Applying Make up – The Foundation | Choosing the Foundation

In photographic work it is common to select a FOUNDATION one shade darker than the natural skin tone. If the shot involves exposed body areas, always be guided by the skin tone on the neck, chest, arms & legs.

White skin s tends to have more yellow in them than is often realized. Often they are darker in the centre of the face, & lighter around the edges.

Black skin s tends to have more orange in them than one might suppose. They are often lighter in the centre of the face, & lighter around the edges.

In choosing the FOUNDATION the object so to select an in-between shade, one that will balance the skin tone to achieve an ‘even’ base. On the whole it is usually better to choose a slightly darker base for white skins, & a slightly one for black skins.

BLENDING THE FOUNDATION:

Blend THE FOUNDATION well around the edges of the face & on the neck area. Don’t apply much FOUNDATION to the cheeks, & make sure that what you do apply fades down the sides of the face until the edges disappears.

Apply FOUNDATION right into the eyebrows to avid edges appearing. The brows can be colored in afterwards.

CHECKING THE FOUNDATION BEFORE POWDERING:

If any imperfections show, apply more FOUNDATION. If you have worked the FOUNDATION in well, however – a little at a time, concentrating on one area before beginning the next – it should be right first time.

Always work to the same routine: forehead, centre, sides, and neck.

POWDERING:

To set the FOUNDATION & prevent shine, use a little POWDER, but not too much at a time: the FOUNDATION must not ‘clog’. The POWDER bolts any superfluous moisture.

Be careful not to put too much POWDER on the eye areas.

EYESHADOWS:

Brush the eyelids to remove creases before applying eye shadow. Press the color on exactly where you want it: do not flick the brush. Blend the edges with a clean brush to diffuse the lines.

THE LIPS:

To paint the lips, face the model straight on. When using a strong color such as red, use a lip pencil to get a perfect shape before applying the lipstick. For a natural effect, use a soft coral pink & add some powder: mix these on a palette to give a soft matt appearance.

Always use the same lip brush, which should be shaped, to apply a lipstick. Using a favorite brush in this way will give you maximum control.

When applying lipstick, start at the corner of the mouth. Roll the brush, following the shape of the lips.

LIP PENCILS:

Sometimes matt-looking lips are in fashion, sometimes glossy. When using the lips need a firm borderline, to prevent the gloss from sliding. Strong-colored lipstick glosses need a matching LIP PENCIL outline applied first.

In using pale or natural-colored gloss, use a brown pencil to outline the lips first: this ads definition.

For actresses of mature years whose lipstick would otherwise ‘bleed’ into fine lines around the mouth, LIP PENCIL can be used to outline the lips.

LIP SEALERS:

LIP SEALERS are products made to Coat the lipstick with a transparent liquid which seals the lip color & prevents it from smudging. They tend to sting the lip when first applied, but they are useful in scenes or shots where the actress has to eat, drink or kiss as they help to prevent the lipstick from moving.

CHEEKS:

To apply BLUSHER, using a natural color.

Feel for the top of the cheekbones. If necessary, ask the model to smile.

Apply blusher to the ‘apple’ of the cheek; brush upwards onto top of cheekbone. Use very little, simply to give the base color some ‘life’.