How to Apply Stage Makeup for a Woman

Keep your brushes clean by laying down a clean towel at your makeup station.

Basic stage makeup highlights your features to make your expressions more visible to the audience. It also deepens your coloring so you will not appear washed out under the bright stage lighting. Stage makeup is darker and more pronounced than street makeup, but if you can apply street makeup, you can easily learn to apply stage makeup.

Things You'll Need

• Cold cream
• Foundation
• Makeup sponge
• Eye shadow
• Eye shadow brush
• Black eyeliner
• Eyeliner brush
• Eyebrow pencil
• Blush or rouge
• Lipstick

Instructions

1. Apply a thin layer of cold cream. The cold cream will fill your pores and make removing the makeup easier.

2. Apply foundation one shade darker than your skin to all visible skin: face, neck, and hands. Also apply it to your arms and decolletage, if they are exposed. Use a makeup sponge for best coverage.

3. Apply eyeshadow in the crease of your eye and on the lid using an eyeshadow brush. Use medium brown if your character is not supposed to be wearing makeup. Blend the shadow well. If your character would be wearing makeup use a slightly brighter color than the shade your character would wear.

4. Line your upper eyelid just above the lash line with black eyeliner. Extend the line straight out 1/8 to 1/4 inch beyond your eye. Draw a thin line just under your lower lashes.

5. Draw your eyebrows with eyebrow pencil. Use medium or dark brown if your are blond, and black if you are brunette. Make short lines that follow the direction of the hairs in your eyebrows. Make your eyebrows about a quarter-of-an-inch thick at the widest point.

6. Smile and apply blush from the fullest part of your cheeks up to your hairline. Blend the edges of the blush well. Stand five feet back from the mirror and be sure your blush and eyebrows are visible from this distance.

7. Apply lipstick. If your character is not supposed to be wearing makeup, use a color one shade darker than your natural lip color. If your character is supposed to be wearing makeup, wear a bright color that she would wear.

Tips & Warnings

• Traditionally actresses wore either grease paint foundation or pancake foundation. You can use a darker shade of your regular foundation and moisturizer. It is easier on your skin. If you have trouble with liquid eyeliner, use a black eyeliner pencil. You can use mascara, if desired. It is not as important as eyeliner. Apply your makeup in a well-lit mirror. Remove mistakes with a cotton swab dipped in cold cream.

• Do not share brushes or makeup. Eye infections can be passed from person to person on dirty makeup brushes and contaminated makeup breeds germs. Do not use frosted colors or metallic finishes that will shine in the lights.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish