How to Wear the Burlesque Makeup Look for a Winter Party

Modern burlesque performer Dita Von Teese

Despite the reputation burlesque performances have for being risqué, burlesque makeup is favored by even tastefully dressed starlets wishing to evoke Old Hollywood glamour. You, too, can wear celebrity-style makeup without having to don the ensembles burlesque performers sport to thrill audiences. At the height of the holiday season, when you want to look stunning for the must-attend events on your list, you might want to add the burlesque makeup look to your repertoire. With a few adjustments here and there, you'll be ready for any winter party of your choosing.

Things You'll Need

• Moisturizer
• Matte makeup primer
• Opaque coverage foundation
• Makeup sponge
• Brow pencil or powder
• Petroleum jelly
• Eye makeup primer
• Eyeshadow brush with a flat head
• Cream-colored eyeshadow
• Highly pigmented winter-themed eyeshadow
• Domed eyeshadow blending brush
• Eyelash curler
• False strip eyelashes
• Black volumizing mascara
• Black liquid eyeliner
• Clear liquid eyeliner with silver or gold glitter
• True red lipstick
• Creamy deep-toned lipstick
• Artist's palette
• Creamy true red lip liner
• Lip brush
• Sheer creme blush
• Translucent powder
• Large fluffy brush

Instructions

1. Start your makeup application with a clean, moisturized face. Wear a richer moisturizer than usual for two reasons: First, to protect your skin from the winter cold and second, to hydrate your skin underneath possibly drying fuller coverage foundation.

2. Dot a matte makeup primer all over face and blend. To give this look a vintage vibe, a shine-free finish is a must. For base, you need an opaque coverage foundation to create the effect of old-style pinup glamour. The water-activated "pancake" variety is one option. Creme-based formulas are also particularly effective. Apply all over face, making sure to include eyelids and under-eye area, and blend seamlessly with a sponge to get rid of demarcation lines.

3. Define eyebrows. A strong brow is essential to the burlesque look, so choose a brow pencil or powder a notch darker than your regular one. Clean up your brows prior to filling them in so that there are no stray or scraggly hairs. Fill brows in with color, using feather-soft strokes to prevent them from looking harsh since you are not creating the look with the intention of wearing makeup as heavy as a stage performer's. Do fill in any sparseness and distinctly bring out the shape of your brows. One way to do this is by playing up your arches. Lightly dab a spot of petroleum jelly on each brow for polished shine in the style of Old Hollywood.

4. Smooth eye makeup primer on lids for long-wearing crease-resistant color. After it sets, use an eyeshadow brush with a flat head to stipple a cream-colored eyeshadow on from lash line to brow bone. Add contouring by applying a highly pigmented winter-flavored eyeshadow--such as dark purple--on your crease. Buff away any hard edges in the color with a domed eyeshadow brush. Curl eyelashes before gluing on a pair of false strip ones. Run a black thickening mascara through your own lashes and the fake ones. Press them together in between your thumb and forefinger to merge them. Use a black liquid eyeliner above your top lash lines, including the band of the false lashes in your application. Gradually thicken the line from the middle of the eye outwards. Wing edges upward for a cat eye effect. Layer a clear liquid liner infused with either silver or gold glitter over the black line to dress eyes up.

5. Cover lips with foundation to prep them for vivid lipstick. Choose either a matte or creamy formulation, depending on whether you suffer from dry lips or not. What matters is that the product is highly pigmented for opaque, not sheer, color. The shade, in keeping with the festive winter theme, should be one that's fashionable in the colder months. Typical burlesque lips are usually painted one hue of red or another. Mix your deep-toned winter lipstick with a true red on an artist's palette. Pat makeup primer all over and around your lip line as a preventive measure for bold lip color to stay in place. If you don't have a creamy lip pencil that matches the color of your lipstick, use one in true red to line lips and fill them in with color. Slightly exaggerate the bow of your lips. With a lip brush for precise application, layer on lipstick.

6. Decide how much blush to wear, considering you already have dramatic eyes and lips. The reason you applied lipstick prior to blush in this instance is so you can gauge how much blush you need after a bold application of lipstick. Choose to wear a sheer creme one shade deeper than your natural flush, working the product on only the apples of your cheeks. The creme texture should make blending away evident lines an effortless task. Finish by dusting translucent powder on your T-zone with a large fluffy brush.

Tips & Warnings

• If full-coverage foundation feels too heavy for you, thin it down and allow your skin to breathe by applying it with a damp sponge or foundation brush.

• Pair the makeup with a vintage-style hairdo and outfit to complete the look.

Resources

• Updating the pinup face for fall
• History of burlesque