How to apply stage makeup for dancers

How to Apply Stage Makeup for Dancers by Rachel Stover JDS

Stage Makeup is much different from regular makeup because the harsh stage lights can drown out features, making it important to exaggerate and draw out lines from the face. See below for a step by step guide to Dancer’s Stage Makeup 1. Start with a clean, exfoliated and moisturized face. Add foundation primer for long–lasting makeup. 2. Apply a full coverage foundation all over face, blend color into neck and hairline to prevent your neck and scalp looking like a different color from your face. 3. Apply a contour to face to prevent you from looking “flat” from the stage lights. Apply a darker color below cheek bones, on sides of nose, and at the temples. Apply a lighter color above cheekbones, on the bridge of the nose and add a concealer under the eyes. You can also add a green tinted color concealer to red spots on the face. The green color counteracts red spots such as blemishes. 4. Blend the contour with a damp blending sponge or a blending makeup brush 5. Color in the eyebrows if they are light or if you want a more defined shape. Make sure your eyebrow pencil or gel isn’t too different from the color of your hair. 6. Apply a light color shadow to the crease of the eye and the brow bone to add a highlight. Add a neutral color to the eye crease, and a dark color to the corner creases of the eye to create a smoky look. Make sure you blend these in to create a seamless transition from colors. 7. Line the eye both top and bottom using an eye pencil or liquid eyeliner so the whites of the eyes stand out on stage. You can add a winged eyeliner look to the top line if you wish to over exaggerate the shape of the eye. 8. Apply mascara to the top and bottom lashes. 9. Apply false lashes for a more dramatic look. 10. Apply blush to the cheeks making sure the color is dark enough to be seen from stage. Make sure this is blended in and doesn’t look like two pink circles on the cheeks. 11. Additionally add highlighter above the cheekbones and on the bridge of the nose for a glow. This creates a sparkle when the light hits the face. 12. Powder the entire face to set the makeup, apply a setting spray if you have one. 13. Apply an appropriate lipstick color to the entirety of the lips (dance teachers usually give specific instructions on the color this should be.) You can additionally line the lips before this to create more of a “pout” and a bigger lip look. 14. Make sure to remove your makeup thoroughly at the end of the day to prevent skin irritation