Drag King

This look was tricky. I went in too heavy with the makeup to start with and then covered up with fake stubble (using disposable mascara wand).

Wounds practice

Once again, my lovely assistant Deebs kindly offered to help me practice my bruising, cuts and bullet hole wound.

I could have made the bullet hole deeper, but didn't want to put Deebs through more layers of latex and it was really just a test to see if the method worked. In case anyone wants to know how I did it, I dabbed a layer of liquid latex on the forehead, stuck on a ripped oval shape of tissue and applied another layer of latex on the top. Repeated several times, allowing each layer to dry in between and trying not to layer exactly in the same place to keep the edges thin. Then powdered and used tweezers to (carefully) puncture the middle and eased it open with the round end of a brush to give it its round shape. The rest was grease paint, water based pancake and fake blood.

Ecstatic Glymphatic by Sahra Bhimji

A while ago I did makeup for a brilliant short film by Sahra Bhimji called "Ecstatic Glymphatic" which is now available to the public to view online: https://vimeo.com/108034542


There are also some behind the scenes photos at: http://www.sahrabhimji.com/ecstatic

Old Man Experimental Makeup

I had another crack at aging makeup using a few different techniques in the one look. 

Things that didn't work: 

Latex-coated layers of tissue (This was too lumpy and a difficult texture to work with).

Scar wax (although I did set it with powder and then a layer of latex, it still was too melty. Also hard to apply as contact with skin melts it easily).

Things that did work:

Adding a layer of latex to cheek, stretching skin while it dries (used a hairdryer on cool setting) then when you let go it creates a wrinkled effect. Worked best after a few layers.

Adding blue veins around temples.

As you can see below it's quite a crusty look due to the tissue, I liked the wrinkle effect on the cheeks though.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Makeup Seminar Notes

A few notes about the excellent makeup seminar I attended with a member of Les Ballets Trockadero, Robert Carter, who kindly invited us to watch him put on his makeup in the dressing room at the Festival Theatre.

These are the steps he took but he made it clear everyone has different preferences and different face shapes, so instead of copying each other, the Trocks work out their own style and shapes to suit their own faces. The dancer we met has done his own makeup for decades and said he uses different colours and different combinations ever night, and has probably never done the exact same makeup twice!

• Block out eyebrows.

• He used a sponge for each of the base colours. Base colour - start on eyebrows and work outwards. You can build up layers or add more in places if necessary to even out skin. Primer is not necessarily needed. Lighter tone base - he put this on top of cheekbones sweeping upwards, in middle of forehead, a thin line down his nose to make it look thinner and under the nose/above top lip. Darker tone - he created a jawline above his natural jaw, a line just under cheekbones - on either side of nose and either side of forehead (basically added a darker line under or around the lighter lines for contouring). This gave an impression of a feminine shape and really changed the way his face looked. Base tones blended using a damp sponge. Then added dark powder over dark areas and light powder over light areas.

• Eyebrows: the outline was drawn just above natural brow and then filled in (remember eyebrows are sisters not twins)

• He did apply some primer onto his eyes before adding a very bright eye cream colour. He said he normally adds the bright colour first before contouring with the darker colour. A dark powder was used for contouring the eyes, working just above natural crease and under the eye sweeping out and up at the outer sides for a more cat-like look. It starts as quite a harsh line but he blends it to make it look like the natural crease of the eye. He used a liquid liner above top lashes, flicking out as well. Puts on mascara.

• Leaving the liquid liner to set, he added blusher and then a very light powder under the eyes/on cheekbones and eyebrows to highlight. For the lips he used a burgundy lip liner first, extending to the very corners of the lips. he then used a lovely bright pink colour as well as a light concealer in the centre of the lips making them look fuller and giving the colour a gradient. He says the lipstick does last the whole show so he doesn't need to prime or set with powder.

• Lastly the lashes go on - always wait 30-40 secs for glue to become tacky before you apply. It can be helpful to hold them with tweezers. He also said that during the show he just needs to blot between scenes sometimes, but hardly has to reapply.

He then put on a hairband and the wig, which he makes a pony tail (Russian style - over the ears) with and twists two strands, pinning them into a bun. He adds a hair net over the bun and then pins on his hair piece. He also got his full costume on for us - sparkly white bodice/tutu, tights and ballet shoes.

I hope I've remember everything! There is a photo gallery and more info about Mr Carter on the Trockadero website (if you'd like to see the results of the makeup!)  http://trockadero.org/dancers/robert-carter/

Shirt pattern camouflage

Many of the looks I've been seeing online recently have been pop-art style, or even pixelated, flattening the face to make it look 2D. This has inspired me to create a 2D camouflage effect, using Deebs as my model. As he owns a lot of bright and interesting shirts I thought I'd try and blend him into one!

I started by testing on myself, which didn't go too well - I tried drawing a grid on my face which would look straight if you were directly facing me, but I don't think I was neat enough to pull it off. Anyway, this one on Deebs isn't neat either, but the pattern doesn't depend on straight lines too much (luckily for me).

Elsa Rhae inspired monster

This was partly inspired by the wrestler Fergal Devitt/Prince Devitt/Finn Balor, but the main inspiration was Youtube blogger Elsa Rhae, a talented makeup artist/illusionist. I watched her arachnophobia tutorial and then got to it! Was hard not to just copy what she did as hers is so good - I could add more of my style in time. Check out her stuff at www.youtube.com/user/ElsaRhae