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I'm just really curious, I know that alot of the guys on here have manicures done but do any of you wear makeup when you perform. I don't mean sparkly eye shadow and red lipstick, but more subtle tones.

When I was in my band I'd always do the boys makeup, just subtle tans and browns to bring out their features. It all started out as a bit of a joke, but it made such a difference that they'd always get me to do it before we played.

Makeup on men seems to be getting more and more common, lots of companies do mens ranges now and there was a big feature in my magazine about it so I was just wondering if anyone here wears it?

I like to think I'm in touch with my feminine side, but i draw the line at make up.

I appreciate if you're on stage it can really help out with reflections on the bald patch etc, but i've never wanted to go that route.

What kind of band was it? The bands i play in, well....the more rough you look the better.

' Keepin it real ' is where it's at apparently.

On-stage, certainly.

A touch of the ol' Leichner five and nine for that warm orange glow. Can't beat it.

YES.

I always wear something on stage, and will usualy apply a little highlighter under my eyes if i am doing close up.Its not that ive any bags to hide, but wearing glasses can create shadows.
The highlighter also makes the eyes look brighter.

IF you are under strong lighting you do need stage makeup.
Light drains the colour from the face and flattens shape & the cheek bones.
Magicians and many modern actors are extremely lazy and foolish about using stage makeup. Actors sometimes think thta under modern lighting they do not need it. "The light gives me colour" they say. Yes but not shape.

One of our ex Guild members , very macho, although he wasn't a brilliant conjurer appeared in a magic show at our local small theatre. I persuaded him, after a long discussion to use just a pancake base. He was fascinated to see his permanent heavy shaving shadows, just disappear and to iour amusement he kept on, throughout the night, going to the mirror in the dressing room just to look at his lightly tanned , very clean looking face.
The same occured with one of our teenage magicians. He too, was astonished that his teenage spots had just-- vanished.

BASICALLY: for most venues you need:
A Pancake Base. I recommend Kryolan No. 27. Kryolan is a German firm specialising in stage makeup. You must use the dry pancake not AcquaColour, the wet one. IF you are very blond or white haired then No. 26. The numbers come from Max Factor Stage /Film makeup. MF has never been bettered but often not obtainable in the UK now.
Grimmas is another good brand.

Simply dip a piece of sponge( Baby sponge..Boots is best) into COLD water. Squeeze most of the water out. Leave it fairly damp.
Rub on the pancake and simply 'wash' wipe it all over the face and neck. SMOOTHLY.
Don't use TOO much. It is easier to apply more if you need a stronger colour but harder to remove a shade.

THEN look in the mirror and hold the BCK of your hand up against your face. You will see a big difference. The hand looks dirty. THAT is how your face looks, under lighting, WITHOUT Stage makeup.

THEN makeup the Backs ONLY, (never the palms) of your hand.

IF your cheeks look too flat, simply rub a little of the pancake off them. Even give them a little pinch to bring up your natural colour.
Clean the makeup OFF your lips & let their natural colour come through.

TO REMOVE: Just use wet wipes ( NOT baby ones as they often have an astringent in them) then dry with a towell or wash & dry. Again just PAT the face dry, do not rub it. Rubbing does not help the skin.

OTHER STUFF. In a big venue the TINIEST dab of rouge (dark) on the centre of the cheekbone. This is then stroked out and slightly up.
Being a lighter colour the lights pick it ,out and your cheekbones have shape
A Brown eyebrow (buy the cheapest) pencil. A little can be smoothed on the eyelids (which again flatten under light) and smoothed in.
DO NOT smooth it up to the eyebrows. Else you create a big shadow and NARROW the eyes.
Again under strong lights only draw a THIN line UNDER the eyes, NEVER OVER as again this would narrow them. A thin line under and extended out a little makes the eye bigger.

You will appreciate that this is for male magicians only. Lady magicians will know how to makeup. On a big stage all they need to do is strengthen the colours they use.

I lectured on Stage Makeup for over 40 years.
Strangely only this week the Notts. & Nottingham Drama Associationhave asked me to do 2 Workshops, even though I last lectured & demonstrated some 10 years ago.

Used wisely stage makeup is another of the actor's tools in a good performer's repertoire.

Allen Tipton

I have recently brought some clown makeup and have yet to have an opportunity to use it.

in a word NO i wouldnt want to cover up the beauty that is my face lol

having done many make up courses, I have to add one or two things to Allens excelent posting .

firstly, if your on stage, you must alwys apply a thin layer of base to the back of your ears.This is because stage lighting isnt just out front. you need back and side lights to get a good coverage. and the ears being thin, will shine out like a beacon when your on stage. dont try to apply it to the front, because you wont get good coverage. and its a buggr to get out afterwards.

secondly.
never, ever apply blue to any area directly around the eyes. Blue eye shadow, is the number one mistake in stage make up. this colour drains the colour from the eyes, and makes them look very small.

thirdly. eye liner.

I know Allen said one lid only but...you will get a much better result if you use a combination of soft brown on the bottom lid, and a very light grey on the top.( or vise verca) and never , ever go right around the eye. go from the inside, ( by the nose) to about 3/4s of the way across.

I have found that this alone, with no base can make a difference in a hurry.

though having said this, if you do happen to be playing a panda.. round is fine.

whilst on the subject of eyes. you will often get old timers go on about dots of red in the corners of your eyes.
if anybody tells you to do this, tell that person to go f**K themselves, because this was used way back, when footlights were the only source of lighting. in this day and age, you just dont need it.

Hands.
personaly, i wouldnt bother putting make up on the back of the hands, because i use silks and it is a bich to get out of silk. If your doing a character act, then apply.. but since their moving a lot, its not that important I.M.H.O.
Do try and keep them in good nick though, and before you go on, give the backs a good rub, to get the blood flowing.

Guys, dont forget to apply a little base, to your neck and chest if your going open neck.
I apply a little of a collour called ef9 to my lips, as it is a very good natural colour.This is also an excelent natural colour for cheeks too by the way. I was given this tip by a pro make up artist, ( a 2 times bafta award winner too!)

and remember. make up first, then get dressed.

if you spill it on your clothes, it is difficult to get out.

I used to use that stuff that covers up spots concealer I think it's called but this was when I was 17/18 and used to go out clubbing on the pull very vain I was but thankfully I have grown up, I don't wear it now thoe.

lindz wrote:I used to use that stuff that covers up spots concealer I think it's called but this was when I was 17/18 and used to go out clubbing on the pull very vain I was but thankfully I have grown up, I don't wear it now thoe.

yes, i discoverd that stuff, when i had to do a gig with a black eye.( dont ask )

The beauty of using pancake makeup is:it is water based and if it gets onto shirts, clothes, silks etc. it washes out easily.

The MAIN RULE in makeup is :
If any skin (except the palms of the hands) is exposed to light cover it with makeup.

IF ANYTHING STANDS OUT then we shade it down carefully, usually with one of the browns.
It works well with a vent Act, especially if his lip control is not quite as good as it should be or he is a beginner. A [/u]LITTLE brown on the lips shades them out and makes them less noticeable. But keep working on the Vent. technique.

EYES;. I wouldn't encourage any magician, without supervision first, using eye make up. The eyes are the most difficult, AT FIRST, parts to make up safely & effectively.
Red dots in the eyes, from the very old days, used to make the performer, at times, look cross eyed.!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY. After removing the makeup wash the face lightly in cold water to cool the skin down. This idea came from the old days when greasepaint sealed the pores up.
Some (ladies in particular as they said at a couple of my lectures) do not like to do this as it opens the pores completely and lets the skin breathe.

Allen Tipton

you know on the whole i still preffer to work with grease. You just cant blend with pancake.

and its more forgiving when im doing character work.

Quite interesting that Allen says to avoid eye makeup, I'd have thought that this would be one of the most important areas to make up and it's really not too hard with a little practice. I always make an effort to make my eyes look very big and striking. I find it much easir to get and hold someones gaze if my eyes are looking good.

Dear LADY. The warning about 'eyes' was addressed to male magicians. I cannot see any learning to use eye make up without supervision.

DALE: My students were always taught blending with Leichner FIRST.
HOWEVER you can blend with AcquaColour which is the wet pancake.

Allen Tipton

If i have a reasonably long run if anything i find that aquacolour dries my skin up something awfull. Mainly across the cheek bones, and under my eyes. I really must get my portfolio put on line somewhere.Ive some latex work im very proud of.
And a glamour make up on a lady

and an experimental make up, that used only 3 colours. white, grey, and the ef9 i mentioned above.

becaue it's a reddy brown, it reacts to different lighting states in some incredible ways. The lighting and technical teacher, ( who you might of come across, Joe Avaline) was bowled over by what happened.

Mind you Joe is a bit of a fan of mine. He really likes his magic, and rated my performance above quite a few of the top guys that he'd worked with.. which was nice.