Stage Makeup: The Must-Haves for Your Big Day

The competitive season is upon us. And upon me, is the need to play with more make-up and more faces! I've known for a long while that I've always wanted to help out with assisting women put themselves together for their big day - not their weddings my friends, I'm talking about the day they step on stage! With my experience working for one of the best and most notorious make-up lines in the industry, MAC, I have been able to take all that I've learned to do what I love to do and share it with the world. I love giving back!
A lot of women train their asses off to get on stage and don't realize how important the beauty and presentation of your entire package can make you or break you. I've sat in the judges' pit many times to hear the comments when a girl's hair is not at its best, or when you can clearly see bad makeup...or even worst, lack thereof.
I will say that I am partial to MAC for obvious reasons but I want to be clear that I have used MAC for ages prior to my employment with them. I do also have a few drugstore cosmetics that I love and highly recommend for the big day. These are a great alternative and more budget-friendly if you want to save some cash.
One thing I highly recommend is that if you do not wear make-up regularly and have even the slightest hesitation on how to properly apply it yourself, it is best to hire someone to do it for you. Keep in mind that stage make-up is not the same as applying make-up every day. There are some extra steps you must take in order to make your time up on stage flawless.
Without further delay, here are some items that I think are essentials for a super pretty look on stage:

• Preppin' the Skin

1. Use a primer- this will help your foundation look even more flawless and stay on longer. Some worth the money are made by Sephora brand, Make Up for Ever, Nars, and MAC. If money is an issue, try L'oreal who just came out with a fabulous line of primers and color correctors.
2. If you are oily, you might want to use an oil control product in addition to the primer and apply this first. My favorite is MAC's Oil Control Lotion.
3. If your skin is dry, you can get away with skipping suggestions 1 and 2 and just apply your foundation directly. But, I still suggest using a finishing powder.
4. Beware of - harsh skin treatments such as chemical peels, at least 2 weeks before the show! You never know how your skin is going to react and the last thing you need is to break out in a rash, or end up with irritated, flaky skin. You want to pamper and "normalize" your skin as much as possible.
   

• Covering your bases
  

1. Cream foundation - preferably a shade slightly lighter than your tanned skintone. I've noticed a lot of women trying to go as dark as the shade of their pro-tanned or sprayed tanned bodies and it just makes their face look super muddy. Not a good look. A cream foundation will look the most natural and give you the most flawless coverage. I recommend MAC Studio Tech in NW45, NW50 if you have a deeper darker skintone.
2. If you are oily - I recommend an oil absorbing liquid foundation such as Make-Up For Ever Mat Velvet foundation. MAC's Studio Fix Fluid could also work but I worry about the high SPF in it (see below for reason why). You can also just top any of your foundation choices with a powder (more on powders below).
   
3. A less expensive alternative - L'oreal's True Match Foundation in the darkest shade in the
   "C" range is a good one. Walmart or Target will usually cost way less than a pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens.
4. Beware of...- high SPF amounts on your foundation. It will create a ghostly mask when being photographed and there will be lots of pictures taken that day!

• Concealing/Contouring
  One of an artists favorite tricks is creating shadows and the illusion of a fresher under-eye area, chiseled cheekbones, and fuller lips.
  

1. For undereye area I use MAC's Studio Finish cor Moisturecover concealer (if you need extra hydration). Some people go super light but I like to use either shades NW35, NW40 or NC45.
   
2. For Blemishes and dark spots - MAC's Studio Finish beats all others. It has excellent coverage and staying power.
3. For contouring - a darker shade of powder under cheekbones, temples and chin work best. A dark matte bronzer or blush may be used for this. Any brand would do.
4. Beware of... - contouring if you are extremely dehydrated and sucked in!!! You might not need it at all and might end up looking like a corpse! If you insist on it, do it lightly and apply a bright blush! (more about blush below).

• Eye See You
  For me, this is by far the most important aspect of all the makeup you'll wear that day. I've seen this make or break a competitor.

1. Eyeshadow Base - The most important job of an eyeshadow base is to prevent eyeshadows from creasing. It also helps it last longer. Depending on the skin type, I like to use either a concealer (budget efficient, since you would have already purchased or used one), or MAC's paintpots. A couple of other great products are Urban Decay's Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance, both available at Sephora. The black greasepaint is excellent and a must have for me to create a smokey eye look. A less expensive alternative an another trick is to just use an eyeliner with both a semi-creamy texture and good staying power.
   
2. Bright/pigmented eyeshadows applied properly. I know there's a lot of controversy surrounding what colors work and which shades look completely horrible under those lights. The truth to this is that I do a lot of research and look at photos that are posted on popular bodybuilding websites to carefully watch the trends and look spotted on the top competitors. The most used shades and looks tend to lean toward the darker, smokey eye look. You can create a smokey eye with simply black eyeshadow and by blending it slightly with a dark brown shade. You can add a pinch of brightness by adding a light bright shade in the inner corner of the eye and moving it toward the center of the lid. A smokey eye can be done with just about any shade such as purples, blues, and greens. I would avoid yellows, reds and pinks. Browns and golds could work but you might have to use a very pigmented eyeshadow for it to show up under the bright stage lights. Unfortunately, this is a category where investing is worth the headache. Some of the drugstore options do not have the amount of pigment necessary for the colors to show up the way they should. You do not want to risk your shadow disappearing half-way through your morning during pre-judging! Some of my favorite go-to MAC eyeshadows are: Carbon, Black Tied, Greensmoke, Femme Noir, Flashtrack, Deep Truth, Naked Lunch, Brown Down, Satin Taupe, Sketch, Shadowy Lady...I could go on and on.
3. Browbone/Highlight - I like to keep it simple. I like to use either a concealer in a light shade or a light bright eyeshadow. It's best to keep the color for this neutral...a bright blue for a highlight will make you look clownish. I like MAC's Nylon, Retrospeck and Ricepaper.
4. Liner - An eyeliner to finish your look is a must. I also highly recommend that this be a long-lasting liner. Black is the way to go. MAC's Blacktrack gel liner is my favorite. To line the lower lashline I like MAC's Graphblack, Engraved or Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Zero. These are all amazing and long-lasting and the deepest darkest of black shades which I love. For less expensive alternatives, both Maybelline, Wet 'n Wild make long lasting gel liners. Revlon has the best quality eyeliner pencil that would last long.
5. Lash Out - my absolutely favorite part is the finishing touch of adding lashes. False lashes complete your entire look and make you look completely polished, sexy, and just plain gorgeous! Lashes are tricky to apply so if you don't hire a makeup artist for this, I suggest practicing. What I recommend is applying a waterproof mascara first to your own lashes, then gently placing your falsies on top on your natural lashes. My favorite inexpensive lashes are Ardell, which come in various shapes, styles and sizes. But, I personally would invest in a pair of MAC lashes. They have way better quality and are not as "flimsy" as the Ardells.
   
6. Beware of - drag style lashes. I know a lot of girls want major lashes, thinking the bigger and more exaggerated they are, the better they will look from stage distance. No. Just no. You will look like a drag queen. The point is to enhance your lashes. I suggest MAC #7, 32 or 34 lashes.
   

• Blush!
  

1. I like to apply the blush on apples of cheeks, right on top of your contouring powder. You want to look flushed and healthy. You can use just about any brand. I prefer bright corals and burgundies.

• Lips

1. Lip Liner - If your lips are on the thinner side, it would work to your advantage to use a lipliner. You can give the illusion of bigger, fuller lips by simply applying it slightly outside of your natural lip line. This is another item you can save some cash on and opt for drugstore alternatives. My favorite lipliners are from Rimmel. You want to go for darker shades of burgundy or pink/magenta...depending on your lipstick shade.
2. Lipstick- choosing a shade is for me one of the most complicated things to tackle when doing makeup for stage. I have seen bright pinks work for some girls, but not for others. I try to refrain from bright reds as they look over the top with all the sparkles from the suit, not to mention the rest of your face. A safe option is deeper reds or burgundies, which look good on almost everyone. Again, for something you are going to wear once in a blue moon, you can go the alternative route and not invest too much money on a lipstick and opt to use a drugstore brand. Some of the best formulas are from Revlon and L'oreal.
3. Gloss - adding a dab of gloss enhances the look of your lipstick. Any brand name would do.

• Finishing powder
  

1. If your skin is normal to dry, you can use just about any powder. My favorite is Laura Mercier's Translucent Finishing Powder, or MAC's Select Sheer.
2. For those who need to control oil, I would invest in MAC's Blot Powder in the Deep Dark (worth the investment beyond this day) or Make Up For Ever HD powder.

I think I've covered all bases. If I forgot to mention something, feel free to ask a question or leave a comment. Hope this was helpful!