12
Cross-Gender
In previous chapters we have focused on applying natural-looking makeup for your particular, biological gender. There may be times where you will play someone of the opposite gender. This chapter will focus on techniques for looking as much like the opposite gender as possible. It is helpful to have some visual examples to look at.
Women Playing Men
In general (there are exceptions) men tend to have stronger, more squared-off features than women. We will work in strengthening the features.
Often the ridges of the man's forehead will be more prominent and the lower ridge Will protrude over the eyes. Sometimes, because of male pattern balding, the forehead will be higher and/or wider. To achieve a more masculine forehead, use the techniques from Chapter 4 to make the forehead higher and wider. Use a little more highlight on the lower ridge to make it appear to protrude more.
NOTE: MEN'S FEATURES TEND TO BE MORE SQUARED-OFF.
HIGHLIGHT TO HEIGHTEN, WIDEN AND ACCENTUATE FOREHEAD
SHADOW TO HEIGHTEN, WIDEN AND ACCENTUATE FOREHEAD
BLENDED HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW
When applying the shadow, apply it a little darker between the ridges to make the recess look deeper, therefore making the ridges appear more prominent.
To make the lower brow bone appear to overhang the eyes, apply shadow just below it on the bridge of the nose.
To make the nose less feminine, emphasize the center of the bridge by making it wider. Also emphasize the ball of the nose with highlight. Support the highlight with corresponding shadow.
SHADOWING UNDER THE BROW BONE
STRENGTHENING THE NOSE WITH HIGHLIGHT
SUPPORTING THE HIGHLIGHTS WITH SHADOW
BLENDED HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW
High cheekbones can make a female face look more feminine. Try lowering the cheekbones by applying the highlight below the vertical, outer plane of the cheekbones.
If your jawline is already very square, emphasize what you have. If it is more rounded, create a square jawline with highlight and shadow.
LOWERING THE CHEEKBONES WITH HIGHLIGHT
SUPPORTING THE HIGHLIGHTS WITH SHADOW
SQUARING OFF THE JAWLINE WITH HIGHLIGHT
SUPPORTING THE HIGHLIGHTS WITH SHADOW
To make your eyes less feminine, brush your eyebrows down. If they are very thin or if you have tweezed them you can fill them in by using your stipple sponge either the usual way or by stroking it like a brush. Use eyeliner pencil to line only the lower lid.
Fuller lips tend to look more feminine. Minimize the lips by blocking them out with highlight and then foundation as demonstrated in Chapter 8. Mix a small amount of foundation into your natural lip color and fill in the new, thinner lip shape. Do not use your lip-liner pencil prior to applying lip color.
STIPPLED EYEBROWS; LINED LOWER LIDS
MINIMIZING LIPS WITH HIGHLIGHT
To make the beard area look less smooth, stipple with a cream shadow color a few shades darker than the foundation.
If your character could, conceivably, have a day's growth of beard, use two shades of darker cream shadow to create five o'clock shadow (see Chapter 10).
LIGHT STIPPLING ON BEARD AREA
STIPPLED BEARD SHADOW
Men Playing Women
Drag makeup is a very particular style of makeup; it is not what we are doing in this chapter. If you are a man playing a woman, with the intention of the audience believing you are a woman, it is important to keep subtlety at the forefront of your process.
NOTE: BEFORE TRYING A FEMALE MAKEUP, REFER TO CHAPTER 7.
Begin by using concealer and foundation to even out the skin tone and make it appear smoother. You may need to use concealer over the beard area.
If your eyebrows are thick and full you will need to flatten them out before applying the rest of your makeup so you can create a narrow, feminine arch.
EMILIO WITHOUT MAKEUP
AFTER CONCEALER AND FOUNDATION
COMBING DOWN THE HAIRS AFTER APPLYING SPIRIT GUM
Brush on spirit gum at the outer end of the eyebrow, pressing down the hairs in the most natural direction (the direction in which they grow). Glue a section at a time and brush the next section over the last, until you have completed as much of the brow as you want. Comb the hairs to press them flat.
NOTE: WOMEN'S FEATURES TEND TO BE MORE DELICATE
Use a non-latex sponge to apply a thin layer of castor sealer over the glued eyebrows, wipe off as much as possible, and then powder.
Another option, demonstrated on the eyebrow on the right, is to use the type of glue stick found in an office supply or craft store. As with the spirit gum, glue down a section at a time, brushing each new section over the last.
USING A GLUE STICK TO FLATTEN EYEBROWS
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW TO NARROW FOREHEAD AND MINIMIZE BROW
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW BLENDED
In general (there are exceptions) women tend to have softer, more delicate features than men. We will work on softening the features.
Women's foreheads tend to be less prominent than men's. If you have very strong brow bones and a large, wide forehead use the techniques from Chapter 4 to make the forehead shorter and narrower. If the lower ridge protrudes over the eyes, move the highlight up a little or, apply highlight only on the outer ends, over the eyebrows, not over the nose. When applying shadow, go a little lighter than usual; this will help to flatten out the forehead.
If you have a very large or wide forehead, discuss the possibility of wearing a hairstyle with bangs, with the costume designer and/or the hair and Wig stylist.
To make the nose appear more delicate, use techniques in Chapter 6 to shorten and narrow it.
Accentuate the cheekbones, making them appear higher, as demonstrated in Chapter 6.
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW TO NARROW AND SHORTEN NOSE
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW BLENDED
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW TO HEIGHTEN CHEEKBONES
Use the techniques from Chapter 4 to soften and round out the jawline. Bring the shadow up onto the corner of the jawline to support the highlight.
SQUARE JAWLINE BEFORE MAKEUP
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW TO SOFTEN JAWLINE
HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW BLENDED
Now you can apply highlight and shadow to contour the eyes. Refer to the section on defining the eyes for women in Chapter 5.
If your eyebrows are dark you will need to use a very light highlight over the glued-down area to conceal them.
If your upper eyelids are not completely covered by your brow bone or upper lid, apply eyeliner. If your lids are small or obscured, line the lower lid. When applying eyeliner to the upper lid, holding the lashes of one eye down helps you keep your other eye open. When applying eyeliner to the lower lid, tilt your head down and look up at the mirror.
Use the side of the eyeliner pencil to darken the new eyebrow line.
HIGHLIGHT ON BROW AND LID
SHADOW IN CREASE
BLENDED
DOTS OF LIP-LINER
NOTE: WOMEN'S EYEBROWS OFTEN HAVE A GREATER ARCH THAN MEN'S.
Apply mascara. Apply blush (powder or cream) horizontally on the cheekbone. Use a lip-lining pencil to create a fuller outline of the lips. It helps to start with a dot at each of the upper points and on the lower point at the center of the upper lip.
Connect the dots and continue lining the rest of the lips. Try for a full, yet natural shape. Use your medium or small flat brush to blend the inside of the pencil line inwards, leaving the outer edge sharp.
LINING THE LIPS
Use your medium or small flat brush to pick up some cream lip color and fill in the lines.
BLENDING THE LIP LINE INWARDS
FINISHED LIP COLOR