Interesting Facts and Tips to Avoid Theatre Hair and Makeup Mistakes

This is a collaborative post by Ellie Jo with tips on theater hair and makeup.

The importance of stage make up is something that cannot be ignored. It is one of the pieces of the puzzle that come together in order to create the overall feeling. It can be considered a science and an art. At the end of the day, you are generating a beautiful picture. However, there is more to this than making the person look pretty. You are dealing with a specific area of makeup and styling and therefore there are key rules in place. In order to make sure everything goes smoothly read on to discover the top mistakes you need to avoid in relation to theatrical and stage hair and makeup.

Interesting Facts and Tips to Avoid Theatre Hair and Makeup Mistakes

•       Subtle makeup – This is one of the biggest mistakes that can be made. You’d never see subtle makeup on Broadway New York! When makeup artists generate their look on being up close and personal to the actress or the dancer this is a problem. You need to remember that nobody in the audience is going to be that close. And what about those that are sat at the back of the crowd? You need to go for bright colors and lots of makeup if you truly want to make an impression. A subtle flick of eyeliner may look beautiful to you. But you are going to be the only person who will see it. Bold and out there is definitely the right route to go down here.
•       Hair that gets in the way – There is nothing worse for an actress than having to constantly keep brushing her hair off her face whenever she tries to read a line. This is something that the audience will undoubtedly pick up on too. A lot of the time you will notice that most actresses have their hair in an updo. Of course, there are times when this is not possible because it does not reflect the character in question. Nonetheless, this is when hair spray and backcombing becomes your best friend. You can work your magic to ensure that the hair is kept off the eyes and an extensive amount of hair spray will guarantee it stays this way.
•       Forgetting to take lighting into account – Let’s make this clear; when it comes to the big stage the lighting can be brutal to say the least. If you don’t take this into account with makeup, then you are asking for disaster to strike. Nobody wants to see their actors or actresses streaming with sweat, do they? You need to opt for makeup that is going to help to minimize the shine. Furthermore, waterproof mascara, eyeliner and alike is always recommended. Finally, don’t forget the importance of using a fixing spray either. Finish this offer with a dusting of fine powder in order to generate the perfect light ready look.

If you take these three points into account then there is no way you will massively slip up when it comes to theatrical stage makeup and hairstyling. To commit any of three acts mentioned would be simply criminal.