Nutcracker Makeup Guide
Products You’ll Need
•Lip balm
•Primer (optional); helps makeup last longer
•Full-coverage foundation to match skin tone, or one shade darker than skin tone if natural skin tone is very light (to keep from looking washed out on stage)
•Powder to match foundation and set makeup
•Light matte bronzer (optional, but adds some warmth to the skin)
•Blush in a bright rose shade. Applying cream blush and topping with powder blush lasts longer, but you can also just use a powder formulation
•Eye shadow in shades of bright blue, light blue, and white (these colors brighten the eye area and work well with the Braden Auditorium stage lighting; they do not look like crazy blue from the audience J )
•Black eyeliner (felt pen style or non-smudging pencil)
•Black mascara; waterproof highly recommended
•Red lip pencil (optional, but helps lipstick adhere)
•Red lipstick
•Makeup brushes and sponges for application
•Q-tips for cleaning up mistakes
•Makeup setting spray (optional); helps makeup last longer
How to Apply
•Prep lips with lip balm.
•Apply face primer, if using.
•Apply foundation all over face and blend, working from the center of the face outward; be sure to blend well along the jawline so there isn’t a strong line.
•Lightly dust powder all over face, including eyelids (helps eye shadow stay on).
•Lightly dust bronzer over skin, if using.
•Apply blush to apples of cheeks and blend up along cheekbones. The blush should look really bright up close in order to show up enough from the audience.
•Use the lighter blue eye shadow all over the eyelid. Then take the bolder shade and apply just to the outer half of each lid, blending well. Use the white shadow to highlight under the brow bone, the inner corners of the eyes, and the outside of the outer corners of the eyes.
•Trace along the upper lash line with eyeliner, then flick out slightly into the white eye shadow area like a cat’s eye; you can also add a second little flick of liner just below the cat’s eye line. If desired, trace a little liner along the outer corners of the lower lash line, but don’t add too much or the eye will look smaller.
•Apply mascara to upper lashes; apply to lower lashes if needed.
•Lightly blot lip balm off of lips, and fill in the whole lip with lip pencil, if using; this helps the lipstick adhere.
•Apply lipstick with a brush, fingers, or from the tube. Blot with a tissue and repeat. To keep lip color off of teeth, have your dancer put a finger in her mouth and then pull it out as if sucking on a lollipop.
•Close eyes and spritz face lightly with setting spray, if using.