Tis the season for Christmas Holiday shows and of course the most popular of all, the Nutcracker, will be presented by studios across the country. In many cases this will be presented on a large stage and may require a little more facial enhancement than a typical small stage performance.
The makeup used for the nutcracker features many characters. With the following performances, a simple eye makeup change is all that’s needed to add drama and help enhance the theme of the look.
Here are a few tips to help:
1. Sugar Plum Fairies and the Land Of Snow.
Where traditional ballet makeup is required, keep in mind that the brows need enhancement and extension. Eyeliner will need to be extended a bit further at the ends. Be sure to not meet the lower and upper lines at the sides. I like to use a brown liner below lower lashes and a black liner at the end of upper lashes to create a softer look. Keep eyes wide with white pencil in between. Add a little white shimmer like Mode Dion’s Shimmer Pot to the center of lid, brow arch and inner eye corner to open eyes even more. False lashes will be a must to create big elegant eyes.
Adding a bit of magical glimmer to the cheekbones and eyes can really create more enchantment. Use glitter in opal/white like Mode Dion’s Crystalina and secure it with spirit gum like Mode Dion’s Diva Glue.
2. Chinese Dance
This only requires a very red lipstick applied just at the middle of the upper and lower lip to create a tiny rosebud mouth and lengthened eyeliner extended out at the sides of the eyes up. Meet the upper and lower eyeliners at the sides to close and angle eyes for an Asian look. Very red cheeks just on the apples will make the face look rounder.
3. Clara and other children in the party scene
These dancers should have softer more natural looking makeup. Skin should appear flawless by applying a matte oil-free foundation and powder. Brows should be well defined and shaped along with lips and cheeks slightly flushed. Mode Dion’s Stage Red cheek color and Rhubarb lipstick add just enough color to look natural and show up on stage.
4. Men and boys
Male dancers should be sure to wear foundation and concealer to cover dark circles under eyes and powder to set. A cheek contour shade under cheekbones and along sides of nose will help further define features. Shade sides of mouth with a natural lip pencil and apply a lipstick close to the same shade as lips. Define brows, line eyes with brown liner lightly and apply black mascara.
For more step-by-step instructions and all the stage makeup needed to get these looks see modedion.com. For podcast tips see Christine Dion’s you tube channel “Mode Dion Makeup University.”
-written by Christine Dion
