—Steven Horak
Retail cosmetic counters also offer a chance to gain experience with a wide variety of skin tones, facial structure, and vanity, but you will experience doing only “symmetrical beauty makeup,” which is not always applied in film.
Pro Tip
The camera loves irregularity. It photographs well, so we do not necessarily strive for symmetry in film.
Makeup Artists use their artistry on the skin to create, but we also provide a service. We care for the person's outer look or character, and in some situations for the person himself or herself, as well as that person's skin. We care for the looks we create and the person we paint on. Maintaining the look of the character takes place over the length of the film or project, from one day to several months. Film and TV projects have long workdays—with 13 to 14 hours per day being typical, as well as the possibility of working 18 to 19 hours per day.
Makeup applied in the morning needs to be maintained and many times reapplied throughout the day. It can be grueling, but, we hope, creatively fulfilling.
With film, there is a beginning, middle, and an end to the story, with the character's movement (and makeup) throughout. In TV, there is a continuing story line, with the same character movement (and makeup)—just a much longer, and sometimes seemingly unending, story line. Print shoots have a shorter day—8 hours is the norm—creatively driven by the photographer, art director, and the client. On some exterior location shoots, they will split up the day: shoot in the morning sun, take a break from the midday sun, and start shooting again in the late-afternoon sun. Stage productions can have long hours during the rehearsal and prep time before opening the show, with 10- to 12-hour days being typical. Once a stage production has “opened,” the show calls vary between three and five hours per call (or show), with one day per week as a maintenance day, where you start work earlier to do repairs and maintain the show. On a production with eight show calls per week, there will be two days per week with a matinée and an evening performance, typically on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Theatrical productions operate on a six-day week. Opera schedules are continuous throughout their season, with every opera house maintaining a different “season.” Try all media available to you. It is great experience, and helpful in deciding where your talents, personality, and intuition work best.
The Skin
Opinions are divided as to the level of attention Makeup Artists should pay to skin care. There are three types of Makeup Artists. Some believe that skin care should be left up to the individual and/or his or her dermatologist to care for the skin, reasoning that it takes time to correct skin conditions and develop a proper skin-care regime, which needs to be done morning and evening. Some products need to be absorbed completely before applying makeup (and thus done at home before work), and in some cases, treatment products should be used only at night before bed (retinols). It takes time and money to develop a skin-care routine that works best for the individual. Often several weeks are needed to correct a skin condition—it cannot be done in a day. This group of Makeup Artists will expect the individual to maintain their own daily routine of skin care and cleansing. They will expect the person to show up to work ready for makeup application, having already applied products at home at the proper time for absorption.
Another group of Makeup Artists are also licensed aestheticians (the study of skin care), and thus will be more involved in skin care. As the style of filmmaking, technology, and surgical procedures advances and expands, so has the trend for arming oneself with skin care knowledge. This group of Makeup Artists will recommend products and prep the skin before makeup, as well as cleanse and treat the skin at wrap. (“Wrap” is the term called by the first AD—assistant director—at completion of the day's filming.) These Makeup Artists believe in being proactive in skin care, diminishing breakouts as much as possible or correcting dull skin. Acne can be diminished by makeup, lighting, and camera filters, but with a 40-foot screen, dimensional imperfections are hard to hide. (If shooting digital, corrections can be made in “post” or the final product.) Clear skin is always the optimum, and this type of Makeup Artist has the knowledge and background to work toward the goal of correcting skin problems to achieve smooth, clear skin.
The third group of Makeup Artists falls in between the two other types. This group will have knowledge of skin care and will take the time to be current in products and treatments for the skin, although they may or may not be licensed aestheticians. They will prep, tone, moisturize, sun-block, and sometimes apply masks. They will likely do cleansing at wrap. It has become common to see a professional towel caddie on the counter in makeup trailers (towel caddies keep wet towels warm for cleanup). All Makeup Artist groups work with sun-block. We have a responsibility to protect the skin in exterior locations. Your choice of involvement will become your working style, and should be based on your beliefs and education or knowledge of skin care. We do recommend that you take the time to keep current with skin-care trends and makeup products throughout your career. If you choose to make skin care part of your working style, please note that it adds time to your workday, and some productions will not accept overtime incurred for cleanup at wrap.
Pro Tip
Anything glued or applied to the face, neck, or body by a Makeup Artist that needs a solvent to remove must be removed by the makeup department. The time it takes to remove is “on the clock.”
There are actors and individuals who will request and prefer that the makeup is removed at the end of each day. Have a supply of clean white washcloths and a nonirritating cleanser—for example, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Cetaphil is a gentle facial cleanser that does not strip the skin of its natural pH balance; it is an industry standard. Using bottled water, if a sink is not available (trailer water is non-potable, and is not recommended for the mouth, face, or eyes), wet the washcloth and put it in the microwave for one to two minutes. If the towel is too hot, allow it to cool before using. This is the simplest and safest way to cleanse the skin. Washcloths are a fantastic way to remove makeup and clean the skin without harm. There are also makeup-removal wipes. Choose one without alcohol (alcohol is drying to the skin). Wash your white towels in warm or hot water with bleach to sanitize them.
Be careful with alcohol-based toners. The alcohol strips the skin of its natural oils and pH balance, causing the brain to signal the production of more oil to the surface of the skin in an attempt to bring back the balance to a “normal” pH. pH is the relative degree of acidity and alkalinity of a substance. Don't dry the skin out!
—Joel Garson, Milady's Standard Fundamentals for Estheticians, 9th ed.
The Setup
In order to get started, you need to “set up” your workstation with the proper products and equipment. Workstations vary by Makeup Artist, but there are industry standards for setting up your station, with station setup and products that will be consistent from one Makeup Artist to another, no matter whose station you are looking at (see Figure 7.1).
Figure 7.1 Debra Coleman's Makeup Station
Photo courtesy of Debra Coleman, Makeup Artist, and member of Local 706, Los Angeles
Having your station set up with the proper tools, equipment, and products, clean and ready to go, instills confidence in the individual who sits in your makeup chair. This is one of the first moments of critique when working with new people. They will look at your station, your products, and how your kit is set up. Your makeup kit should be clean and organized for sanitary reasons and ease of movement during a makeup. Some artists keep their makeup kit on the counter next to them. You will be quickly judged on the condition of your makeup kit. Your products should be current, in good condition, with all batteries fully charged or plugged in. The strength of alcohol must be 99 percent to be effective. Makeup brushes, makeup palette, and tools should be clean and ready. Hand sanitizer (99-percent alcohol) and brush cleaner should be out and within easy reach.
Note: Alcohol is not an EPA (Environmental Protection Agenc
y)–registered hospital-grade disinfectant.
A typical setup for a makeup station is a clean cotton terry towel (colors vary; many prefer white towels only because you can bleach them) placed on the counter in front of you with a professional prep towel on top of the cotton towel (Kimberly-Clark Professional Set Up Towels are the industry standard). This is a sanitary setup to keep your products and brushes off the counter, clean and germ-free. Your makeup palette, tools, and brushes would go on top of this two-layer setup. Clean your station, makeup brushes, tools, and hands in between each person. Make sure to have a garbage can or bag close by for disposing used materials. Also have a cloth drape or barber's cap for protecting clothing or costumes during makeup. Cloth drapes are more comfortable for the individual, but, depending on the makeup you are applying, a plastic drape should also be available. Plastic is hotter for the individual.
Sanitizing products: 99-percent alcohol in a spray and dispenser, small bowls or jars for cleaning brushes, hand wipes, gel hand sanitizer, spray water.
Industry Standards: Evian Mineral Water Spray, Glacial Spray Water, La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, Jao Hand Sanitizer.
Canned spray water is preferred. It is a source of clean water for working on the face and around the eyes. There will be times when you do not have running water, and you will rely on your canned spray water for a clean water source.
Grooming equipment: shaving powder, Tend Skin (industry standard), electric shaver, sideburn trimmer (industry standards: Wahl, Panasonic), clippers for beard trimming (Wahl), small hair scissors for trimming, nose-hair trimmers (Panasonic), disposable shavers, shaving cream.
Nail care: nail clippers, cuticle trimmers, nail files and orange sticks (do not share nail files or orange sticks—buy in bulk and distribute), cuticle remover, cuticle cream, hand cream, base coat, top coat, quick-dry spray, various nail polish colors, non-acetone polish remover.
Kleenex facial tissue, cotton facial pads (cotton only, due to possible allergies to synthetics), Q-tips, cosmetic Q-tips (the tips are different, made for applying makeup), makeup brushes, makeup products, and cosmetics.
Note: This is a very basic setup. Every Makeup Artist personalizes their station, so no two look alike, but they will have some of the same products/equipment or industry standard products.
It is time for practical experience with applying makeup. For some of these makeups, you will not be given steps to follow, just text. For others, you will be given steps. It will be time to think, and paint.
There are a million ways to do anything. Find the one that works for you.
—Randy Huston Mercer
Concealing and Corrections
Mastering the art of concealing and correcting the vast variety of all skin tones and skin types will come easier to you now that you have studied color theory and foundations.
You will use color theory to cancel out reds, blue, grays, greens, and any other unwanted color or undertones in the skin, as well as blemishes, scars, birthmarks, and tattoos. Concealing can be done under or over the makeup foundation or base, except for birthmarks, port-wine stains, and tattoos. These require full coverage, and should be done first.
Corrective makeup is a fine convention if it is used realistically in the company of great lighting. Makeup does not generate light. Makeup only reflects existing light. Makeup cannot get rid of eye bags if they cast a shadow. Makeup cannot light an eye socket if it is in the dark. Makeup cannot disguise pockmarks in a side light.
—Richard Dean
For under-eye concealing, choose a product that is emollient and designed for the eye area. These products are lighter, more emollient, and many have reflective qualities that are great for diffusing fine lines around the eye. They glide smoothly onto the delicate skin around the eye. The least amount of tug and pull or stress from application, the better. Do not set with powder. Avoid using powder under the eyes, which can be drying and may emphasize the correction.
Industry Standards: Kanebo, YSL Touche Éclat, Iman, Laura Mercier, NARS, AmazingConcealer, smashbox.
For concealing or correction on the face, choose a product that is medium weight. Note that all types of concealers (light, medium, or dense) will work on the facial skin—it depends on what you are covering. Your style and what you have to cover will help you choose the product and application, under base or over base. The more severe the discoloration, the greater the need to use a dense product or 100-percent pigment for camouflaging.
For birthmarks, port-wine stains, and tattoos, you will need a two- to three-layer process for complete coverage. This is done before applying a makeup base. This layering of color allows you to cancel out color completely, without any bleed-through. Sometimes a color will bleed up through the cover-up, usually in a gray undertone. You will use the stipple technique to apply color over each layer. For your first color, use the opposite color on the color wheel to cancel out the discoloration. Your second color is dependent on how much coverage is needed: (a) if just two layers are needed, your second layer is a matching flesh tone, or (b) if three layers are needed, your second layer is a mauve (red) or orange tone to cancel out any gray bleed coming through from the first layer. Many times there will be a gray bleed or tone coming through the correction. You will see it with your eye and in the makeup mirror. In these situations, you need three layers of color. Your second layer will be to neutralize the gray, and your third layer is the flesh tone. This is 100 percent coverage for those situations with intense color (port-wine stain) or ink (tattoo). These products are 100-percent pigment. They are not sheer, and are designed for camouflaging.
Try: Dermacolor by KRYOLAN and Dermablend Cosmetics Concealers.
Natural Makeup
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
—Leonardo da Vinci
When the character needs (or the director requests) a “natural look” for makeup, you want to show good health and appearance. You will spend most of your time enhancing the skin tone to show good health. Correct any discoloration, cover any scars or blemishes, and make the skin look healthy and vibrant. Remember to strive for realism. A tinted moisturizer works well in this look to even out the skin without looking like makeup (try Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers). This is also a great choice for men and children. An alternative is to mix a small amount of oil-free moisturizer (try All You Need+ from Prescriptives) with your liquid or cream base. This will give you a sheer coverage that does not look overdone. If you need a bit more coverage, use a liquid or cream without mixing moisturizer into it. In situations where the actor's skin is good and does not need a base or foundation, use the “spot paint” technique to balance out the skin tone. Spot painting is the technique of literally painting with makeup or concealer just the area or “spot” that needs it. Do not over apply or bring the makeup too far into the surrounding area of skin. You want to paint just the specific spot. KRYOLAN's Dermacolor (an industry standard) works well with spot painting. It is noncomedogenic, and gives you dense, full coverage (camouflage) that you can feather or blend the edges with your makeup brush. Set with just a hint of powder: not too much, or the area will look dry. You can forgo the powder if needed, but you will have to reapply or touch up if you do not set the makeup. Use Face to Face Supermatte Antishine by Make-Up International (an industry standard) to take down any shine on the other areas of the face. For more tips on spot painting see “Spot Painting” later in this chapter.
Remember to match the foundation or base to the skin at the jawline. This helps to balance the tone in the neck and face so you are working with as little product as possible—remember, this is the “natural look.” The skin on the face is much different in tone and texture from the neck. Blend down past the jawline under the chin area. You want to avoid any lines of demarcation or “the mask” look to the face.
Once the skin is looking healthy and vibrant, you need to add color to the cheeks, and bring attention to the eyes, lips, and eyebrows. For a natural blushed effect,
place cheek color in the apple of the cheeks, either cream or powder. Reds, pinks, and peaches are best.
Always put blood back into the face after completing a makeup.
Taught to Steven Horak by Lenna Kaleva, Cincinnati
Bring it "Back to Life"
“Bring it back to life” is another makeup slang term you will hear in reference to almost all makeup applications. If something is looking dull or lifeless, you will be instructed to “bring it back to life.” This can happen with concealing as well.
Next, accentuate the eyes by adding any needed definition without doing a full beauty makeup. Choose soft browns, taupes, or grays to define the lash line using pencil or powder. We do not suggest liquid liner for the “natural look”—your hand needs to be very skilled. Place the line right on the base of the eyelashes. Remember, you are defining the natural line to add definition, not doing eyeliner, so you do not want a thick line.
Trick: Use the “dot method” by placing dots of color into the lash line, both top and bottom, instead of drawing a line. By dotting in color, you create the illusion of a greater or stronger lash line without noticing the liner. This technique works excellently on men.
If you decide a bit of eye shadow is needed, use a lighter color all over the lid in creams, beiges, and pinks to even out the lid. Choose soft browns or taupes in the eye crease. Again, a very subtle hand is needed. Curling the eyelashes adds length without too much product (industry standard: shu uemura), and use mascara if needed. Clear mascara is also a great choice if the lashes are already long. If a brown or black mascara is needed, apply a thin coat with a mascara fan. Mascara fans are great for this look—you have more control over the application and can really get beautiful lashes without too much product (we recommend Brush Up With Barbara). Remember to apply mascara to define the lashes, but not make them look coated.
The Makeup Artist Handbook Page 10