Makeup Lowdown: "Ghost Monk Girl"

My final behind-the-scenes look at "making up" the characters from the "SlipPage" film set...

Props to Brittany for her incredible ability to play the "Ghost Monk" character, (her first film debut btw), while wearing the specially ordered "Blind" contacts that literally, made her unable to see anything but pitch-black. How she was so on-point with her cues with those uncomfortable eye fixtures, really made the crew wonder if she had a secret talent for navigating in the dark. 

Brittany also has a knack for creating her own wicked hair dye job- reminds anyone of the X-Men character, Storm?

Makeup Lowdown: "Ghost Monk Girl"

SKIN:

• Make sure the skin is toned and well-moisturized. This will help the Ben Nye cream and powder foundation have a smoother platform to glide on.
• Using a  clean sponge, apply Ben Nye Cream Color in "White" all over the skin, including any exposed areas like the neck or hands. Now blend, blend, blend!
• Now take another clean sponge and with a stippling action, apply Ben Nye's Powder Foundation in "Coolover Grey"  all over the same skin areas that the white makeup has been applied. Don't forget to blend so the grey appears smooth.

EYES:

• Prep lids with eyeshadow primer, I used Too Faced Eyeshadow Insurance.
• I took the black cream shadow from Sephora with my fingertips and layed it all around the ball of her eye for a base. Try also Makeup Forever's Aqua Black Waterproof Cream version.
• With a damp eyeshadow brush, apply a matte black shadow ( I used Yaby's Abyss) and follow the shape of the eye above the crease and create a strong, half-moon with a wide cat eye tip at the outer edge. You may need to do several layers of this for a very deep black. Create a thick line right under the eye with the same damp brush and eyeshadow and into the inner corner of the eyes.
• Line the upper lashline with Bobbi Brown's Waterproof Gel Liner in "Black Ink"; line the inner bottom lashline rim as well.
• Curl lashes and coat with waterproof mascara. Remove any clumps with a good lash comb, I like Sephora's metal comb.
• Use Q-tips to correct any eye design shapes and clean up access underneath. It is okay to blend the fallen black shadow into the skin tone because thankfully, the skin color desired is grey!
• Deepen the brow shape with a dark brow powder and a eyebrow makeup brush- or mix black and dark brown shadows like I did for the same effect.
• Set the entire look with Makeup Forever's Mircofinish HD Powder with a big powder brush (make sure to get the area around the eyes as well) and spritz Ben Nye's Final Seal Spray. 3-4 times at a distance with the makeup model's eyes closed.

LIPS:

• Mix Vaseline and the Ben Nye grey foundation powder (I use a spatula to dust off the powder onto the back of my hand) to create a creamy grey lip color. Apply to the lips with a lip brush starting from the outer lip perimeters and work your way towards the center.

ACTRESS: Brittany Shaul

MAKEUP: Nadia-Artistry

Movie Magic: Death Becomes Her

Let's face it...makeup isn't always "pretty".

For one, the cosmetic concepts for independent sci-fi thriller "SlipPage" is far from glam; from its weary-ridden characters to the very paranormal beings, the film's focus is on its intriguing characters. As one of the picture's makeup artists, I am having fun with every new curveball thrown! You may also recall my previous post on the film's tattoo concealment process seen here. 

The vivacious-in-real-life actress featured in these photos plays lead character "Sanders'" deathly ill mother, (whom we will ironically refer to as M.A. for bloggin' purposes). Nonetheless, M.A.'s character lies mostly on her death bed and required a look less than appealing. The step-by-step process follows how I achieved this effect.

Take a minute to feast your eyes on the "SlipPage" trailer below, directed by Bryan Hiltner. Also, be sure to check out their sweet new website for heaps more about the indie flick and learn how you can become an investor for a local film maker's epic project. A special thanks to M.A. for letting me document this less than flattering feature!

BEFORE + AFTER

"Deathly Ill" Makeup Process:

• I prepped the skin with an exfoliating toner but left out the essential moisturizers so the actress' complexion will appear more dehydrated and lifeless as the makeup builds on this dry texture.  
• I used one of the lightest shades in my RCMA "Shinto" Foundation Palette, (about two shades lighter than her natural skin tone), and applied it all over the face and decolotte with a foundation brush and blended it evenly with a sponge. M.A.'s hand was also to be shown in the scene so her hand and wrist also received the same lighter foundation treatment.
• Jane Iredale's Mineral Powder Foundation in "Bisque" was applied next for fuller coverage. To achieve the sickly, aging skin tone, I contoured with Ben Nye's Color Cake Foundation in both "Sollow Green" and "Coolover Grey" with my favorite double-ended Stila #24 Illumuniating Blush Brush.  I also contoured the cheekbones and hairline with Clinique's Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad in "Teddy Bear" for added depth.
• To create the eye's deep and sunken-in effect, I mixed Yaby Eye Shadows in  shades of dark taupe and purple-grey hues that were blended all around the eye socket (the photos here unfortunately do not reflect the intensity shown in real life!). Reddish eyeshadow tones were applied very close to the upper and lower lash line with a fine eyeliner brush.
• No lip conditioner used here, the more cracked, the better. The same light RCMA foundation shade was also applied to the mouth for an ultimate lack of color.
• Set the entire face and neck with Ben Nye's Translucent Loose Powder and spray Model in a Bottle for a long-lasting finish.

PHOTO: Michelle

"SlipPage" Screenshots: Part I

If you have been following my Facebook page or blog within the last few weeks, you may have stumbled across some posts referring to an upcoming sci-fi drama entitled "SlipPage". Shot predominately in Portland, the film is masterminded by director/writer/producer/lead actor (whew!) Mr. Bryan Hiltner himself.  The indie film is bound to delight you visually with its special effects, stunning landscapes and to top it off, it was all captured with one RED hot camera. The story follows lead character Sanders' dark journey to "fix" himself after his mother passes, questioning his lack of empathy after her loss. Sanders finds himself in a whole other predicament after realizing his underlining issues are not as simplistic as it seems. What makes this a sci-fi flick you may ask? Well, there are eerie ghost monks, secret agents lurking in the woods, gypsy lady daydreams, otherworldly body transformations, and many more surprises under wraps.

There is still another week of shooting to complete and hours upon hours of editing joy to be had before its Summer 2011 release but I leave you with these close-up stills from the days I was artiste in Portland. And have no fear, the I-have-not-slept-in-days looks were requested for most of the characters seen here ;)

Stay tuned for more "SlipPage" updates- and while you're at it, please add the film's Facebook page of the same name.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR: Bryan Hiltner
CAMERAS: Ian McAleece and Jason Sanders
CAST: Bryan Hiltner, Emily Galash, Jon Farley, Tammy Harrison, & Don Colliver (actors featured in this post)
MAKEUP: Nadia Artistry

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Movie Magic: Tattoo "Removal"

Got Ink?

Sometimes tattoo makeup concealment is necessary when the movie script (as in this particular case) or perhaps your dear grandmother or future employer, are just not feeling the devotion to your favorite jungle animal or your ex-lover's initials that are visible on your body. I admit, I browsed the good ol' Internets for other professional makeup artists' idea of the best technique and products out there to achieve that baby skin once again. There are so many other tattoo cover products out there, especially sold online but I opted for a local store in town I heard sold a professional line. It also allowed me to bring in the person I was doing the process on for color-matching instead of randomly guessing and as an added bonus, I was able to receive some helpful advice from the sales expert.

Tattoo Concealment Process: (All products listed by Ben Nye)

•  Tattoo Coverage Concealers in two shades mixed, applied with a foundation brush in a stippling motion and an even coat covering the tattoo image and a little beyond into the skin. Use a clean sponge to blend the borders of the tattoo and non-inked skin. You will still visibly see the tattoo as in the photo on the left above but do not worry, as you will need at least another one or two coats of this process. 
• Let the concealers sit for a moment to dry and then using a powder puff, pat on a generous amount of Neutral Set Translucent Powder to the entire area you applied the concealers and let it sink in.
• When the powder has had a moment to settle in, spritz Final Seal Setting Spray on entire concealed area at least 8-10 inches away from the skin.
• Repeat step 1-3 until the tattoo is covered. In my case, I did around 2-3 layers of concealment then setting process in between each layer.
• If you are still unsatisfied with the color tone of where the tattoo was concealed and it does not match well with the other exposed skin, use Cream Foundations to correct the tone.  Repeat powder and spray setting process.

 
Now this process or perhaps the product itself was not near perfect because the smear factor was still present. You should take note that as you are doing this process, it also is a good idea to have several clean foundation brushes on hand to use while you are doing the layers of concealment because as you stipple on more of the product, you adversely may take away some of the product. Afterwards, clean your foundation brushes with a good brush cleaner as this stuff grabs on to dear life to your bristles and you do not want to further damage them. If you are on set, expect that this whole process will take time, there are not much shortcuts when doing this. Remember to account for the necessary prep time needed before the crew is ready to "go".


If you are a makeup artist or have experience doing tattoo concealment, feel free to drop me a line on what you found was a successful product or technique!  I would love to hear from you. 

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