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Mehron makeup sticks are the best base, highlight, and lowlight for lighter-skinned actors. (Med-light olive tends to be a common base color.) Darker foundation shades are unfortunately harder to find, but the Covergirl Queen collection and L'Oreal True Match liquid foundations are a good bet.
As mentioned earlier, it would be best if all actors had their own eyeliner, but usually that isn't the case. Pencil eyeliners that don't need to be sharpened (i.e. have a twist up mechanism) are good to have, in both black and brown. Some characters may need mascara as well. If this is the case, then have actors apply it with disposable mascara wands.
Most, if not all actors will need blush and bronzer. Teach them how to sweep it on subtly, with a big fluffy brush. Although it's nice if all actors wear lipstick, finding neutral lipstick for everyone can be a pain, and more effort than it's worth. If a character needs non-neutral lipstick, then bluer tones tend to be more flattering - they make the actor's teeth look whiter! Lipliner in a similar shade can be used to prevent the color bleeding into the surrounding skin.
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- Sponges - try to limit actors to one sponge for every two shows. Buy in bulk if the budget allows, since we always need these.
- Hand sanitizer - buy a big bottle and encourage actors to use it before eating or touching their face. No one enjoys a tech week plague.
- Makeup removal wipes - sensitive baby wipes work, although actual makeup wipes
-Sponges, buy often, buy early, try to limit people to 1 sponge per day Plan on a bag of sponges a night or a little less.
hand sanitizer
-Wipes, Pampers sensitive works just fine and is much cheaper than real makeup wipes
- bobby pins, hair spray, getl
Cleanup
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- makeup wipes are gentler on the skin. These are the cheapest makeup wipes on Amazon (as of 12/2017).
- Moisturizer - not necessary, but it'll help keep actors' skin happy.
- Bobby pins
- Hair spray/gel
- Brushes/combs
- Makeup brushes - large fluffy brushes for blush/bronzer/setting powder, and smaller blending brushes for eyeshadow.
Two good places for makeup and hair products are Dorothy's Costume (on Mass Ave in Boston by the Christian Science Center) and Boston Costume (near Kendall T stop and in the Garment District store). You can get brushes, makeup sponges, wet-wipes, and other things of that nature for pretty cheap and decent quality at CVS. Plan on a bag of sponges a night or a little less.. Drugstores are also a good bet for cheaper items.
Organize all of the makeup and tools in the dressing room(s) with masking tape:
Cleanup
- Rubbing alcohol diluted with water - before and after every show, spray down everything (lipsticks, sponges, pressed powder, stick foundations, brushes/combs) with this and let dry.
- Brush cleaner - wash brushes before the show, after opening night, between weekends, and at strike