[SML] Really cheap makeup

Sun Jan 17 01:22:41 UTC 2016

Do contact your local Mary Kay reps for samples! Use their online lookup to find some version of "sales director" as she'll have access to many reps and can ask them to donate. Their samples are hygienically sealed and good for 2-3 performances. 

Also get disposable applicators, cotton balls, and Q tips for putting makeup on. Do not be frugal with those! Use them once and toss them in the trash. 

The personal kits by Ben Nye or Mehron run about $20 a person and will last for several years if will cared for. They have enough content for 30 performances or so. Back when I was teaching HS, I'd have each kid buy their own, put their name on all the components and they could store it at home or I'd keep it locked up at school. The kits work for regular and aged makeup. 

A caveat: kids with oily skin may not do well with creme based foundations. Use pancake or a mineral powder base for them - something that's powder/water based and will wash off easily. All students should wash off all makeup immediately at the end of the day. 

I highly recommend Mallatt's Pharmacy in Madison, WI as they will often do a discount for schools or non-profits who buy in bulk. They have a 15% theater discount at the moment. Karen Larimore is their makeup goddess - used to travel with Phantom and will help you find things that will work well and meet your budget. Tell her I sent you.

But if you have a local supplier, forge a relationship with them! It's always good to have someone close for last minute things. 

Dollar store makeup is NOT fine. Same with the Halloween stuff. Much is imported from countries where their manufacturing standards are far more lax than ours. Many professional actresses use regular street makeup for stage also, just a shade darker than normal. With the ability to adjust lighting like we have now, makeup isn't as critical as it used to be because the LX can adjust. 

Hair... never encourage talc to become airborne - your lungs don't' like it. To age hair, use a spray on "Streaks n Tips" in white or platinum. Get it from Sally Beauty Supply or another local hair supply company. Costs about $5 a can and will last a long time. One can of spray would probably get a dozen kids through a week of shows. Spray where there is plenty of forced mechanical ventilation - you are spraying a pigment in an aerosol form. Then "set" with regular hairspray over it. (Final Net can be bought by the gallon.) Plan on soaking your head to wash it all out, takes a while for it to come off. 

HTH

Kristi R-C

From: Joe D via Stagecraft
Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2016 3:55 AM
To: Stagecraft Mailing List
Cc: Joe D
Subject: [SML] Really cheap makeup

I am investigating the options for community theater in regards to makeup.  Normal street cake makeup, as found in a $1 store, are probably sufficient for a straight makeup.  But, for character makeup, I am struggling to find significantly cheaper alternatives to brands like Ben Nye.  Of course, I do understand that the professional stuff is better in many ways, but the cost can be a significant issue.

I tried some cheap Halloween makeup, but there was so little pigment, that it was a complete waste of time.

There certainly is no shortage of makeup in dollar stores. The eyeliner stuff is all fine. But, for character makeups, most doesn't seem very useful for theatrical applications. I tried using an eyeshadow kit with some darker browns and white to do general highlighting and shadows. But, nearly all eyeshadow has glitter or something shiny in it.

There is no doubt that a cream makeup is preferable to do character work. I did look again the other day at a $1 store, and came across a concealer, which was a cream with good coverage. But, there were only two color choices that looked nearly the same, with one being a little pinker. 

IN regards to hair, with so many young, pre-gray individuals needing to look older, doing something to grey their hair is another issue.  I experimented a little with applying hair spray and then talcum powder while the hairspray was still wet, but it really didn't work. 

So, specifically, I am hunting for cream makeup with a range of colors at a low cost. And also looking for ideas on home-made hair whitener.

-Joe

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