It’s a new season of dance and time to start thinking about putting your best face forward again.Of course you're perfect but you can enhance that even more with good makeup application. Have an imperfection you would like to diminish? A high forehead that gets you down? Thin lips that need plumping, a round face that needs defining or a wide nose that needs narrowing? Corrective makeup is a skill all makeup artists have to learn to make sure their clients look their best. These easy corrective tips will have you on the way to perfection.
First, good looks and how to enhance them. I have shown many times and in full detail the step by step makeup application for stage. If you haven’t been updated be sure to go to modedion.com to Training or our YOUTUBE Channel (Icon on homepage) for a refresher. Here are five key steps to remember that can take you from looking good to looking like a pro!
BLEND-Professional looking makeup is well blended. Makeup color should never overpower your features. Colors should remain neutral (avoid blues, purple, green) except for theme looks and be sure all colors are well blended. Have good quality makeup brushes to help you get the professional blend of colors. Apply eye shadow, cheek and lip colors darkest shade to light for a more seamless look.
POLISH- Often neglected but one of the most important steps to flawless polished looks is the foundation, concealer and powder application. These products should have a bit of yellow undertone to correct skin tone that can appear pink in hot lights and should be a matte, oil-free texture. Mineral makeup, although perfect for street wear, can be too light reflective on stage causing hot spots or shiny areas that don’t do well on camera or under stage lights. If your foundation color matches your face but your body is darker, use a face powder one shade darker to deepen for a more sheer set. This prevents a face that comes across too white or chalky or streaky and uneven from a foundation that’s too dark for the facial skin. Camouflage breakouts and dark circles with a concealer pot (see Mode Dion light Amber or Amber Concealer). Use a foundation brush for more control to help with better coverage and always set with powder.
ENHANCE- Balance features by bringing out the eyebrows. Keep eyes open by lining with corners left open and white pencil in between to widen. Avoid lining on the ridge above the lower lashes with a dark pencil, use white. Apply false lashes correctly! These should be set close to your lash roots, cut to fit your eyes allowing the inner 1/8th of your eye lids to be natural lashes. Use mascara for a seamless look to weave in all your lashes. Be sure to curl your lashes if needed so lashes sweep up all together. Go to our website or YOUTUBE Channel for more false lash application steps and lash care. Don’t neglect lining your lips and making them full at the sides so they can be seen at all angles. Keep the flushing cheek color (Mode Dion Stage Red) high on the apples at the front of the face. Avoid those red stripes for cheeks. Blend cheek color so it looks natural with a bit more color than you would wear in daylight. Stay clear of pink or orange tones on the cheeks as these can turn under hot lights and look unnatural.
DEFINE & CORRECT- One of the most important features to define is a cheekbone. To get it right start by applying cheek color (Try Mode Dion Natural Contour shade) at the center of your ear blending down along the base of your cheekbone towards the base of your nostril stopping two fingers out from your nose and sweeping up like a hook to finish. Wide faces can be chiseled through the cheekbone and defined along the jaw line to perfection. Long faces can be rounded by applying shimmer high on the cheekbones. Foreheads benefit from defining along the sides of forehead to narrow or at the top to reduce a high forehead. Create definition to your nose. Apply a natural contour cheek color or powder two shades darker than your skin color along the sides of your nose to define, this is especially helpful for a wide nose. Long noses can be reduced by applying to the tip and rounding at the end before the nostrils.
