The Makeup Artist Handbook

by Gretchen Davis

  Preparing for the Shoot

  For commercial shoots, it's important to have all the information necessary from the client or photographer. The client normally knows exactly what they want, and they expect the Makeup Artist to realize it. When I get a call for a commercial shoot, I will ask the theme of the shoot, the makeup look wanted, if it's an inside or outside shoot, and how many models. For beauty, it is important to ask the photographer for the model's reference. The photographer can either send her portfolio to you by email, or you can look on the agency's website for the model's portfolio book. Once you have all the information, it is time to start thinking about the makeup and products, and to double-check to make sure you have everything you'll need for the shoot. Many times, the photographer, or even the client, does not know how to express themselves in the form of makeup and colors, so it's up to me to find the right look. Working in fashion is different from cinema. It can be spontaneous.

  Even if you agree on a certain look before shooting, it might all change on the actual workday. On larger, more complicated shoots, there are meetings before the job. The stylist knows the clothes, so he or she gives direction and theme for the shoot. It can be really helpful to work with an art director or stylist because they see the overall image. Sometimes a simple makeup works much better than one too sophisticated or creative. Meetings are important for meeting the team—it makes the whole process interesting, fun, and human to take the time to sit down and discuss the project. Of course, for commercial jobs, meetings do not always happen.

  Madonna Theme Shoot

  The challenge was to create color combinations that would express and strengthen the atmosphere and theme of the shoot. I found my inspiration from religious paintings and books. The colors dark red, golden, gray, white, and silver were used. Because wardrobe and hair had such a strong look, I didn't want to complicate the makeup. When this happens, use a matte, lightly applied foundation, no blush, and no contouring. White eyeliner applied on the inside of the eye will accentuate any color just under the eye. In this case, a red and yellow matte eye shadow from Make Up For Ever was applied on the eyelid and below the lower lashes. No shaping or contouring was used. Shadow was just posed on the lid. When such strong colors are used, a tissue laid under the eye you are working on protects the rest of the face from falling shadow. Loose powder can also be used. Natural lip colors help keep the makeup from being overwhelming. Shape the lips with a nude lip liner. Mix beige, purples, and pink lip glosses to achieve a natural look. Don't forget to finish off with a strong brow (Figure 12.15).

  Figure 12.15 Beauty shoot, iStockphoto

  Remember, you want to work in layers. Work the shapes and slowly go darker. It's like working on a painting. To create something luminous and strong, it's always the combination of colors that accentuate the intensity of another color (Figure 12.16).

  Figure 12.16 Beauty shoot, iStockphoto

  Things to Know

  Makeup Brushes

  Types of Bristles

  Badger: One of the most popular and easiest to find. Badger hair quality depends on an array of factors. The highest quality is the neck hair, which is the softest and most expensive of all badger hair.

  Blue Squirrel: Soft in texture can be mixed with another hair like goat.

  Boar: Stronger and thicker than badger hair.

  Canadian Squirrel: Very expensive but a favorite among Makeup Artists.

  Goat: Strong and soft. It's used alone or mixed with other hairs in makeup brushes. Goat hair can be found in white, brown, or red.

  Kazakhstan Squirrel: Softer than blue squirrel. Kazakhstan squirrel is rare and expensive.

  Pony: Also known as camel hair. This is a term for brushes made from a variety of hair such as squirrel, goat, ox, or pony. Usually brushes made with these bristles are inexpensive and are made in large quantities.

  Raccoon: North American animal with a multicolored tail in grays and browns. Raccoon brushes have a really soft texture.

  Sable: An animal from Siberia and Japan. Sable is strong, flexible, and takes to products well. Sable can be found in brown, white, or yellow. Kolinsky sable is a mink found in Siberia and China, and is considered the best. Red sable is from the weasel family, and is often used in place of Kolinsky sable.

  Squirrel: Hair that is soft and holds water effectively. It works best with liquids.

  Synthetic or Taklon: Brushes that are made of nylon or polyester. Synthetic brushes are considered reliable and strong.

  Tree Squirrel: Most like weasel brushes that have stiff bristles. Used most often for liquids and creams.

  Weasel: Weasel hair will hold up over time. Weasel hair can be used with liquids and powders.

  Types of Brushes

  Angled Brush: These are cut to use at defined angles. Blush brushes, shadow brushes, brow brushes, powder brushes, bronzers, and contour brushes are examples of brushes that can be found cut at an angle. In some cases, the bristles are stiffer.

  Blush Brush: Soft, wider, rounded brush used to apply blusher color. Blush brushes are made from a variety of bristles.

  Brow Brush: Angled or slant brushes with a stiff bristle for application of brow powders. It's also possible to find lash combs and brow brushes as duos.

  Concealer Brush or Flat Brushes: Concealer brushes are usually flat brushes in a variety of sizes used for cream-based products. These brushes are good for spot touch-ups, heavy coverage with multiple products, under-eye concealer, and blending products. Many flat brushes can be used wet or dry.

  Contour Brush: Is used to get under edges and contours of the face to create definition. The bristles are usually cut blunt or at angles.

  Crease Brush: Smaller, with a blunter cut in the bristles. Crease brushes are used to apply eye shadows in the crease area and to blend existing work.

  Eyelash Combs: Wire or plastic combs that are used to separate the lashes after mascara has been applied.

  Eyeliner Brushes: Come in a variety of sizes and bristles. Bristles usually taper to a point, which works well for lining, detail work, powder, liquid, or water-activated makeup such as KRYOLAN or MAC. There are liner brushes that have several different bristles that can be used effectively wet or dry. Also, flat eyeliner brushes can be found.

  Eye Shadow or Fluff Brush: There are many different sizes and shapes of a shadow brush. The brushes are used to apply eye shadow colors. The bristles are usually soft, with a rounded shape at the top.

  Face or Foundation Brushes: These brushes are usually larger, flatter, with a rounded or oval bristle shape. Bristles can be made in a variety of hair, including synthetic to sable. Foundation brushes can cover wide areas of the face and body, and work well with liquids and creams.

  Fan Brush: Shaped like a fan and come in a variety of sizes. Fan brushes disperse powdered makeup and add color with a sheer application. They can be used for applying mascara, as a powder or blush brush, a stipple brush, or as a blending brush.

  Kabuki Brushes: Brushes that are often used with mineral-type powder makeup. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The most common shape is a fan or dome.

  Lash Combs: Lash combs are made to separate the lashes after applying mascara.

  Lip Brush: There are many choices of lip brushes, from shapes of the bristles to what the bristles are made of. Lip brushes are used to apply lip treatments and lip colors.

  Paddle Brushes: These brushes are shaped like a small paddle with a lamb's wool covering on one side. They are used for blending blush or makeup colors.

  Powder Brush: Larger brushes with rounded, softer bristles, often made with goat, sable, or badger hair. They are good for dusting large areas of the face with loose color or with powder makeup to dust off any excess powder.

  Puffs: These are found in so many different brands, shapes, and materials, but all types are used in basically the same way for makeup and powder application, setting the makeup, and touch-ups on-set.

  Pump Brush: Brushes made with the product inside the
stem of the handle. When the brush is pumped, the product disperses into the bristles.

  Retractable: Brushes that can retract back into the handle of the brush. Some lip brushes and blush brushes are made retractable.

  Smudger: Any brush that is used to blend and smudge the makeup.

  Sponges: Are used for just about anything you can think of. They come uncut in squares or pre-cut and as a brush form. Good sponges are gentle on the face, do not soak up your liquid or cream makeup, and aid in blending. Different brands of sponges are made from different materials.

  Stipple: Several blends of bristles in the brush, plus the shape of the brush works to create textures or as a blender.

  Wet and Dry Brush: Brushes that are made with several different kinds of bristles that can be used effectively wet or dry.

  Industry Standards

  Anti-Shines

  Many products are available. Anti-shine creates a matte look to wherever you apply product. We all have our favorites. One that's been around for a while is Make-Up International's Face-to-Face Super Matte. It works well for large crowd scenes.

  Adhesives

  Telesis Beta Bond Plus by Premiere Products, Inc.: Acrylic adhesive for prosthetics.

  K.D. 151 Ultra Matte Lace Adhesive: Strong adhesive hold for action-packed situations.

  KRYOLAN Water-Soluble Spirit Gum: Removes with soap and water.

  Pros-Aide: Acrylic based, waterproof, strong hold, used mostly for appliances.

  Telesis 5 Adhesive by Premiere Products, Inc.: Silicone-based adhesive.

  Very Flat Matt Gum by Naimie's: Used in the industry for lace fronts, facial hair, or wherever you don't want to have shine.

  Xtra Hold Spirit Gum and Extra Hold Plastic Spirit Gum by W.M. Creations, Inc.: Two of the most popular spirit gums in the industry. They are used for fine lace fronts, foam, gelatin, and silicone appliances.

  Brush Cleaners

  Cinema Secrets: Fast drying.

  Naimie's: Fast drying.

  Effects Products

  AM.E.K. Liquid Plastic by W.M. Creations, Inc.: Use in stone or silicone molds for wounds.

  Gelatin in Bulk: Burman Industries carries gelatin products.

  Latex Products in Bulk: Burman Industries carries a wide range of latex products.

  Old-Age Stipple

  Old Age Stipple A, B, C, Crusty by W.M. Creations, Inc.

  Green Marble SeLr by Premiere Products, Inc.: Developed by RSD Inc. and CMI. Seals the makeup, is very durable, safe for sensitive skins, and also works as an aging product.

  RCMA Old Age Stipple

  PAX Paint

  Thom Surprenant PAX Paints

  PAX Paint by GM Foam: Premixed PAX paint colors that match up to RCMA.

  Foundation Colors

  Plastic Sealers A, B, Soft, Extra Soft, Shiny by W.M. Creations, Inc.

  Scab Materials Light, Medium, Dark, and Brown by W.M. Creations, Inc.: Pigmented, silicone-based liquid that is used for building up three-dimensional scabs.

  Scar Material by W.M. Creations, Inc.: Acetone-based plastic material used to build things such as keloid scars and blisters.

  Silicon Product in Bulk

  Smooth-On Inc.: Easton, Pennsylvania–based manufacturer of silicon products. Their website sells direct.

  Burman Industries: Carries a good inventory of silicone-related products. Based in Van Nuys, California.

  Tattoo Ink Type Products

  All of the products mentioned are industry standards. It's difficult to remember what it was like before these products existed.

  Reel Creations Palettes by Reel Creations.

  Reel Creations Liquids by Reel Creations.

  Skin Illustrator Palettes by Premiere Products, Inc.: Created by Kenny Myers/CMI.

  Skin Illustrator Liquids by Premiere Products, Inc.: Created by Kenny Myers/CMI.

  Stacolor Palettes by W.M. Creations, Inc.

  Stacolor Liquids by W.M. Creations, Inc.

  Tear Products

  Burman Industries Menthol Blower and Crystals: A must for any makeup kit.

  KRYOLAN Tear Stick

  Makeup Products

  Foundation or Correction Makeup

  Ben Nye Mellow Orange: Neutralizes blue and green.

  Ben Nye Mellow Yellow: Red neutralizer.

  KRYOLAN Dermacolor Mini-Palette: This makeup covers well, has a large selection of colors, and is easy for doing quick makeup or touch-ups on-set.

  Iman: Excellent makeup line for a range of skin tones from light to dark, including yellow. Great pigment in shadows, blushers, and lipsticks.

  RCMA: Without question, a makeup line we could not do without. Foundation colors come in every possible range for any beauty or character makeup. This is one of the few makeup lines that understands skin tones.

  Visiora: A sheer makeup that has a good coverage. Colors have been formulated to match our industry lights and different media. Visiora is also a wonderful makeup to use on men.

  Water-Activated Makeup

  Ben Nye: Good for theatrical use.

  Mehron: Good for theatrical use.

  Studio Fix by MAC: Good for flesh tones, editorials, and stylized beauty makeup.

  Makeup Palettes

  Viseart Palette of Neutrals: A simple palette of neutral colors. This palette is perfect for your set bag.

  Powders

  Kett No Color: Pressed powder.

  No Color Powder by RCMA.

  Removers

  It's always a safe bet to buy the remover made for a particular adhesive.

  Adklen Cleanser by RCMA: No travel-safety issues.

  Beta Solv Remover: Works to remove PAX Beta Bond by Thom Surprenant.

  Ben Nye Bond Off: Removes spirit gum, medical adhesive, and Pros-Aide.

  Delasco Detachol: Removes Pros-Aide; mild and hypoallergenic.

  PAX Remover by GM Foam: Removes PAX paint.

  RJS Adhesive Remover: No travel-safety issues.

  Super Solv by Premiere Products, Inc.: Non-oily. It is extra strength, but safe for sensitive skin. Gentle enough for lace fronts.

  Sealers, Primers, and Fixers

  Sealers protect your work, act as a stronger bond for adhesives, and act like a shield between the skin and product.

  Green Marble SeLr Spray: Also can be used as an aging product.

  RCMA Matte Plastic Sealer

  Soft Sealer by W.M. Creations, Inc.: Also can be used as an aging product. Can be sprayed or stippled over makeup.

  Top Guard by Premiere Products, Inc.

  Internet Resources

  Dick Blick Art Materials, www.dickblick.com.

  Eschbacher, D, www.danielamakeup.com.

  Hakuhodo Hakuhodo, www.hakuhodousa.com.

  Indeutsch Industries, www.indeutsch.com.

  Makeup Artist's Choice, www.makeupartistschoice.com.

  Makeup Creations, www.makeupcreations.com.

  Naimie's Beauty Center, www.naimies.com.

  Daima, PS; Sons, www.psdaimaandsons.com.

  Sephora Sephora, www.sephora.com.

  Solo Makeup, http://www.solomakeup.com.

  Cosmetics, Tools, Labs, and Effects

  United States

  California

  Cimuha, Inc.

  Erwin H. Kupitz

  7618 Woodman Ave.

  Panorama City, CA 91606

  E&G@cimuha.com

  818 769 6465

  Cinema Secrets, Inc.

  4400 Riverside Dr.

  Burbank, CA 91505

  www.cinemasecrets.com

  818 846 0579

  Coast Airbrush

  312 N. Anaheim Blvd