlighter. Again, blend in well to avoid streaking. Then, apply darker colours as eyeliner. For the men, this should be enough, . However, for the women, they can add more eyeliner and more colour over their eyelids. This is much like putting on everyday makeup but it has to be more obvious, darker, and more intense. Unless the role is very dramatic, do not add black. For the finishing touch, apply mascara on the eyelashes.
Applying Lipstick
This is the simplest thing to apply. For the men, choose a colour that is a shade darker than the natural lip skin colour and match it with a lip liner. For the women, choose a colour that will shine under the harsh lights like fire engine red. Apply lip liner as well, but not outside of the natural lip line, otherwise the lips would look pasted on the face of the actor. Fill the lips completely unless otherwise dictated by the role or by the director. The lip liner will make the lipstick last through the hours of the play, not needing any touch up every ten or twenty minutes.
The Finishing Touch
This final touch to the whole theatre make up application is the loose powder that has to be dusted over the whole face and neck. When used properly, it can make the skin look more translucent under the harsh lights. The purpose of the loose powder is to make the stage makeup stick on the skin, not melt under the harsh and very hot lights. For the hair, consider buying some hair products online that will guarantee the hair to stay in shape through the whole two to three hours. For the nails, add a dramatic look to the role by applying shatter nail polish.
Author Resource:-
Leah Williams writes articles for Glitterstore, an online beauty retailer who sells theatre make up brands such as Stargazer and offer a large variety of cosmetics, ranging from hair to face, to body products. One beauty trend they are offering is shatter nail polish, a nail top coat which cracks and shows the varnish underneath to give it a shattered look. With a huge choice of hair products online, they house any beauty item that will make the wearer stand out.
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