What everyone assumes you know about the subject, but hasn't bothered to write down.

History:
The use of body art and painting is an ancient practice. Kings and princes of large and small kingdoms decorated themselves to show rank. After the guys got tired of it, the women usually kept the practice and continued with it. During the winning of the West, women who worked the oldest profession were called "Painted Ladies" because they were the only ones who dared wear makeup. A hundred years later, makeup artist Max Factor had an uphill battle trying to convince the American housewife that wearing makeup wasn't a sin. Eventually he was successful, and now it's big business. That's all you need to know, and it's all I know about the history of makeup.

Kinds of Makeup:
Street makeup is available everywhere and can sometimes cost less money, just buy it at any pharmacy or grocery store. When you buy street makeup it is assumed you will not be singing opera under thousands of watts of theatrical lighting. Street makeup is designed for light, personal, and everyday use. It is designed for comfort.

Theatrical makeup is heavily pigmented so that it doesn't washout under the bright lights of the stage. Theatrical makeup will holdup under physical stress such as dancing or singing with sweaty tenors. The style of theatrical makeup application will vary with the size of the stage and audience. "Intimate" theater is a small stage, close to a small audience. Makeup for intimate theater is much more normal looking compared to makeup for a large theater where facial expressions must be projected for a thousand feet.

Makeup for film and video is required to look "Normal" because a person's face will be magnified on the screen. In the industry, this is called "Straight" makeup. Makeup for these applications is very precise because it is assumed a shot can be made weeks apart from others that will match into the scene. The color must be consistent. Usually people get into trouble when they try to do special effects makeup. Personally, I have the tendency to improve makeup with each application. The result is a scar or wound that not only gets better with each shot, it also becomes more dramatic. When edited together the result is a disaster. Skillful lighting on the part of the DP (Director of Photography) has more to do with makeup success than does the brand or type of makeup.

Makeup for still photography follows the same logic as makeup for film and video, except for the fact that a flash is often used. Examine the photographer's test shots before finalizing the makeup. Makeup for black and white photography is supposed to be very specialized, I don't know anything about it, so don't ask.

Corrective makeup is for people who need to hide scares, birthmarks and other skin discoloration. If you are only trying to hide a few zits, use a "cover-up" type makeup on the spots rather than overdo it with foundation. If you have more serious problems to hide, explore Derma Color by Kryolan. It is a very robust makeup that can be made water resistant.

Makeup Formulas:
In the olden days makeup was made from pigments and a heavy oil. It was called grease paint. Today the formulas have been refined and the new oil based makeups are called "Creme" makeup. Because creme makeups are oil based they must be powdered to remove excess oil and to set the makeup. Freshly set creme makeup can look fantastic, but it does have the tendency to look a little shiny after a while. Creme makeup is hot to wear. It is most often applied with latex sponge and brush. Some formulas will destroy foam latex appliances.

Pancake is makeup powder pressed into a little tin. It is often called waterbased makeup, but is more properly referred to as water-activated. You must wet it like water colors in order to use it. Professionals will often spritz their entire tray as they begin their work. This allows some time for the makeup to become saturated. Streaks in pancake makeup are caused by faulty application. It is lighter than creme makeup and doesn't require setting power. Make it sweat-proof by using a Ben Nye product called LiquiSet (BN-LQ4). Applied with water sponge, latex sponge or brush.

RMGP, or Rubber Mask Grease Paint is a special formula of cream makeup for use with rubber prosthetics. Often the base oil is caster oil which is safe on foam latex. It works great on foam latex, but is heavy to wear on the skin. It does need to be powdered.

Body or Face Paint is a water based makeup in liquid form. It is excellent for body art and coverage of large areas of the body. It can be applied thick or thin. It can be applied quickly with an air paint gun or airbrush. If you are completely changing the color of someone's skin, use liquid body paint. Make it water resistant with Ben Nye LiquiSet additive. Liquid makeup applied with an airbrush is a new trend.

What to use:
Use what you like. Everyone has a different opinion. Some directors not only insist on a particular formula, but on a specific brand. Some artists are frozen in time, not knowing that their type of makeup has been replaced with a wonderful new formula. Others are frozen in experimental mode, having tried a few dozen with only a few hundred to go. Some stay loyal to a brand name, some to price. Some use pan cake alone and others stick to creme makeup. Some combine with great success.

I can only say, do what works for you.

That didn't help much did it?

About Brand Names:
We carry three major line; Ben Nye, Kryolan, Mehron and we used to have Bob Kelly, but he stopped making cosmetics. These are tried, true and proven brands. Each has its own advantages.

Ben Nye: Relatively new, but a strong product and company. Very good selection, fair prices and very high quality. The company is operated by a team of perfectionists and it shows in the product, the catalog and the service we get from them. BN is rarely out of stock, they ship promptly and rarely make mistakes on orders. BN is a conservative company and will not offer any product that is not perfect. They don't offer any flexibility, so if you want a gallon of body paint, forget it, because it's not on the price list. Made in USA, wonderful printed catalog available from them or from us with your order. Order directly from us.

Kryolan: German made makeup that has been serving the European market for years. Very large selection of specialty and hard to find items. Very high quality. More supportive with books, videos, but it is difficult to get printed information because the product line far exceeds the printed catalog. Very large color selection which often is greater than the stock at hand. Sometimes items are back ordered for months while a shipment from Germany arrives. Features many items that are just not available by US makers. Well run company by people who really know their stuff. Large sizes available. Made in USA, Germany and some other countries. Official catalog is $5, but hard to get. Order directly from us.

Mehron: Well established company with the reputation of having good products at lower prices. Makeup is well made but might not be as sophisticated as other brands. Good selection and good catalog. Very popular especially among high school productions. Makes a popular student makeup kit. Company structure is sound, but delivery takes a few extra days because the warehouse is on the East coast. Large sizes available. Made in USA. Some literature available from them or from us with an order. Order directly from us.

 

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