Guest Post: Makeup for Figure Skaters

This guest post comes to us courtesy of Rebecca Jones, an adult Australian figure skater who has dance and theater experience. Thank you, Bec!

None of us enjoys seeing a little figure skater tarted up to look like she’s stepped off a movie set, just as we want to sit down the mother who sends her 16-year-old out on the ice without a swipe of makeup on and give her a talking to.

Skating is a performance, and so makeup is essential skill all skaters and their parents should be familiar with. Theatrical make-up, whether for stage, screen or ice, is not as hard as it may seem.

Theatrical makeup is drastically different from your every day makeup. It requires its own tools and effects, but starting a kit doesn’t have to cost as much as a new pair of skates! However, you need to shop around and be prepared to invest in the following items:

• Brushes. For around $50-$70 you can buy a quality synthetic brush set. If you’re keen to invest in high quality brushes, buy a natural hair set. I use a mixed set, both synth and hair, from Kryolan (www.kryolan.com). For a starter set, you will require a foundation/concealer brush, powder/blush brush, eye/lip liner brush, one eye shadow stick with replaceable heads, and one soft eye shadow brush. Brow brushes are also handy to have.
• Foundation. I recommend using a pan stick or light greasepaint for active performances, such as skating. Don’t use your every day light-weight foundation, because it won’t show up and will sweat off before the warm up. Use a pan stick or greasepaint and make sure it’s mid-weight, so that it goes on and stays on. Go to reputable theatrical make-up shops, or a counter such as MAC, and take your skater with you. The foundation should match the skin to within two shades, and it’s better to go darker than lighter- test the shade on the underside of the jaw.
• Eye shadow and lipstick. For these, you can go to a department store and choose brands like Covergirl, L’Oreal, etc. For eye shadow, I recommend buying a four shade palette which matches your skater’s dress, or is in neutral shades like browns and tans.
• Case and Mirror. Makeup lives or dies by how it stored. Your brushes should be cleaned regularly and kept neatly in a wrap, away from pigment. Makeup should be kept neat and tidy, upright and protected from impact. For this, buy a hard shell case. Make sure you purchase one with compartments and make sure it’s big enough to hold everything, from your brushes to stray hair ties. In the case you should keep a mirror, preferably one with its own stand. A mirror makes things much easier for traveling competitions.

Now that you’ve gathered together a kit, it’s time to sit down and practice!

Make-up for a senior skater (over 15):

• Cleanse and Moisturize. Even if it’s just a quick wipe with a cleansing wipe, the face needs to be cleaned and a light coverage of moisturiser applied. This will help the foundation blend and give it all a smooth base.
• Gradually Apply Base. Don’t just slap make-up on randomly, but work gradually with a pattern. Draw the foundation on if you have a panstick, lines on the forehead, upper and lower cheeks, down the nose and a spot on the chin. Work with these lines as well if you’re using greasepaint. Using a sponge or brush, blend the foundation in, moving outwards in circles. Go over the eyes, lips, into the hairline and under the jaw. Successful blending should make it hard to spot where the base ends. Apply small amounts of concealer to blemishes if necessary.
• Powder. If your skater is prone to sweating a lot, use a soft powder puff to set the base with a non-mineral, non-highlighting translucent powder. DO NOT USE BRONZER under any circumstances, unless your skater is supposed to look like an oompa loompa. After setting use the powder brush to apply a rose/pink blush up the cheeks and onto the temples. Use a rich pink, not a soft apricot.
• Eyes. The eyes are the focus point, and will draw in the judges and audience if you have the wow factor there. Pick a colour palette such as smoky, neutral or blues, and buy a palette of four shades. The colours are applied to the eye in the order of the lightest shade from lashes to brow, second from lashes to the crease, covering the whole lid. The third is used to deepen the crease and along the lashes lightly. The darkest shade is used on the inner corner of the eye, blended outwards to about half way along the lid. After this tame the eyebrows and use a liquid eyeliner along the top lash line. Finish with mascara, not false eyelashes. False eyelashes just aren’t made for skating.
• Pucker Up. Choose a soft feminine lip colour for a softer routine, or go darker if you have dark eyes and are doing a dramatic routine. Line the lips with a lip pencil which matches the lip stick and follow the natural contour of your lips. Fill in using the lip brush, this ensures greater accuracy and will make the stick last better.

You can adjust it for younger skaters:

• For the little ones- a light liquid foundation base, soft pink blush on the apples of the cheeks and a touch of lip gloss.
• Pre-teens- Make the base heavier, extend the blush up the cheek bones, add eye shadow, mascara and a colour gloss or lipstick.

A few pointers:

• Don’t be afraid to sit down and practice, or trial new techniques.
• You can experiment with different colours and combinations.
• Obey the use by dates stated on makeup.
• Look after your brushes. Clean them regularly and replace them when they begin to fray.
• Always fully remove your make-up with a foaming cleanser.

Make-up should become easy to apply and make your skater stand out on the ice.

So, parents, do you have any experience with figure skating makeup? Do you have any tips to add? Do you have questions for Bec? Terrific! Please leave her a comment!

Do you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Is there a post that you’d love to see, but I haven’t written about it yet? Are you a figure skating expert who wants to appear on Ask the Expert? Wonderful! I love e-mail, so send me one! icemom.diane@gmail.com

Photo credits:
Princess pooch: KelliAmanda on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Tired hula doggie: djwhelan on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Pretty girl: Ayumaki on Flickr.com Creative Commons