CHAPTER 9 Corrective Makeup

---

 

Corrective makeup (see FIGURE 9-1) is one that is designed to help actors to look their best. This may involve only minor adjustments, such as changing the curve of the eyebrows, or it may involve making the actor look younger. And, for the stage, it may involve changing the color of the skin.

The Foundation

In corrective makeup the purpose of the foundation is to provide a skin color that will enhance the actor’s appearance under the stage lighting that is used for a particular performance. Since a skin coloring that looks normal and healthy off stage may look pale and washed out under stage lights, some additional color may be needed. If the skin does not need to be changed in color—this happens more often with dark-skinned actors than with light—the actor may not need to use a foundation. In this chapter, however, we shall assume that a foundation is needed.

Perhaps the easiest way to choose a suitable foundation (or base) color is to decide, first of all, what hue you want (R, SR, S, FS, etc.), then how light or dark the skin should be, choosing a number between 0 and 21 to indicate the value. A number 8, 9, or 10 is average for light-skinned men and a 5, 6, or 7 is average for light-skinned women. This average value is the one most frequently employed in corrective makeup, though it will vary with the actor’s own coloring. For darker-skinned races the averages will be lower in intensity and usually in value and will match the undertones in the individuals skin color (see Determining Undertones in Chapter 18). The fashionable makeup colors of the day may also affect one’s choice. If pale skin is in fashion, women may wish to lighten their foundation color. If summer tans are being worn, both men and women may wish to darken it. The actor’s natural skin coloring will also have some effect on the color selected. Furthermore, a given color of makeup, unless it is rather heavily applied, will not look the same on a light skin as on a dark one.

As for the hue, you will normally choose, for corrective makeup, one that will help the actor look as attractive as possible under the lights being used on stage. Which color that is will depend, of course, on the performer’s own skin color. A light-skinned performer may look for a color in the S group, whereas an Asian will presumably avoid the redder hues and look for something with more yellow in it. Darker-skinned performers will usually require hues in a wider range of warm and cool tones; from warm and cool reds to golden yellows to olive tones. The F, SF, and OF groups contain a number of suitable shades. There are no hard-and-fast rules about what color an actor of any race may or may not use. The actor should choose one that looks attractive in the lighting in which he or she will be seen. A good rule of thumb is to first match the skin tone of the performer, check the color under the lighting in the performance space, then, if needed, raise or lower the color value to meet your needs.

Facial Analysis

Before corrective makeup is applied, the actor’s face should be analyzed to determine how it can be made more attractive. If the two sides of the face are sufficiently different to appear obviously asymmetrical, the less pleasing side can be made up to match, as nearly as possible, the more pleasing one. Which side is to be corrected can usually be judged by covering first one half of the face with a sheet of paper, then the other. An even more effective technique is to take a full-face photograph, then to make a reverse print. Both the normal print and the reverse one can be cut vertically in half and the halves switched and pasted together. You will then have two photographs of the face with both sides matching, but one will be based on the right side, the other on the left. The less appealing face will indicate the side that is to be corrected. It is essential, of course, that the photograph be taken straight on if the technique is to work properly.

Decisions as to what is to be corrected will be based on personal taste, which may, in turn, be affected by current fashions. More often than not, however, fashions have to do with individual features—such as eyebrows and lips—rather than with overall proportions. But there are certain classic features and classic proportions that seem to transcend fashion and personal taste.

As noted in the chapter on facial anatomy, the classically proportioned face can be divided horizontally into three equal parts: (1) from the hairline to the eyebrows, (2) from the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose, and (3) from the bottom of the nose to the tip of the chin. If these three sections are not equal, they can be made to appear equal—or more nearly so—in various ways. But since a face not having classical proportions may sometimes be more interesting on stage than a classically proportioned one, making such a change is not necessarily advantageous.

If you decide that you do want to change the proportions of the face, the following suggestions can be used as a guide.

Forehead

If you want to create the illusion of a lower forehead, darken the area next to the hairline with a foundation color about two to three shades darker than the rest of the face. This color can be blended downward very gradually so that it disappears imperceptibly into the foundation. That makes the forehead appear lower because light colors reflect light and attract the eye, whereas dark colors absorb light and attract less attention. Following the same principle, a low forehead can be made to look higher by using a color about two to three shades lighter than the base and applying it at the hairline as before. That will attract the eye upward, emphasizing the height of the forehead.

The forehead can be made to seem narrower by shadowing the temples and blending the shadow onto the front plane of the forehead, thus apparently decreasing the actual width of the front plane by making it appear to turn sooner. Or it can seemingly be widened by highlighting the temples, carrying the highlight to the hairline. This will counteract the natural shadow that results from the receding of the temple areas and will appear to bring them forward. It will also seem to extend the front plane of the forehead horizontally. As always, there should be a difference of only two or three shades between the shadows and the base since deeper shadows at the temples tend to age the face. If the front lobes are too prominent, tone them down with a darker foundation color, and bring forward the depression between the frontal lobes and the superciliary arch with a highlight. If the temples are normally sunken, they can be brought out with a highlight.

Nose

If you want the nose shorter, apply a deeper color under the tip and blend it up over the tip. That will tone down the natural highlight and take the attention away from the tip. If a short highlight is placed on the upper part of the nose, that will attract the eye to that area and help still further to give the illusion of a shorter nose. If you want the nose longer, you can carry a highlight down over and under the tip, pulling the viewer’s eye downward and apparently lengthening the nose.

If you want to widen the nose, run a broad highlight down the center and blend carefully. That will appear to widen the front plane of the nose—not the entire nose. You might also highlight the nares to attract the eye outward in both directions, thus giving an illusion of still greater width.

If you want to narrow the nose, reverse the procedure by shadowing the nares and the sides of the nose and running a very narrow highlight down the center. Then blend the edges. That will give the illusion of a sharp and narrow bone and cartilage.

To flatten the nose, reverse the usual modeling by shadowing the front and highlighting the sides. Blend all edges carefully.

If the tip of the nose is fuller than you want it to be, shadow it slightly on either side of the painted highlight to tone down part of the natural highlight.

If the nose is crooked, run a fairly narrow highlight down the nose, then shadow it on either side wherever there is a natural highlight that reveals the crookedness. Blend the highlight and the shadows. The highlight may be straight, or it may bend slightly in the opposite direction from the real bend. Use whichever method proves the more effective.

In general, then, decide where you want to attract the eye of the viewer, and place the highlights in that area, shadowing areas that you want to recede or to seem smaller or less conspicuous.

Normally, in corrective makeup, highlights and shadows are about three shades darker than the base. But in making up the nose it is often possible and sometimes necessary to use stronger contrasts to achieve the desired effect. This applies particularly when you are using shadows to counteract strong natural highlights.

The corrective techniques just described, though effective from the front, have practically no effect on the nose in profile. That requires a three-dimensional addition. (See Chapter 12.) Obviously, the nose can’t be cut down by that method, but it can be built up, as illustrated in FIGURE 12-5.

Jaw Line and Chin

If the jaw line is too square or too prominent, shadow the part that needs to be rounded off or toned down, carrying the shadow both under and over the jawbone, and blend carefully into the foundation. Wearing a fuller hairdo can also be helpful. If you want to make the jaw line more firm and youthful, run a stripe of highlight all along the jawbone, softening the lower edge and blending the top edge imperceptibly into the foundation. A stripe of shadow can be run along under the bone and both edges blended.

If the chin is too prominent—that is, if it juts forward too much—darken the whole chin with a light shadow. If it is too long in proportion to the rest of the face, it can be shortened by shadowing the lower part. Make sure that the edge of the shadow is thoroughly blended. If you want the chin longer, highlight the lower part, and if you want it more prominent, highlight the whole chin. If it’s too square, round off the corners with shadows. If it’s too pointed, flatten the point with a square shadow. A double chin can be minimized by shadowing it to make it less noticeable.

Wrinkles

Wrinkles can seldom be blotted out completely, but they can be minimized by carefully brushing in highlights where you find the natural shadows and subtly shadowing the prominent part of each wrinkle where you find a natural highlight. This applies also to circles or bags under the eyes.

Eyes

In making up the eyes, keep in mind that ideally eyes are the width of an eye apart. If they are less than that, you can make them appear to be farther apart than they actually are. For corrective makeup it is seldom that eyes need to be brought closer together, though that may be done for certain character makeups. Either of these changes can easily be brought about by making use of an optical illusion.

If the eyes and the eyebrows are made up as in FIGURE 9-2A, they will seem closer together. If they are made up as in 9-2B, they will seem farther apart. For women, false eyelashes can be used instead of—or along with—eye lining and eyeshadow to make the eyes look farther apart.

The lashes should be trimmed so that they are fuller at the outer corners, and they can be shortened and placed away from the inner corners of the eye so that they actually extend over only the outer two thirds of the upper lids.

Eyeshadow

Eyeshadows come in a variety of styles with the most popular being the creme and pressed-cake types. For a dramatic or fantasy effect try the metallic and pearlized liquid varieties. The creme formulas are sold in flat containers (cake style), as pencils, and in a créme stick. They come in a wide range of colors, go on smoothly, and blend easily but have a tendency to gather into the folds of the skin, requiring constant maintenance to keep the color even and smooth. The pressed-cake eyecolor, which can easily be applied either wet or dry, blends extremely well and is long-lasting.

Eyeshadow for a corrective makeup application for women should consist of three color values: a highlighter and a medium and dark shadow. Choose natural colors that are harmonious with the actor’s skin tone and that blend well into one another (i.e., bone, taupe, and charcoal/brown). Avoid using brighter colors unless they are slightly grayed and truly compliment the eyes. Whenever possible choose an eyeshadow that is not the same color as the eyes. The color should compliment the actor’s eyes, not compete with them. Begin by powdering the eye area with a translucent or no-color powder before applying the pressed-cake eyecolor. This will create a smooth, oil-free surface.

Step 1. Using an eyeshadow brush or sponge-tipped applicator, apply the highlight sparingly over the entire upper lid from lashline to the crease and just under the outer half of the brow. You may also try a little in the inner eye area framed by the tear duct, nose and the eyebrow (FIGURE 9-3A and B).

Step 2. Apply the medium shadow over the upper lid to the crease starting at the outer edge of the eye and ending approximately two-thirds of the way towards the inner part of the eye and carefully blend up into the highlight with a clean brush or sponge-tipped applicator (FIGURE 9-3C). The fashionable practice of contouring the eye by carrying the shadow up from the outer corner of the eye towards the end of the eyebrow is not appropriate for corrective makeup. In FIGURE 9-5A the shadow has not been blended. Shadow on the lower lid is also fashionable from time to time but would not normally be used for corrective makeup.

Step 3. The darkest shadow will be used as a liner and applied with a small narrow brush along the lashline the entire length of the eye, or to separate the eyes slightly, begin two-thirds of the way towards the nose (the liner will last longer if applied with a damp brush). Leaving a space between the liner and the lashes can be avoided by placing the brush on the lashline and working the shadow into the lashes as you go (FIGURE 9-3C). Using a small clean brush, blend the shadow liner slightly up towards the lid. This line should be extremely fine at the inner corner of the eye, slightly wider at the center and gently tapered to approximately one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch past the outside corner.

For some performance venues and on some faces it may be necessary to line the lower lid. Again, avoid creating a space between the lash line and the liner by applying liner on the base of the lash working from the top, not under the lower lash, then through the lashes and onto the lower lid (FIGURE 9-3D).

Many creme eyeshadows tend to migrate and gather in the creases of the eye. This type needs constant attention to keep it looking smooth and natural.

Occasionally the eyelid is highlighted instead of shadowed (see FIGURE 9-5S) in order to make the eyes more prominent. The method usually used is described in detail in Chapter 11.

A touch of rouge on the bone just below the outer end of the eyebrow will add a youthful sparkle to the eye. This can be done with either creme or dry rouge. The red dot that is sometimes placed at the tear duct for the same purpose is much less effective and rather old fashioned.

ACCENTS   The eyes can be accented by lining them, using a brush or an eyebrow pencil (FIGURE 9-4A). The brush can be used with cake or liquid eyeliner. If you find that the eyebrow pencil tends to smear, use cake liner instead. With either the brush or the pencil, draw a line along the upper lid close to the lashes. This line should usually start about two-thirds of the way in towards the nose or may even begin close to the tear duct. The line follows the lashes and extends about a quarter of an inch beyond the outer corner of the eye. It should end in a slight curve (FIGURE 9-2F), not a straight line, and when a natural effect is desired, it should fade out, not end abruptly.

Then draw a similar line on the lower lid, starting about a third of the way in from the outer corner or a third of the way out from the tear duct, as in FIGURE 9-3D, and moving outward along the eye, towards the top line. (A line starting in the middle of the eye, as in FIGURE 9-5B, should be avoided since it tends to divide the eye in half.) This lower line should usually fade out just before it meets the top line. Then both lines may be softened (for men they should be) by going over them with a narrow flat shading brush (FIGURE 9-4B) so that they really become narrow shadows instead of lines. Their purpose is to enlarge the eye slightly as well as to emphasize it. For a natural corrective makeup, they should not completely surround the eye, though for high-fashion makeup in certain periods they occasionally do. Sometimes a small amount of white is brushed or penciled in below the outer quarter inch of the top line in order to help enlarge the eye. Avoid lining the inside rim of the eyelid. The technique of adding white to the lower rim does tend to make the eyes appear larger, but may cause serious injury to the eye.

If the eyes are to be made to appear farther apart, the accents should be strongest at the outer ends and carried farther beyond the corner of the eye than usual (FIGURE 9-3E). If the eyes are to be closer together, the accents are shifted to the inner corners and should not extend to the outer corners at all.

Men should avoid lining the eyes when a natural effect is required. A bit of brown or clear mascara may be all that is needed. In large performance venues such as opera, ballet, outdoor theater, and houses with over eight hundred seats, eye liner is quite appropriate. Performers with extremely dark circles, bagging or puffiness, or excessive wrinkles should avoid blending the liner below the lash line or shadowing below the lash line since it tends to draw attention to that area of the face.

EYELASHES   Women’s lashes are nearly always darkened with mascara. Black is the preferred color although brown may be used on blonde lashes and for a more gentle, soft, natural look. Avoid fashion colors such as red, purple, or navy unless they are appropriate for a special character makeup.

Before applying the mascara, gently curl the lashes (FIGURE 9-6A), then hold the wand parallel to the eye and stroke from the roots to the tips of the lashes (FIGURE 9-6B)—upward on the lower side of the upper lashes and downward on the upper side of the lower lashes (FIGURE 9-6C). Avoid clumps and keep the lashes separated for a natural effect. C and P in FIGURE 9-5 illustrate a failure to avoid clumps, though the effect in P is obviously intentional. If men’s eyelashes are very light or very sparse, brown or black mascara will be helpful in defining the eye; otherwise clear mascara is suggested. Be extremely careful to avoid getting mascara into the eyes, as it can be painful. If you get smudges of mascara on the skin around the eye, they should be carefully removed with a cotton swab dampened with water or, for waterproof mascara, with mascara remover. Caution: Never share your mascara or your mascara brush with anyone else!

In removing mascara, apply the remover to a sheet of cleansing tissue folded into a small square, close one eye, and wipe off the mascara from the lashes on that eye. (Cotton balls should not be used, for they may leave a residue of fibers.)

Women often wear false eyelashes on the upper lid, less often on the lower. Normally, one false eyelash is cut in two and the hairs cut on an angle so that when the eyelashes are applied, they are long at the outer end and relatively short at the inner end. Be sure to cut the two halves of the lash in reverse so that you will have one left and one right lash. If the lashes are too full, snip out some of the hairs with small pointed scissors—before applying the lashes to the eyelid. You can also snip off the ends of some of the lashes to make them less even and more natural looking. FIGURE 9-5R shows lashes trimmed on an angle, and FIGURE 9-5K shows lashes that have evidently not been trimmed at all. Using excessively long or heavy lashes may at times be fashionable but does not necessarily make the eyes more attractive.

False eyelashes, in both full top and bottom or as individual and cluster, are with practice relatively easy to apply. Full false lashes add immediate length and fullness to the entire lash line. Single and cluster lashes add a more natural look by filling in sparse areas and adding a sense of sparkle to the eye. When using single or cluster lashes try mixing short, medium, and long together with short lashes towards the inner end, medium on the outer end and long in the middle. To achieve a “doe-eyed” effect attach the longer lashes to the outer end.

A better integration of the false eyelash with the natural lash line can be achieved by first applying a soft, narrow, dark line of color to the base of the lashes. This allows the lash band to disappear into the liner rather than just sit on the skin. Use a wet/dry pigment liner or shadow rather than a creme formula for better adhesion. Before attaching the lashes allow the adhesive to become slightly tacky for easy application. Gently curling and adding mascara to your own lashes before attaching false ones will help hide the glueline and will aid in holding the lashes in place until the glue dries thoroughly. Finish by curling both sets of lashes and applying mascara.

Try this technique before applying mascara: add extra powder to the area below the eye and onto the front part of the cheek. If any mascara should fall onto the face simply brush it and the powder off with a powder brush.

The eyelashes are attached with a special eyelash adhesive or with surgical adhesive (see Appendix A). The adhesive is applied to the eyelash strip (FIGURE 9-7A), which is set in place along the bottom edge of the eyelid at the lash line then secured by pressing carefully and gently with your fingers (FIGURE 9-7B) or a blunt ended orangewood stick, a paper stump, or the end of a makeup brush. Avoid any space between the false lashes and your own. Never use any sharp-pointed instrument near the eye! If the eyes are to be made to seem farther apart, the lashes can be extended beyond the corner of the eye (FIGURE 9-5G). Apply false eyelashes and mascara only after the makeup has been powdered.

Eyebrows

For corrective makeup, men’s eyebrows should always look natural, whereas women’s may or may not. That does not mean that changes should never be made in an actor’s eyebrows, but it does mean that they should not look made up. Unkempt, scraggly, or excessively heavy brows can be improved or controlled in a number or ways: by judicious plucking or waxing to remove hairs between the brows; by plucking or waxing to create an attractive arch; by carefully clipping unruly hair with a pair of small, sharp scissors; or by combing or brushing in a small amount of hair spray. If you’re planning to pluck more than a few hairs, it would be wise to experiment with blocking out the portions of the brow to be plucked (seeChapter 11) in order to make sure you’re improving the brows, not mutilating them.

In filling out or reshaping men’s eyebrows with pencil, be sure to use short, light strokes following the direction of the hairs. Holding the pencil as shown in FIGURE 9-4C, rather than near the tip, will help to give you a lighter touch in applying the color. If you want to soften the penciling, stroke it lightly with a finger. Placing your eyebrow pencils in the freezer for five to ten minutes before sharpening will allow you to achieve a sharper point.

Pressed eyeshadow can also be used for both men and women to fill out (though not to reshape) the eyebrows. It is applied with a small, short bristled, angle-cut brush, which not only fills in the natural eyebrow if it needs filling in, but also produces the effect of a shadow under the brow, making it seem both wider and thicker than it actually is. Whether it can be used alone or should be used in combination with eyebrow pencil will usually depend on how much filling out is required.

If the brow is well formed and well placed or is lighter than the hair color, it can simply be darkened using pencil or mascara. With pencils, use short, quick, light strokes following the direction of the hair. For a more natural-looking eyebrow simply transfer some pigment from the tip of the pencil to a stiff bristled eyebrow brush (it is often combined with an eyelash comb (see Appendix A) and brush onto the eyebrows. Remember that the intention is to darken the hairs, not the skin underneath—except when the natural brow needs filling out. Using a slightly lighter shade of pencil than the brow color will also aid in achieving a more natural look.

Changes in the men’s eyebrows illustrated in FIGURE 9-8 would depend on the hair and on the entire face and even to some extent on the actor’s personality or the aspects of his personality he wishes to emphasize. For purposes of projection, however, B and D and possibly A (in FIGURE 9-8) should usually be darkened. If there is not much space between the eyebrow and the eye (as in FIGURE 9-8A and D), it may be advantageous to open up the eye area by lifting the outer end of the eyebrow to more nearly approximate the eyebrow in G. That could be done in D, for example, by brushing the hair upward and reshaping the outer end of the brow slightly with a pencil, giving more of a lift to the brow and thus to the entire face. If it proved practicable, a few hairs might be plucked from the bottom of the brow in E. If one wanted a more masculine look, the brow in J might be filled out slightly with a pencil. You can judge for yourself the effect of the various brows illustrated—to what extent they enhance the eye, what quality of personality they suggest, and how they might be improved.

For women’s corrective makeup, as for men’s, it is not necessary to make the eyebrows fit one single pattern—rather, they should be as flattering as possible to the individual eye and to the face in general. Eyebrows that are too straight, too arched (FIGURE 9-5C), too slanted (FIGURE 9-5A), too thick (FIGURE 9-5F), too thin (FIGURE 9-5K), too close together, or too far apart might well be corrected. Raising the eyebrow over the outer corner of the eye, as in FIGURE 9-5B and as suggested for men in the preceding paragraph, can be very helpful in opening up the eye area. Compare, for example, eyebrows B and H in FIGURE 9-5. Exaggerating the upward curve too much, however, can become grotesque.

A very simple method of determining what shape of brow will look best on a particular face is to manipulate the natural brow with your fingers, as illustrated in FIGURE 11-22. That can save you a great deal of time in trial and error.

Cheeks

If the cheeks are too round, the part of the cheek to be made less prominent should be shaded with a base two or three shades darker than that used on the rest of the face. It is important, as always, to blend this lowlight imperceptibly into the lighter base. If the cheeks are too sunken, the procedure can be reversed by using a base a few shades lighter than the rest of the face to counteract the natural shadows that reveal the sunken cheeks.

COLOR OF ROUGE   Rouge and blush both come in creme, powder, and gel formulas. Creme rouge should be blended into the creme foundation before it is set with powder. This rich formula is particularly useful for actors with dry skin. Powder or dry rouge is applied over the foundation (after it has been set) with a large powder brush or angled blush brush. It can be used on its own or combined with the creme formula. Gel blush is extremely sheer and can be used without foundation for a more natural look.

Rouge or blush is usually applied after the modeling is done, though it is sometimes used as a shadow in modeling the cheeks. For men, a soft, natural color (such as SR-9½-d, RS-10-b, RS-10-d, or RS-11-b) should usually be used. In selecting a suitable brush-on rouge (as opposed to dry rouge, which can be used in the same way but does not come with its own brush), look for a shade that is not too pink.

For women, the shade of rouge chosen will depend on skin color, fashion, costume, and personal preference. With so many possible variations there can be no hard-and-fast rules. It is usually best to experiment with shades that you think ought to be suitable in order to find out which ones actually are the most effective. As a rule, the lighter the skin, the lighter the blush color, the darker the skin, the deeper the blush. For a natural look, match the blush color to the natural coloring when the actors blush or are flushed from physical exertion. While you should never match eyeshadow to eye color, it is an appropriate technique to match blush color to lip color.

Fashions in rouge colors change, but for corrective makeup a flattering conservative shade should always be chosen in preference to an unflattering fashionable one. Costume colors—especially reds, oranges, and purples—may determine to some extent which color should be used. A magenta rouge, for example, is not likely to be the best choice for a woman wearing an orange dress, though magenta accessories might make such a combination possible. Personal preference may also be a factor, provided it does not lead one to choose an unbecoming or unsuitable color.

PLACEMENT OF ROUGE   Rouge should usually be placed on or slightly below the cheekbone rather than low on the cheek, although in glamorizing the face, a soft, medium shade of brush-on rouge can be effectively used as a shadow slightly below the cheekbone in order to sink in the cheeks. Rouge is usually applied after any modeling with highlights and shadows has been completed. Rouge should not be placed too near the eye or the nose. If the face is narrow, rouge should be kept even farther from the nose and placed nearer the ears in order to increase the apparent width of the face. If the face is wide, keep the rouge away from the ears and apply it in a pattern more nearly vertical than horizontal. For corrective makeup it should never be applied in a round spot, and it should always be carefully blended.

Fingers can be used to apply and blend the creme and gel formulas, but the blush brush is recommended for all powders. Begin by dipping the brush into the powder, blow or tap off the excess, and apply blush first to a spot just below the cheekbone (FIGURE 9-9A), then blend up and back towards the hairline (FIGURE 9-9B). Avoid drawing a horizontal line across the face. A bit of color at the temple and along the chin (FIGURE 9-9C and D) will balance the entire look.

Rouge is not always used for men, but if color will help to make an actor look healthier or more attractive, a natural shade of bronzer could be used. It should be applied sparingly to areas where the sun naturally colors the face: the bridge of the nose, the brow bone, the cheekbones, and the chin. Whenever foundation is being used, the face should be powdered before using bronzer powder. This will ensure a smooth even application and will avoid discoloration of the bronzer on oily skin, which tends to turn it a bit orange. It should usually extend over a wider area than it normally does for women—including the temples, if the face is not too wide. Above all, it ought to look as natural as possible. In case of doubt, use none.

Lips

FIGURES 9-10 and 9-11 illustrate lips of young men and women. In FIGURE 9-10, E represents the classical ideal—a graceful bow in the upper lip with a dip in the center and a full lower lip not quite so wide as the upper, but the lips need not match this model of classical perfection. Among the other lips in the group, some (A, for example) are well-shaped and would not require correction. Although the upper lip in F is thin and out of proportion to the lower lip, the mouth is still attractive, and if it fits the face, it might better be left as it is. The lips in FIGURE 9-10I do not follow classical proportions, but they are interesting and attractive and should probably not be tampered with. The lower lip should certainly not be darkened. Its fullness works only because it remains light and does not contrast strongly with the skin. Note what happens in C when the lower lip is darkened.

In FIGURE 9-11, F is closest to the classical ideal. Most of the others might be improved with corrective makeup. In B, for example, the slightly crooked upper lip could easily be reshaped, perhaps giving it a more graceful curve and also widening it a bit in order to make it extend beyond the lower lip. Much the same is true of G. In E the upper lip could also be given a more graceful curve. It might be helpful in I if the upper lip were to be thinned; filling out the lower lip would also help the proportion.

RESHAPING   There are various ways of reshaping lips. Thin lips can usually be corrected for women by over-painting—that is, by first drawing on with a lip pencil new lips of the shape and size wanted. Then fill in with lip color. This overpainting should be done for men only if the results will seem completely natural. It’s usually best to make the lower lip lighter than the upper. A thin highlight over the upper lip may help to define it. Note the natural highlights over most of the upper lips in FIGURE 9-10. A similar highlight can be painted in over the corrected lip.

If a man’s lips are too full, it is usually best to leave them the natural color (FIGURE 9-10G). If they are already too red, the lower one can be lightened. If the upper one is very full, it too should be lightened. For women the fullness can be minimized by covering the lips with the foundation, then using the lip color only towards the inside of the lips and fading it outward into the foundation color. Deep colors should be avoided.

For too-wide lips, keep the lip color towards the center of the lips and cover the outer corners with the foundation color. The upper lip may be left slightly wider than the lower. If the mouth is too narrow, carry the lip color out to the extreme corners, particularly on the upper lip. It is seldom possible to carry the color beyond the natural corners of the mouth with any degree of success. The artifice becomes apparent as soon as the mouth is opened.

In the case of a turned-down mouth with a heavy upper lip and a thin lower one, the solution is to overpaint the lower lip to match the upper one and, if possible, to turn up the corners with paint. Or, if the outline of the upper lip is not too definite, it can be partially blocked out with foundation color and the lower one filled in to match. That much correction may not be possible for men.

For a mouth with a thin upper lip, the upper lip can—for women, at least, and sometimes for men—be overpainted to match the lower.

Lip coloring can best be applied with a narrow flat brush and blotted with tissue. The color should usually not be carried to the extreme corners of the mouth unless you wish to widen it. It is frequently helpful to define the lips by outlining them with a lip pencil, using the same or slightly darker shade than the lip color (FIGURE 9-12A). The outline should then be blended inward with your brush. Now apply the lip color with a brush or directly with the lipstick (FIGURE 9-12B).

For men, especially when no lip rouge is used at all, the outline of the lips can be defined very subtly with a brown makeup pencil, then blended. Further definition may be possible by deepening the natural shadow immediately below the center of the lower lip. If there is a natural shadow there, this will, of course, not be necessary, but if the natural shadow is slight, it may be helpful. It should, however, be done with great care so as to look completely natural. Observe the shadows under the lips in FIGURE 9-10.

COLOR   Lip coloring should be compatible with the rouge. And like rouge it will depend—for women—on color of the skin, hair, costume, and perhaps on colors fashionable at the time. Lips and eyes should be kept in balance with each other. If accentuating the eye area keep the lip soft and vice versa. Bizarre fashions (such as white lipstick) should obviously be avoided in corrective makeup. For men a natural color (such as PR-9-d, SR-10-d, or RS-10-b) is safest. Often it is best not to color the lower lip at all.

Neck

If the neck shows signs of age, it can be camouflaged somewhat by shadowing the prominent muscles and highlighting the depressions. Even a sagging neckline can be minimized, at least for the front view, by shadowing. The shadow should be strongest just under the jaw line and should blend gradually into the foundation, which can be darker on the neck than on the face. The neck shadow must never be allowed to come up over the jaw line. The jaw line itself can be defined with a shadow. That will tend to strengthen it and take the attention away from the neck.

Teeth

Dark or discolored teeth can be lightened with a white tooth color available from most theatrical makeup manufacturers. Professional whitening and/or bleaching techniques used by dentists are highly effective and relatively inexpensive. Irregularities (such as very long front teeth) can be corrected by shortening the teeth with black tooth enamel or black wax. More serious deficiencies, such as broken, missing, or extremely irregular teeth, require the services of a dentist. This can be expensive, but for professional actors—unless they are doing only certain types of character roles—it is important to have attractive teeth.

Hair

The actor’s usual hair style should be considered carefully in relation to the shape of the face. If it can be made more becoming, it should be restyled. That can often be done merely by recombing in various ways and checking in the mirror, though it is sometimes better to consult a hairdresser whose work you know and can depend on. Medium long hair usually offers greater potential for change than does short.

If you want to make the face seem shorter and broader, avoid placing the bulk of the hairdo high on the head. Try, instead, to keep it flat on top and wider at the sides. If you want the face longer and narrower, the reverse will apply. If the face is too round, avoid a round hairdo that follows the shape of the face, since that would only emphasize the roundness. But a round hairdo could be helpful for a face that is too square or too angular. If the features are sharp, the hairdo should be soft around the face, not sleek—unless, of course, you have chosen deliberately to emphasize the sharpness.

If a man’s hairline is receding slightly, it may be possible to restyle hair to conceal the fact. Or the hairline can sometimes be corrected by using eyebrow pencil of the appropriate color on the scalp. In doing this, never draw a hard, horizontal line; instead, use short strokes of the pencil following the direction of the hair. These strokes should be softened and blurred with the finger so that there is no definite line, and they should also be powdered to avoid shine. Darkening the base color at the hairline will also help. Makeup to match the hair color can be applied to small bald spots and can also be used with some success on the hairline. If the hair has receded beyond the point at which it can be corrected with paint, the actor should procure a toupee or a wig. The best ones are handmade and are expensive, but good inexpensive ones made with synthetic hair are also available. No matter what you pay for a wig or a hairpiece, be sure to have it skillfully styled.