How to get your makeup to last, according to a theatre performer
WORDS BY JAYME JO
“I’ve had a brush in my hands since the age of ten, getting ready for concerts and performances every single week.”
Growing up in the world of stage lights, thousand-seat theatres and three-hour dance shows, I’ve not only worked my way around the perfect stage warm-up but also around the perfect stage makeup routine. For me, being a professional musical theatre performer also coincides with being a beauty junkie. I’ve had a brush in my hands since the age of ten, getting ready for concerts and performances every single week.
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Being chronically onstage and wearing the most extravagant costumes and makeup looks has fuelled my love for beauty offstage. Over the years, I have picked up and solidified the best tips for a long-lasting makeup look. Whether you’re dancing your socks off all night or crying at your best friend’s wedding, these tips will save you through it all!
Does primer actually work?
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Being under bright and hot stage lights whilst simultaneously singing, dancing and wearing extravagant costumes pretty much confirms that sweat is coming to the party. The first and most crucial step in my onstage makeup routine is primer.
It’s sometimes doubted in the beauty world, but laying down a primer before your foundation ensures longevity and a safety net to keep your perfect makeup application staying in place all night. I avoid hydrating primers or anything with oil and opt for something blurring and built for longevity, like Smashbox Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Oil-Free Primer. The classics are classics for a reason!
How to pick the perfect foundation
With a multitude of foundations on the market with different finishes, formulas and benefits, it’s easy to get lost when choosing something right for longevity and coverage. You may tend to gravitate towards the heaviest, most full-coverage foundations when you want your mak-up to last.
However, I turn to this one product every single time. It’s created specifically for the backstage life. The Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation has been my closest companion through all the theatre productions I have done.
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Contrary to the thick, heavy and full coverage foundations advertised to be long-lasting, this is lightweight yet smoothing, perfecting and extremely long-lasting. It doesn’t separate and holds up extremely well under heat, sweat and even tears.
Entering the world of underpainting
Stage makeup needs to reach even the very back of the crowd. You want the further away audience members to still distinguish your face and emotions onstage. I’ve learnt that underpainting is a surefire way to emphasise your natural bone structure and contour lines while adding an extra layer of security to your makeup look.
An example of underpainting would be to add your concealer, contour, bronzer, liquid blush and highlighter quite starkly before applying your foundation, which you can then add on after to blend out any harsh lines. I find that when my powder products disappear because of sweat or over long periods of time, the underpainting really pulls through to leave you with a beautiful base.
Powder… where and how?
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Powder is my next reassuring layer and my personal favourite when it comes to a long-lasting, effortless makeup look. After primer, underpainting and foundation, you will no doubt be glowing like a glazed doughnut.
These powder tips will set your makeup in place so that by the end of the day or night, you’ll look like you just stepped out of the makeup chair. I use and keep on hand a translucent setting powder at all times, especially for touch-ups around the T-zone.
I start by dipping a dry sponge into my baking powder – I choose a dry sponge so I don’t add any more moisture to my makeup – and I set my under eyes and really press the powder into my skin. This is followed by pressing the powder into the entirety of my face for a locked-in look. I dust off any excess powder with a fluffy brush and then add powder contour and powder blush to bring life back into the look.
Avoid glow at all costs
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Through all of the above steps, I make sure to entirely avoid any product with shine, shimmer or glow! I know for certain that as the hours go on and as the makeup sets into my skin, I will naturally produce a glow or work up a sweat that will make up for the lack of shimmer. If you know for certain your makeup will be on for 16-plus hours, I highly recommend skipping anything illuminating or you may end up looking like a melting disco ball by the end of the night.
Long-lasting (but not waterproof) eye makeup
When it comes to eye makeup, there are ample ways to keep your smoky eye looking perfect through any dance party. An eye primer before your eyeshadow goes a long way to make sure there will be no separating, slipping or sliding. I also turn to long-lasting products but I don’t use waterproof products, as they cause more damage than good around the delicate eye area.
This way, I keep my eyelashes and skin safe with long-lasting mascara and eyeliner night after night, rather than something waterproof that I have to fight to remove. Maybelline has my favourite mascaras. They never run, flake or make my lashes drop!
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