Client and Work Area Preparation

Before you do your make-up application you will need to prepare your work area, your client and yourself.  This is how:

Work Area Preparation

—  Wipe down your work area with surgical spirit before starting and then cover the area with couch roll. At the end of the session the area should be surgi’d again

—  All products and equipment should be set out in a logical sequence to your order of application, face products together, eye products together, lip products together. However your area mustn’t be cluttered

—  Your work area should be positioned appropriately close to your working hand to avoid over-stretching

—  Ensure you have disposables to hand such as folded tissues, cotton buds, cotton pads, spatulas, mascara wands and latex wedges

—  Brush should be out of their roll and either placed on the table or stood up in a pot

—  Ensure ALL products are in place ready
for use. Resource lists are handy for
this purpose

—  Have a waste bin ready and in place

—  Keep your work area clean and tidy
at all times – never leave used tissues,
etc, on the work area

—  Move kit box out of the way

Self Preparation

—  Wear appropriate uniform and shoes

—  Remove any jewellery

—  Hair to be secured back in a tight ponytail and wispy fringes secured up and away from your face

—  Wash hands prior to make-up commencement

—  Your standing posture should be comfortable using an even weight distribution to hips and feet

—  An appropriate distance between yourself and the client should be maintained. Be aware of personal space and not to encroach it

Client Preparation

—  Your client should be seated in the correct position to allow you to apply the make-up with ease – no crossed legs

—  Check that she is comfortable and relaxed in order to receive maximum benefit from the service

—  Ask your client to remove earrings and necklaces and store her jewellery safely in a container within her view

—  Place a make-up cape across the client’s shoulders to catch any loose make-up particles

—  Your client’s headband should be covered with tissue and ensure that her hair is tucked away
from her face. Exceptions can be made
for client’s having come from the
hairdressers and for men

—  Advise your client not to be on her
mobile during the make-up application

Correct Positioning

•       Correct positioning of yourself and the client is important to avoid injury

•       You may not necessarily be working from a chair, couch or stool but out on location in a field!!

•       Problems from bad posture could result in repetitive strain injury, bad back, aching shoulders and knees, stiff joints and muscle fatigue

•       Any chairs that you use should be height adjustable to ensure a comfortable working environment

Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise

Preparing the Skin with Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise

Cleansers

—  The skin needs to be cleansed before a proper skin analysis can take place

—  Cleansers come in a variety of formulas including:

ü  Creams – high content of oil which are suitable for dry and mature skins.
Excellent for removing heavy make-up applications (there are speciality products for theatre make-up removal)

ü  Lotions – equal content of oil and water and are suitable for most skin types especially blemished

ü  Milks – high water content so are suitable for oily  skins. Have a detergent element which can have a drying effect

Toners

—  After the skin has been cleansed and the pores have been opened by the process and they then need to be closed using a skin toner

—  Toners will also ensure the complete removal of any residue remaining on the skin after cleansing

—  Toners are generally an alcohol based liquid and are available in the following formulas:

ü  Tonics which have a mild and gentle effect can be
used on most skin types

ü  Astringents which have a high alcohol content
and should only be used on oily skin

ü  Fresheners contain no alcohol, only minerals and distilled water and are suitable for sensitive skins

Moisturisers

—  Moisturisers vary in oil content depending on the skin the they have been formulated for

—  They are applied after a toner and their benefits are to moisten and soften the skin, aid protection from the environment and make-up and some protect against harmful sun-rays

—  Moisturisers are available in the following formulas:

ü  Oils and waxes to prevent loss of moisture which are suitable for most skin types

ü  Those that counteract free radicals with antioxidants to help with the ageing process

ü  AHA’s to help skin renewal by using active ingredients

ü  Anti-ageing containing collagen and elastin to help strengthen mature skin

Skin Care

—  There are many other skin care products that are on the market that can help to maintain, protect and nourish all skin types and these include:

v   Night Creams

v  Eye Make-up Removers

v  Skin Exfoliators

v  Face Masks

v  Eye Gels and Lotions

v  Neck Creams

v  Under Make-up Bases

There are many skin care ranges especially formulated for male skins

Basic make-up techniques

CTM & Basic Make-up Techniques

Ø  When performing a CTM on a client who is sitting in a chair, ensure that it is adjusted to the lowest position so that you can comfortably reach them from behind

Ø  Cleanse – use damp cotton pads to remove all traces of dirt, dust and grease. Use an eye make-up remover on the eyes

Ø  Tone – use damp cotton pads to apply toner to close the pores

Ø  Moisturise – use a barrier cream to protect the skin from make-up and the elements. For heavy make-up applications use an under make-up base

Ø  Primer – an optional products which evens out the skin providing a smoother surface for make-up

Ø  Afterwards adjust the chair to highest position for make-up

Basic make-up Techniques

—  Apply a colour corrector to any areas that require adequate concealing prior to foundation

—  Test the foundation colour on the client’s jaw-line to find the perfect match

—  Mix enough of the foundation colours together and apply to the face and jaw-line using either a latex wedge, a foundation brush or a stippling brush

—  Apply concealer to any areas that need attention

—  Set the foundation with a translucent face powder using either a velour puff of a large brush

Colour Correctors

—  Colour correctors are used to conceal blemishes, high colour and sallowness and can be found in sticks, creams or powders.  Colour concealing is used prior to foundation, and is normally applied using a make-up sponge or brush. 

—  It is usual to correct colour such as ruddy cheeks, dark circles under the eyes, blemishes, high colouring and broken capillaries.

—  Skin correctors have the addition of a coloured pigment used to correct the above conditions

—  Green correctors cancel out red, so are ideal for toning down ruddy cheeks or high colour, or to conceal tiny broken blood vessels. Use lightly and only apply to the areas that need it as too much can give a greyish tinge to the skin

—  Lilac correctors give a boost to yellow skin under tones, particularly olive types.  Used sparingly, it can be used all over the face to give a youthful glow

—  Blue correctors do for pale and wintery looking skin what lilac does for olive skin, giving it a more radiant look. Apply sparingly to the areas of the face that catch the light most readily

—  Pink correctors work best under the eyes.  It helps add a youthful glow and softens dark
areas.

—  Yellow correctors  work well for dark eye circles and any areas that need lightening. This
corrector is also good for camouflaging tattoos

Foundations

Before any artist can start work they need a clean and smooth canvas to work from.

Think of your base work (foundation and powder) as your canvas. You most certainly wouldn’t want to paint a picture on a dirty and rough piece of paper.

The face that you are going to apply a variety of colour onto, in the way of eyeshadows, blush and lipstick, needs to be prepared properly in order to make your creative masterpiece work.

Preparation of your canvas is vitally important for the result of your painting!!

—  Foundations are applied to even out the skin tone to produce a flawless finish

—  Foundations will provide a canvas for all subsequent products. Without foundation, other cosmetics will simply melt away and disappear over a very short time

—  Foundations will help to protect the skin from the environment, especially those with SPF included

—  Foundation can be a applied in a number of ways and each method has certain benefits

1.       Fingers – must be sanitised and have client’s consent

2.       Sponge or  latex wedge – check for allergies. Most hygienic

3.       Brush – gives even and consistent results

4.       Stippling Brush – great blending results

—  Liquid – Oil free. Suitable for normal and combination skins. Liquid matt is available for oily skin. Gives a light covering reflecting a flesh impact. Has a high water contect (water in oil)

—  Cream – Suitable for most skin type, but better for dry skins. Has a medium coverage with a thicker texture. High oil content (oil in water)

—  Mousse – Suitable for all skin types. Has a light coverage producing a natural finish. Can be oil or water based.

—  Tinted Gels – Suitable for young skins which only require a light coverage. Provides a very sheer coverage. Gels can cause dryness on sensitive skins. Water-based gel

—  HD – Gives a smooth texture with buildable coverage. Blends to a flawless opaque finish. Usually contains silicone and strong pigment

Concealers

—  These are superfine, translucent formulations with high-tech ingredients which provide long lasting coverage

—  Commercially they are available in shades of light, medium and dark, however professional supplies are available in a wide range of colour choices to suit all skin tones

—  Their job is to correct slight shadows and blemishes giving the illusion of perfect skin.

Powders

—  Face Powders are used to ‘set’ the foundation to prevent it from slipping off the face, increasing longevity.

—  Face Powders will help to reduce shine. This is especially important for a client working under studio lighting

—  They should feel silky to the touch and have a very light consistency

—  Quite a few of face powders have light-reflecting particles which help to minimise imperfections on the skins surface

—  Face Powders are applied using a soft brush or velour powder puff

There are two types of face powder Loose and Pressed

—  Translucent – will allow the colour of the foundation to show through the slightly pigmented formula

—  Colourless (transparent/white) – has no pigments so it will therefore not change the colour of the foundation

—  Tinted – should match the colour of the foundation exactly

—  Bronzing – used to give a healthy sun-kissed look

Note – if you work is to be photographed avoid powder with titanium dioxide in it to prevent
ghosting or flash-back

Contra Indication

Contra Indications

A contra indication is a condition, either infectious or non-infectious, that will either prevent or restrict the make-up application

Some Contra Indications PREVENT which means that the make-up application cannot go ahead generally because the condition is infectious

Other Contra Indications RESTRICT which means that the make-up can be applied either with care over the non-infectious condition or just avoiding the area with the condition

Contra Indications – PREVENT

—  Fungal Infections – Tinea Corporis (body ringworm)

—  Bacterial Infections – Conjunctivitus, Impetigo, Styes

—  Viral Infections – Herpes Simplex, Warts

—  Severe Eczema

—  Severe Psoriasis

—  Severe Skin Conditions

Contra Indications – RESTRICT

—  Broken Bones

—  Recent Scar Tissue

—  Hyperkeratosis

—  Skin Allergies

—  Cuts and Abrasions

—  Epilepsy

—  Recent Fractures and Sprains

—  Undiagnosed Lumps and Swellings

—  Product Allergies – positive patch test 

Contra Actions

Contra Actions

What is a Contra Action?

Ø  It’s a reaction or hypersensitivity to the skin by a product or substance known as an allergen

Products that can cause a Contra Action

•       Cosmetics

•       Eye and Hair treatment products

•       Skin care preparations

•       Adhesives and Solvents

•       Detergents, Disinfectants and Bleach

•       Essential Oils

•       Drugs and Food

•       Metals and Rubbers

What Reactions Can Occur?

•       Client complaining of discomfort

•        Inflammation

•        Reddening of the skin or eye

•        Irritation

•        Swelling

•        Itching

•        Client feeling unwell

Procedures to Follow

1. Remove all products immediately
2. Use an eye bath to flush product from the eye
3. Seek medical advice if appropriate
4. Enter details onto record card and/or make-up plan

The pros and cons of being a makeup artist

Karla Powell Make-up Artist

self evaluation as a mua

Self evaluation is crucial as it will enable you to improve and reach your potential. I recommend completing a self evaluation form after your make up application alongside a resource list, record of techniques and face chart. Here is an example of self evaluation:

Theatrical and Media Make-up

DAY MAKE-UP -  6th September 2012

SELF EVALUATION by Francesca Simpson

• I really enjoyed doing this Day Make-up as it was one of the first Make-up’s that I had done on a client
• I had a few problems in getting the correct colour of foundation to match her skin but after some trial and error I managed to match it very closely and it looked pretty good
• I was really pleased with the eye shadow colours that I used but I had a bit of an issue with ‘fall-out’ but managed to clean it from her face okay
•   I definitely need to practice doing the lip lining as my hand wasn't too steady and I did end up making a bit of a mess with the line.
• When the make-up was completed I was really quite happy with what I’d achieved as it was my first attempt.

My areas for improvement are:

• Choosing the correct colour of foundation
• Eye shadow application
• Lip lining