Sun Protection

Sun Protection is so important on a set. Not just the actors but for crew also. There have been to many times when we are working outdoors and no one on the crew thinks about sun protection. By mid day you start to see the sunburns appear.
Also you are partly responsible for your actors safety outdoors. I do believe production and the medics should be aware of the welfare for the actors and crew but when no one is paying attention you should be doing everything in your power to keep the actors safe.Here are a few suggestions on sun protection at the work place.

1. Use a SPF of 15 or higher. Sprays are great for covering exposed areas of the body. I also use sunscreens for the face that works well with airbrushing or under cream foundations. I liked Coppertone SPF 50 or 75 . Dermalogica SPF 30 in a spray.
2. Better to have long sleeves and hats with flaps to cover the back of the neck and ears. There are also umbrellas, hats, and shirts with sun protection materials. Find a good brand to bring with you to set in case you need it or your actor needs it. Most often props will provide umbrellas but don't count on it.
3. Everyone should be wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes.Children should also have sunglasses.
4. Drink lots of water. Have enough water on hand for your actors between takes. A straw also if requested.
5. Small portable fans that run on batteries for you and the actors.
6. Your Makeup crew should take turns to rest and get out of the sun.
7. Re apply sunscreens when needed. Once is not enough. Also remind the actors between takes to get into a shaded area.

Tattoo Inks

Tattoo Inks as we all know are used all the time. Since a big part of my job was watching set after everyone was done I had to travel light. Even though I have every palette ever made (they are addictive)you can not take them all to set. Keep your makeup bag light. Plus you find even in the trailer you start to use a color here and there from the different palettes. I started to buy my favorite ones in liquid form. Pour the liquid Tattoo colors of choice into empty plastic containers. Leave the lids open and in a few days the colors will turn into solids. Now you have custom Tattoo ink palettes. I used those plastic empty pill containers that have 7-day compartments. After filling four of those with my preferred colors I could easily take better options with me to set. A few of my favorite palettes are Temptu Grease and Grime,Temptu Burn, Temptu Trauma, Skin Illustrator Fleshtones, Skin Illustrator Grunge. Have fun mixing your own colors!

Contour Colors

Here are a few suggestions that have worked well for me as contour colors. You can mix them up. Use alone or use as a product to warm the skin tone. I would also use these colors for any skin tone adjusting the brightness or depth of color to better suit the actor or actress.

Bobbi Brown:Sheer Color Cheek Tint, Sheer Mauve,Blackberry
Bobbi Brown:Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks, Milk Chocolate,Blushed Rose, Powder Pink.
Chantecalle Aquablush: Frivolous, Charming.

Laura Mercier Mineral Cheek Powder:Amberstone,Coral(I loved a combination LM use to have but has no more a loose powder creme blush duo.This worked well for me because I like to use a loose over the cremes during touch ups during the day. But you can find the cremes alone like Canyon to work with their loose powders).

YSL Creme De Blush#3, #2

Iman Blush: Fard a Joues Rubor #03

Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder#4

Le Metier De Beaute: Creme Fresh Tint for Lip and Cheek, Tenne

Frends put together a beautiful blush palette which ended up to be a good contour palette for the Trauma Trailer. Z palettes were filled with colors like Nector, Peach, Scarlet, and Adobe. You will have to ask Paul at Frends for the names of other colors. Or Nicole at NaimIes. Both are located in LA.
If you are on a budget take a few samples on a sheet of paper at the department store to compare to another product at Walgreens.You can also wait to purchase products untill you are on a job that has a makeup Budget or Makeup Kit fees.
Look through our book The Makeup Artist Handbook for suggestions on how to apply contour colors.

Go Green

If you are a Makeup artist who is interested in going Green with product packaging you will have better luck finding just that. There are companies that make their packaging and paper out of bamboo,and recycled materials.Wrappers with seeds. Check out "The Eco Chick Guide to Life, by Starre Vartan".
Few of the Brands promoting Green packaging and less landfill:Estee Lauder,Cover FX, Mineral FX,and Pangea Organics just to name a few.
The New York Times, Now The Cosmetics Jar Matters, Too, By Camille Sweeney

Coverage for Vitiligo

Here are a few tips on an autoimmune disorder called Vitiligo.Vitiligo is a disorder that causes patches of the skin to lose its color.(New York Times, Vitiligo:Ignoring What Is Painfully Obvious, By Catherine Saint Louis) Vitiligo can be covered by cosmetics.Please be aware of the comfort level for any of your clients with this condition. Also request the right amount of time it will take to get the actor camera ready.If you are good with color and color corrections in general you should be able to breeze right thru.
I like to use the Tattoo Palettes in skin tones. By hand or airbrush begin to use the product in light sweeping layers drying in between each layer. Use an undertone shade that is close to the undertones of the darker skin tone but a few shades lighter. For example yellows, rose, or green. This step will start the natural connection between the light areas and the dark. My favorite products for this step is: Temptu Dura Palette Skin Light ,Temptu Dura Palette Skin Dark, Skin Illustrator Complexion, Skin Illustrator Dark Fleshtones, and Light Fleshtones.
Follow for the coverage with a water base or silicon based airbrush Makeup. I prefer Water base in Kett or OCC. If you use a silicon base be sure to warm or bring life back into the skin with a powder or blusher on top.
There are a few products that clients use for this condition. Dermablend, ColorTration, and Cover FX.Whatever products you use make sure the are practical for Hi Def fast pace Television, Film projects.Your products should look natural stay on most of the day without complicated touch ups.
A new alternative is Microskin. A product out of Australia. Application can take up to 75 minutes and clients need to be scanned seasonally for the right products.