My main extra-curricular activity on campus is stage makeup design. It’s no secret that extra-curriculars at Harvard are extremely competitive, so I was happy when I fell into this one: I get to play with endless new looks and mediums, I’m a part of the incredible theatre community without ever having to leave the world of dressing rooms and the backstage (stage fright, woo!), and I could probably count the number of other people with this specialty on campus on one hand.
So what has this slightly unconventional activity taught me, besides the best place to buy fake scars and how to use purple and white cream shadow to make a junior at the college look convincingly middle-aged? That the techniques used to bring faces to life under blinding stage lights can easily be translated into daily makeup that looks just a little more professional and just a little more interesting. In each photoset, in the first I’m only wearing foundation (Covergirl Outlast 3-in-1) and brow makeup (Smashbox Single Shadow in Mink + Maybelline Great Lash Brown Mascara), in the second I’m wearing “professional” day makeup, and in the third I’m wearing the stage version that the techniques are derived from.
Step 1: Contour
no contouring, daytime contouring, stage contouring
Contouring is tricky. For the stage, it’s fairly simple – swipe dark bronzer in the area under your cheekbones, at your temples, and down either side of your nose (I use NYX Matte Bronzer in “Medium”), add a streak of thick, creamy champagne highlighter under that (Benefit Watts Up), and load up on bright blush on the apples of your cheeks (Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Flushed). But the more important question is how to achieve the same effect – a slimmer face, more pronounced cheekbones, added dimension – without looking like a clown? As difficult as contouring seems to be, and as difficult as it may appear to be to transition to a daytime look, it’s actually quite similar to the basic techniques of the stage version. Brush bronzer in a shade that’s fairly close to your skin tone (same NYX one but in “Light”) with a sparse, fluffy brush (so as to not create harsh lines) to the same three zones – under your cheekbones, at your temples, and on either side of your nose. Forgo the heavy, rich highlighter and use a multi-colored brightening powder like NYX Radiant Finishing Powder in “Brighten” to create a more natural contrast. Lastly, a powder blush/bronzer combo (I used Hard Candy’s “Fox in a Box”) is all you need to accentuate the apples of your cheeks.
Step 2: Lips
bare lips, day lips, stage lips
This is one of the main techniques people think you can’t pull off outside of the theatre. If the hundreds of questionable “lip plumpers” on the market aren’t proof enough, everyone is on the hunt for collagen injection alternatives from time to time. On the stage, it’s easy enough – the bright lights let you get away with wearing a creamy berry tone (Maybelline Color Whisper in “Berry Ready”) and lining your lips outside the lip line with a darker liner like NYX’s Burgundy Slim Lip Pencil to create the allusion of a larger mouth. But is there an alternative to this that you can rock in the light of day? There is! In keeping with the lip liner trick, first line your lips outside the natural lip line… but with a nude pencil (NYX Wonder Pencil) instead of a colored one. This creates a smoother outline and allows your lips to pop off your face right off the bat. Then, use a small shadow brush and apply a touch of matte, taupe eyeshadow under the curve of your lower lip – this creates the allusion that your lips are casting the slightest bit of shadow over the top of your chin. Top it all off with a glossy, bright color and you’ve done it! Plumped your lips without surgery and without looking obscene.
Step 3: Eyes
no eye makeup, daytime eye makeup, stage eye makeup
Your eyes are the easiest place to play with stage makeup techniques – whether under bright lights or sunlight, they’re the best and simplest things to highlight. On the stage, I like to do a stark smoky eye so I’ll pack a very shimmery neutral shadow all over the lid and blend a very dark shimmery shadow into the crease and all the way up to the brow bone. I’ll also blend the light, bright shadow into the inner corner of the eye to brighten the area. Next, I’ll blend a black liquid liner (like Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner) above the upper lash line and apply false lashes (I can’t get enough of the eEyelash Bottom Lashes #105) to finish the look. As with the lips and contouring, the way to bring this look to the real world is to practice the same techniques but with a much lighter hand. Blend a pale, matte shadow lightly over the eyelid and apply a darker and more shimmery similar color in the crease, without taking it all the way to the brow bone. Highlight the inner corner with a matte white shadow pencil like the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in “Milk.” Tight-line the upper waterline only (with a creamy, jet black liner like the Maybelline Define-A-Line) and finish with black mascara (Maybelline The Rocket here), concentrating on coating the tips and the outermost lashes.
Anyone can smear on foundation, circle their eyes with black liner, and throw on some lipgloss. And most days, that’s more than enough! But the next time you have a little extra time on your hands or just need a mindless mood booster, try these tips – they’re easy, fun, and the best way to fake a little makeup knowledge.