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2010-10-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

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Last Blog on Blogspot

2010-06-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Im moving to a new spot. You can sign up and join me at http://www.Gretchendavismakeup.com or http://www.Gretchendavismakeup.wordpress.com

There is also a Tab for artists like yourself to contribute information makeup tips etc.

Hope to see you over there. Gretchen Davis

Top 4 Spray Sunscreens

2010-06-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Makeup artists often talk about sunscreens. That is because it is so important to always protect your actors while on set. Another reason is what products work well under Makeup.
Consumer Reports has a list of Spray Water Resistance Sunscreens that work efficiently.What you would want to do is test them also under the Makeup brands you are using. Apply Sunscreens under makeup in the trailer and every two hours after that. There is no such thing as waterproof. Sprays can be efficient for the body and on set. But watch for winds that would make this technique useless. Never spray near camera or other sensitive equipment. Do not spray directly on an actors face unless it is requested. Don't assume it is OK. Here is the Top four products Consumer Reports recommends:

UP & UP Sport Continuous (Target)
Walgreens Sport Continuous
Banana Boat Sport Performance
Aveeno Continuous Protection

The next group Consumer Reports recommends is:

Coppertone UltraGuard Continuous
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist with Helioplex

Melanoma Risks With Tanning Booths

2010-06-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

Although weak to link Melanoma with Tanning indoors a controlled study showed using Tanning booths increased the chance of Melanoma. The International Agency for Research on Cancer added indoor tanning to its list of carcinogens. To read more go to www.aacrjournals.org

Body Makeup, Varicose Veins

2010-05-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is here for most of us. I'm in San Francisco so we wear coats to the beach until Fall. That is the true hot weather. But regardless, as a makeup artist you will be asked to refine and enhance that buffed beautiful actor or actress for a shoot. I only cover what is exposed or what might be exposed. Therefore check with wardrobe to see what you actually will need to do. Less work I always say!!!!!!!
All kinds of situations come up when working on a body. Common ones are bruises, acne, and lovely body art. Oh on tattoos, body art, etc will be another blog but be sure you know where all the art work is located on the actor and what you would do to cover it before that day they are shooting a love scene with bare bodies. Not a good time to figure out. Today we will give you a few tips on how to cover and then create Varicose veins.

Varicose Veins: Weak vein walls which can no longer move blood effectively towards the heart. Symptoms can be swelling, pain, bulging,spider veins and heaviness in the legs. There are treatments.A drug called Asclera will be available in the states in June.(Catherine Saint Louis, New York Times, New Help to Free Legs From a Web).

Makeup Artist Steven Anderson's Makeup Tip:

Coverage: I would approach covering veins like tattoo's or a bruise. I would use an Airbrush.An Airbrush can lay down multiple thin layers of makeup without a lot of touching to the skin.Start with an Illustrator color that can remove blue. Lightly airbrush over the area to cover. Make several passes until you get the coverage you want. Follow with a flesh tone Silicon Makeup to blend your work into the surrounding areas of the body. If you have several Airbrushes on hand quick release the one you used for Illustrate and attache a different Airbrush for the Silicon Makeup. Both products are long lasting and should hold up with minimal touch ups.

Create:
I again would use an Airbrush. My Fav for this is the Iwata HP Hiline. Start with Illustrator Capillary. Dilute the color 20% with 99% Alcohol. Spray random snake like patterns, with a low pressure staying close to the skin.The color and pattern will come out pixilated and translucent. Follow with Illustrators Vein tone at full strength turning up the PSI to full to limit the trigger pull back.(That's the knob at the back end of the Hiline). Remove the forward crown cap(That's at the front) to create a very fine line over the capillary color. Match the patterns yet vary the density of the vein width. Take a clean orange stipple sponge slightly dampen with 99% alcohol, randomly daub over the top of your work to lift a little bit of the paint, helping to make the vein pattern not look so regular. Lastly spray a hazing coat of an appropriate skin tone.

As Steven has demonstrated painting skills goes a long way. Whether to cover or apply painting skills come up on a daily basis.

Sun Protection

2010-04-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Hi Def Television

2010-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Its been a very busy year for me in Television. There were so many good laughs on set. Of course that said our crew behaved like pros at all times. I'm a big believer that no matter how tough a situation can be you must never let your emotions spill out negatively for cast members or production to see. The ups and downs and stress of a busy trailer will have its moments of frustration and sometimes even verbally. That is to be expected. But fighting pouting and general bad behavior towards each other(other people in the trailer) or your ill will discussed with actors is a big no!Lets face it. What can seem as an advantage by feeling sorry for yourself can quickly turn against you in the long run. To me a good rule to stand by is when ever you take on a shoot and its not your own that means you are there to do whatever the department head wants or needs with a good attitude. Its not the time to net work. To further your career or to feel like you can do the job better. So many people would love to have your job. Okay enough with the lecture. Ill be writing in all the different tricks I learned from a very talented Man who was our department head. Good to be back!

Bugging Out

2009-01-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

What is Cochineal extract and Carmine? Cochineal extract is dried insect bodies of female Dactylopius Coccus. When processed further you get Carmine. Both are color additives used in foods and cosmetics usually for the red tints found in these products. Because of the concern with reported allergens the Food and Drug Administration is revising the way these two ingredients are listed in food and cosmetic products. Usually products only list artificial color or artificial color added leaving out the name Cochineal or Carmine as the source. In the future cosmetics or foods that use Cochineal extract will need to list the ingredient, in this case, Carmine and Cochineal. This revision will affect cosmetic products used by professional makeup artists throughout the video and film industry, retail salons, television, beauty salons, physicians, aestheticians and photography. You can read more at this website; http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr060130.html

Article Found in Department of Health and Human Services.
Listing of Color Additives Exempt from Certification; Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Labeling: Cochineal Extract and Carmine Declaration

CG Green Screen and Hi Def

2008-12-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Question from a reader:
Is Makeup applied differently for CG, Hi Def, and Green Screen?
Yes there are a few adjustments I make. Everything depends on the job at hand. What are they shooting, what lighting are they using, and in what format. For Example I was hired to match a look already shot for Transformer Movie. This would be added into an existing shot. So continuity was the first thing to problem solve. The actor needed to look like he did a month before. Skin Tone, wounds, cuts, and dust. Secondly we were shooting Green Screen Hi Def. In these situations I use colors that work for green screen. Warm tones or opposite colors to green keep the actor from fading into the background. Also if the light is used to add contrast and a bit on the dark side I tend to keep my colors on the lighter. Hi Def has never been a problem for me. You should already be able to blend all makeup with a sponge like an airbrush effect. That said there are many times I pull out an airbrush to save time. Look at your work closely. Blend Makeup well. Have no rough edges. Men should be well groomed. Pay attention to detail. A good DP will see everything. Even wounds are not just thrown on. Apply the same methods above to create seamless wounds for Hi Def. I usually never use powder on close ups for Hi Def but anti Shines, Bobbi Brown paper blotters. If powder is needed use no colors press powder. On the movie it was all about the color of the dust and dirt. It had to look like ground up cement, and dirt from buildings. Between art Department, wardrobe and Makeup we decided to go with the Makeup departments Ben Nye Ash Powder for the most part. Skin tones and wounds were painted with Skin Illustrator FX , Temptu Dura Pro Palette, and Stacolor Palette Full Color.

Henna Tattoos

2008-11-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

I read in the New York Times about Henna Tattoos and the dyes that can be found in some Henna Products. Henna is a vegetable dye.In some cases you can find PPD added to the dye. PPD is only ok'd to use in hair dyes. PPD used in Henna can cause blisters and leave a dark pigment on the skin. To be aware Henna alone can also cause allergic reaction. As makeup artists test products like henna first on the inside of the wrist to watch for any allergic reaction.Also be aware of what is in the product you are using. You can find more information at the Food and Drug Administration.Information found The New York Times, By Nicholas Bakalar 2008