If you’ve ever been on stage in a theater production, there's a high probability that you had to wear makeup, whether you wanted to or not. It's also not unlikely that you looked in the mirror afterwards and thought, “Oh, wow!” - and not necessarily in a good way.
It’s not always a look you’d comfortably sport while out shopping or on a date. And that’s because, unlike everyday makeup, stage makeup is bold, loud, and thick (for lack of a better word).
"Stage makeup is more dramatic, pigmented and exaggerated to ensure it is visible with the harsh lighting and audience," explains Tammy Hardy during an interview with Bored Panda, when we ask her what the difference is between stage makeup and "normal" makeup.
"It is also an important part of the character, defining the personality and role the actor/actress is portraying," adds Hardy, an experienced make-up artist and owner of The Make-Up Touch agency.
“The basic concept behind natural makeup is to enhance a person’s natural features and even out skin tone in a way that looks like they’re not wearing much (if any) makeup at all. For street makeup, it’s all about light, subtle application,” explains celebrity makeup artist, Scott Barnes. “Natural stage makeup first neutralizes issues, then enhances features enough to be visible to the camera or viewer.”
While it may look over-the-top up close, the intensity is often barely noticeable to the audience. There’s a reason people go all out when it comes to applying makeup for theater or stage...
One reason for big and bold stage makeup is because of the distance between the performer and the audience. Being so far apart means that your facial features, and therefore the emotions on your face, are difficult to see - unless you enhance your features with makeup.
"It needs to be dramatic in order to stand out from a distance, allowing all audience members in the theatre to see the character's makeup clearly," says Hardy, adding that lighting also plays a part in stage makeup application.
"It is more bold, exaggerated and thick due to the harsh stage lights that flatten the makeup and drain color," Hardy tells us. "Certain color lighting effects are also factored in to determine what colors the makeup needs to be."
The experts over at JAM Cosmetics agree.
“Stage lighting can really ‘flatten’ your face and take away all of the dimensions that help the audience see your expression clearly,” they say. “Emoting is a huge part of any performance, so improper makeup can really diminish in the audience's experience.”
Another reason stage makeup is much heavier than everyday makeup is because being under bright, intense lights can make you sweat. And the last thing you need is for your face to be ruined mid-show, or for your eyes to start burning and tearing if sweaty makeup gets into them.
"The makeup needs to be durable so will be applied thicker to withstand heat as it gets very hot under stage lights, sweat, movement and long performances," Hardy tells Bored Panda.
“Most street makeup brands are not sweat-resistant, meaning you are almost guaranteed to have a mess of makeup when [you are] finished your performance,” JAM's team adds.
We're curious to know whether the same principles apply to makeup for film and television, so we ask Hardy.
"TV makeup is high coverage and anti-shine to also factor in strong lighting, but the makeup technique is more refined," she replies. "The features will be less dramatic and exaggerated. Almost everything is shot in HD so the type of makeup product will also be finer/smaller particle size and the skin texture needs to be smooth, thin and natural looking."
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If your production is running for a few nights, don't forget about continuity. You wouldn't want to look different from one show to the next.
"Create a face chart documenting exactly what your makeup will look like," suggests Hardy. "Work directly from the face chart and take photos from every angle once you have finished your makeup. Also good idea to take a video to reference."
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