CAMERA READY MAKE UP vs DAILY WEAR

by Professional Make Up Artist, Kim Pease
I have been a professional make up artist for 30 years now. Wow! That just made me feel super old! Fortunately, I am still blessed to be in the good graces of the industry and have been able to stay relevant and working this ever-changing field. The thing I want to chat with you today about is make up for on camera vs your everyday wear.
The most common misconception is that the more “glamorous” you want to be the more makeup you should wear. This is so not the case. Think about the most high profile models and actors.  The looks are typically clean faced glamour. Think Abercrombie. Make up is FUN! But typically, the color and drama  is reserved for very specific looks or characters. Make up should enhance YOU! YOU should be the focus and not the make up. It is good to know how to do something like an age appropriate dressier look. But, that should definitely not be your “regular” on-camera look.

FIA Model & Actress, Latoya, for Clean & Clear


So, let’s run through the basics of a full face for commercial models and actors.
I have my own cosmetics line for industry professionals, FIA proline. I’ll use those products as examples. Again, these are just basics. I am not going to get into highlighting, contouring, color correcting, etc in this article. But, we will do that in the near future if you express the interest. We can also do an article on proper application and which brushes, tools, etc to use and why.So, let’s run through the basics of a full face for commercial models and actors.  I have my own cosmetics line for industry professionals, FIA proline. I’ll use those products as examples. Again, these are just basics. I am not going to get into highlighting, contouring, color correcting, etc in this article. But, we will do that in the near future if you express the interest. We can also do an article on proper application and which brushes, tools, etc to use and why.

Here we go ... in order of application.
Primers:

Most people start their make up application with foundation.  I always do primers, then eyes, then foundation, followed by concealer. I’ll explain my logic as we go.
Primers are a great thing, especially if you are going to be on set under hot lights for hours.
Foundation primers are super beneficial for more oily skins or if you tend to sweat a lot.  Many foundation primers such as HD (High Def) are also great for “spackling” or blurring fine lines and large pores. FIA pro line’s  Camera Ready Foundation Primer can be worn bare faced and on men and children as well.
Eyeshadow primers are a MUST HAVE for on or off camera. This has been a staple in my MUA (make up artist) kit for years. You put the shadow primer on your lids from lashes to your brows. This is a wonderful thing for people with naturally dark eyelids. The FIA proline shadow primer, Prime Time, is a neutral flesh tone.  My favorite benefits of  PRIMER  are that color goes on much more “color true”.  Therefore, you use less product because you don’t have to keep layering and layering to get the effect you want. Plus, the color STAYS on until you take it off. I LOVE EYESHADOW PRIMERS!
Eye Shadows:

Typically, your eye shadow colors should be very neutral like tans, beiges, browns. You can get a little wild with copper,or soft peach, etc.  But don't go crazy here and start trying to match your shirt or your eyes. Stay neutral. You want your features to shine not your make up. "You have great eyes"  and not " thats a cools shade chartreuse!". The NUMBER ONE THING to remember for models and actors is to NEVER EVER where shimmery, shiny, or glittery, products on camera. It looks greasy; NOT a good look. Always choose MATTE shades. You can see which shade are matte in pro line are marked. I love that you can create your own refillable palettes with pro line!

Eyeliner:
A lot of you are going to fight me on this one. BUT TRUST ME! Throw away your liquid black eyeliner!  Black eyeliner is RARELY your friend and black rings around your eyes are NEVER a good thing especially on camera. NEVER. When you want to look slender what color dress do you wear? Black. Why? Because dark colors make things look smaller...even your eyes. If your natural coloring is strong enough you can get away with a thin black line close to the top lash line. Better yet, try getting the line on the part of your eyelid the lashes grow out of. Get a magnifying mirror and take a good look to see what I am talking about.

Eyeliner was originally used to make your lashes look thicker and define your eye. Not as an accessory. If done properly your eyeliner shouldn't show. Remember these are tips for basic commercial looks. Don't be afraid to have fun during playtime. But on camera these are going to be your most flattering looks.

Here is a crazy idea. SKIP the eyeliner altogether! This fresh look is very trendy right now. In fact, recently a Hollywood celebrity, I believe it was Uma Thurman, was accused of having a face lift when she showed up at an awards ceremony with no eyeliner and only nude eye shadows. That started a new makeup craze!

We will do a full article on brushes soon. But, I do want to strongly recommend using a thin flat bristled brush and a powder for your eyeliner. Use it wet or dry depending on the look you want.

Mascara:
SO many different types of mascara these days! Thickening, lengthening, separating, 3D, conditioning, clear mascara, tubules...  I remember back in the 80s, we used to layer our mascara with baby powder. Then we used a safety pin to separate them. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! It was AWFUL! We used to iron our hair and wear stirrup pants too. Thankfully, we have come a long way since then.

For on-camera you really just need to HAVE some lashes.  You don't want anything distracting or crazy long. This is true even for commercial models. You may want to have a set of thin fake lashes on hand just for the sake of making them look thicker; but not really for longer. Again, you don't want people to notice your great lashes;  but that YOU look great overall.  (Fashion and Runway will have different guidelines).

You should stick to waterproof if you are going to be onset or under lights for a long period. Contact wearers are recommended to use water resistant rather than proof incase some gets in your eye it will melt away. BROWN for young teens, fair skin and coloring. Black for others.
Watch for more TIPS from Kim Pease in upcoming issues