Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [31]
Experienced TV anchors who go on camera daily often rush into the makeup room clutching scripts, seat themselves in the makeup chair with a cheery “hello,” and immediately look upward.
While being made up, do not wrinkle up your forehead or frown, because this makes it impossible to eliminate the lines in your face. Smile a little to make the forehead smooth.
Do not drink coffee, read your script or notes, smoke a cigarette or cigar, or try to talk on the telephone while being made up. The makeup person usually has a very limited time in which to apply your makeup. If you are trying to do something else that lowers or turns your head away from her or prevents her from asking you questions, time is being wasted. Give the makeup process your undivided attention.
Similarly, do not turn your head away from the makeup person. She has to look you in the eye to decide what she is going to do. She has to see the way the light hits your bone structure and decide which colors will match your skin. She has to work slightly in front of you. When you turn away, possibly in conversation with the booking producer or your own assistant or someone else, the makeup person must move around in front of you and come between you and the other party. If you must have a conversation with someone, at least keep looking straight ahead into the mirror while you talk.
If you object to something being done to you, query the makeup artist politely. Don’t pull your head away suddenly or you may end up with powder on your lap or mascara on your cheek.
After you are done, look at yourself in the mirror. You should look natural. For men, however, the makeup may show in the makeup room a little bit, but it should be invisible on camera. For women, make sure that the color of your lipstick is soft and that everything is well blended. Everyone should give hair and clothes one last check in the makeup room mirror.
If there is time and monitors are available (each studio varies on such factors), the makeup artist may have an opportunity to check your appearance on camera once you are on the set. This is usually called a “camera check” or a “makeup check.” Don’t be surprised if she comes up to you with more powder or a hairbrush once you are seated and “miked up.” One cannot predict the effect of the lights or know in advance what the monitor will reveal. TV correspondents go through this all the time.
Relax. You should feel secure in the knowledge that your appearance is working for you and you are looking your best.
HAIR
Women’s Hair
Your hairstyle has a significant role to play in creating your total look. It must form a frame around your face that presents you to your audience. Your hair should never dominate your image, obscure your good points, or attract undue attention to itself. (Remember the beehives of the 1960s.)
Your hairstyle should fit your head, creating a soft, natural, flattering aura around your facial features. Consider your assets—your eyes and eye contact, brow bones, cheekbones, jawline, and the length of your neck. The ideal hairstyle should be layered, shaped, and fitted to your individual characteristics. For most women, a face-flattering hairstyle partially covers the ears and comes just to the shoulders.
The hair must not obscure the eyes or keep falling down over them. Eye contact can be preserved by allowing three-quarters of an inch of space above and around the eyes to compensate for the shadows cast by light.
Your hair should curve to fit the cheeks and jawline. A great shock of unruly hair that entirely ignores individual facial contours is unbecoming and makes you appear unable to control it.
Avoid an elaborate, rigid