I rarely wear makeup, both in my daily life and in my reenacting
life. I like sleep a lot, and putting cosmetics on takes time that I
would rather spend inspecting the insides of my eyelids. For events, I
usually slather on some sunscreen and call it good, because skin
protection is super important, y'all.
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| I had a blast doing my own wedding makeup! |
However, we all have our vanities, and
when I go somewhere and I know there
will be lots of photos, I do like to indulge a bit. I use modern cosmetics in such a way that I'll
photograph well but not look overly made-up. I rocked maroon
eyeshadow for my wedding, but at a historic ball I go a little simpler!
It does make a difference though, as you can see below.
Of course modern special occasion makeup is very different from historical makeup, down to the tools and products used. From here on down, I want to make clear that I would not use these techniques if I were going to be attending a museum-sponsored event, reenactment, educational function, or anything where I would be presenting to the public. This is by no means historically accurate, and I would only present myself like this at a social event, not intended for educational purposes.
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| Right: no makeup at all. Left: Standard "ball" makeup. |
Foundation: Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse in Natural Beige
Cheek: Ben Nye Powder Rouge in Victorian Rose
Highlight: Ben Nye Creme Highlight in Ultralight
Eyeliner: Ben Nye Pressed Eye Color in Black Brown
Mascara: Maybelline Full 'n' Soft Waterproof in Very Black
Powder: Ben Nye Neutral Set Translucent Face Powder in Fair
Lip: Smashbox Be Legendary Matte Lipstick in Plum Scene, Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia
These are just what I happened to have on hand, but you could realistically do this with any brand that you prefer. The biggest thing is to use colors that suit you, and to use matte finishes. Sparkly cosmetics can be fun, but they don't photograph as smoothly and are more obviously modern and trendy than a matte finish.
So, once you have your arsenal ready to go, how do you apply it to
put your best face forward? Well, here
is what I do! Feel free to watch below,
or visit my channel on Youtube. And let
me know how this works for you!
P.S. "This is why we can't make nice things" started out as a joke, but considering this video was filmed and narrated ...um, almost a year ago, I feel like it's a fairly appropriate name.
