Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [29]
This section is for those men who are willing to improve their appearance on TV by learning how to apply a little makeup to themselves. And remember, often you only need a very little to improve how you look on camera.
TV makeup for men is mainly aimed at doing the following things:
1. Eliminate circles under your eyes. This is done by applying a small amount of base or foundation under the eyes. Use a color one shade lighter than your skin tone. Apply the base with a very light hand and blend well so that it does not show. For this, you can either use a regular foundation or special cover-up for the under-eye area. If you are using the latter, choose one that comes in a pot (which will be soft and creamy) rather than one in a stick like a lipstick shape (which can go on chalky and waxy).
2. Cover up your whisker area (upper lip and beard areas) if you have dark whiskers, even if you just shaved. Studio lights penetrate a couple of layers of skin, and the whiskers can show even if you did just shave. The best thing for this is a base formulated for TV, which is easily available in larger cities at theatrical supply stores (the kind that sell costumes and supplies for the stage). You can find such stores listed in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory. If there is no such store in your area, try a regular creamy base of the kind that comes in a compact and is often called “base and powder.” (Important hint: Get a woman to go shopping with you so that you don’t accidentally end up with the dry cake type you need to mix with water, which comes in a similar-looking, compact-type container.) Choose a color exactly matching your skin color or one shade darker. Don’t attempt to give yourself a fake tan by buying a shade that is too dark. Apply with a dry foam cosmetic sponge, firmly pushing the base into the pores of the skin. Blend well so that it doesn’t show.
3. Eliminate shine. Use a translucent, oil-blotting powder on the nose and forehead to eliminate shine. If you are balding, powder your head as well—embarrassing, but it’s well worth it. Choose a powder color close to your natural skin color. Translucent powders don’t add much color to the skin, so they might appear lighter in the compact than they do on the skin. Such powders are available in any drugstore. If you are black and cannot find the right powder in a drugstore, you may have to go to a department store cosmetic counter that specializes in products for darker skin tones.
4. Absorb perspiration. If you sweat under camera lights, try using a shaving lotion with an alcohol base or apply some witch hazel before you go on camera. You can also blot your face with a tissue just before you go on.
5. Smooth your hair, if necessary. Make sure no errant hairs are sticking straight up at the part. If so, use a touch of hairspray on your fingers or comb to tame them. Never let hairspray get directly onto the skin of your face because it’s shiny and will reflect light into the camera lens.
If you have a pet, a two-year-old, or dandruff, brush your lapels and shoulders before going on camera.
Finally, a word about moisturizers for men. While a ruddy, weatherbeaten face may seem sexy to some, it won’t look very good on camera. The gradations of color, the crow’s-feet eye wrinkles, peeling skin, and rough texture are all amplified by the lens of the TV camera. To counteract this, men should use moisturizers and sunscreens or sunblocking lotions regularly. However, do not apply a moisturizer to your face before you go on television, since it will shine too much on camera.
Being Made Up by a TV Makeup Artist
Most network television bureaus and some local television stations have resident TV makeup artists. If in doubt, ask the producer booking you as a guest if makeup is provided.
A good TV makeup person can’t work miracles, but sometimes it seems that he or she does just that. For some people—such as a man who has dark whiskers and jet-lag circles under