I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my clown makeup. In everyday life I don't wear any makeup except "eyes". My line are crisp and as even as possible. I just cringed when I see clown makeup that is just smeared around, uneven, skin popping through, uneven. It looks unprofessional.

It takes me 30-45 minutes to do my makeup. The first time took an hour and a half! UGH! I put the Auguste makeup on my neck, but not as "thick" as my face. The Auguste makeup I have is fairly close to my normal skin color, just a bit more pink.

My eyes! My Eyes!!

They are the hardest thing to do, And I'm thinking about changing them a little, just so my own eyes don't look as small-any suggestions?

I think your eys work well for you. Your clown face works because the white compensates for all the black in your beard. Reducing the white will only darken your face which may prove to be frightening. As it is you look friendly so I think you should keep it as it is - If it aint broke, don't fix it!

Thanks Gilbert. I like my face. I guess I got it right the first time.

Scruffy
I agree with Gilbert, your face looks great.

I'm never real happy with my mouth, I asked Bubba for sugestions as I've been to his classes, but when I tried to change it, I disliked it more. I've added more color to my cheeks and am happier, considering going auguste though.

Just this last Saturday I also made a slight change to my face, I thinned out my red I was using my mouth area, so that I have the cheeks dotted with with red, and joined with red lips. It made the application easier and quicker, and I think I'll stick with it.

I like my face too, but I have trouble with my mouth. I just can't seem to decide what to do with it. I'm hoping the Clowning 4 Christ conference this weekend will give me some ideas.
Jubilee

I currently have two clown faces. The one in the pic is my origional face. The idea was to be a mime style white face as I origionally intended to use mime a lot during performances. That has never happened for some reason but I have never bothered to change it. Still it is whiteface enough when I am clowning with Candy (My clown girlfriend :oo0s: ) who is Aguste. My second face has been developed for the pizza Restaurant. At the restaurant I am an Auguste clown which works better when I am solo.

BTW out of clown Candy is my wife :D

Scruffy, definately keep your face the way it is. It looks great! My mouth is the hardest part for me. I now outline the white with a grease pencil then fill in. It is easier than trying to paint it in with my finger! :)

I have recently turned to brushes. I use thin stiff brushes to get my outlines and then fill with broader brushes that are slightly softer. The stiff brushes provide crisp edjes and the softer brushes help me spread the colour without blotches or scrape lines appearing. I also use a pump action spray fixative rather than talk and water as the finish is much better and brighter.

I like Ben Nye make up creme and pencils and their setting powder, and make up remover, comes off quick.

I just started using the makeup creme pencils for outlining. My eyes have never looked better. I use the white to outline the borders of my eyes then fill them in. I used to paint the lines around my eyes with a brush. The crayons are ten times easier to use. Their neutra set powder is the Best! i'll never use baby powder to set my face again.

I never got on with pencils because the colours kept breaking apart inside the wood. The brushes work best for me :)

Give the Ben Nye ones a try Gilbert. The Colours are spot on and they don't break in the pencil.
They are also soft on the skin. It doesn't feel like you are drawing on your skin with a pencil.

Several of our auguste clowns are switching make up {I think it's called euro auguste?], Still using white around eyes, then putting lip on then outline the lip with the white pen, then using the Ben Nye powder and brushing on the color for skin then another for rouge. The make over I saw looked great and our younger clowns like it because it looks good, quick to put on 15min and very easy to remove, the the toughest being the white around eyes, but the other comes off with baby wipes.

Just noticed that I called them pencils in my earier post. Ben Nye calls them creme Crayons. I will eventually switch to ben nye makeup. currently. I am still using the same ancient Steins that I first got years ago. I prefer the Nye, but I still have two-thirds of an 8 ounce can of Clown white. I do have one concernt. The rouge on my face is Steins #15 Carmine Red. Nye doesn't make anything close.

We use Mehron white. It is very thick. It is hard to describe. It definately does _not_ go on like a cream. It is...not pastey...not hard...it's like what oil-base is to paint. Does that make sense? Don't get me wrong, we love the coverage and the look.

When we run out of the Mehron we may try another brand, just to experiment.

I really LOVE the Proface white. I also use their neutral setting powder. It makes the make up stay for so long!!
Jubilee

We first started with Melron, then one of our clowns had a make over with Ben-Nye, MercyMe when you run out try it. It not near a heavy feeling on the skin, once it set with the powder, doesn't crack like melron, and a lot easier to take off. I've not tried Proface but another clown in our group uses it and she loves it.

I have always struggled to get the makeup off the eyes. I've tried all sorts but the easiest I have forund is the makeup remover supplied by Three Kings Theatrical http://threekingstheatrical.com/ The also supply lots of othertheatrical makeup stuff.

I would also recommend Kryolan hyrdo oil remover. I use it and it's really easy! I basically put a little bit on my whole face and then wash it off. It breaks up the grease in the makeup and makes it wash away with water. I usually follow that up with an unscented baby wipe to make sure I have it all gone.
Jubilee

My main problem is that I have a hard time with lining my eyebrows and choosing a wig that fits with my makeup and costume. :)

Jobee,
Your eyebrows look good to me. I tend to make mine thicker, but that's a personal preference, I think. As for a wig, just keep looking. I'm sure you'll find something. There's a lot out there.
Jubilee

It looks great on the small photos but if you zoomed in you can see that it's a little sloppy.

I avoid highlighting my eyebrows with both my clown faces. But then even out of clown my eyebrows are barely visible anyway.

Mine are a bear to do but I start with a Ben Nye creme crayon. I line my eyes a little differently.
Sart with a sharp crayon and hold it steady in your dominant hand. Now, move your head against it instead of trying to move the crayon...It works for me, try it sometime!

If your right handed it helps to do your right eye first, that way your had is out of the way and you can look at it to do the other eye, reverse for left handed people. I too use the Krylan oid followed by unsented baby wipes, doesn't bother my eyes like cold cream.

I start with a white crayon so I can get a nice sharp line and then fill in with clown white.

Has anyone tried to put one makeup on then cover it up with liquid latex and then put another makeup atop of that? I've thought about that as a possible skit where the clown pulls off a sad hobo face and underneath is a happier auguste.

Never heard of it, Jobee, but it sounds interesting.
Jubilee

Ack! Don't try it. It takes off most of the makeup that's underneath. And who would want to do that? :oD I guess I'll keep the prosthetics and the clown makeup seperate. ;OD

thats a good looking tramp face in the gallery jobee!

Thanks Scuffy! :D Like I said before, I have a face that is natural to tramp makeup, but I want to be a character where I play basically a big kid and the auguste makeup works for that. I tend to keep some of the same tramp like characteristics.

I'm sure the removable clown face has been done sucessfully.

I think you need a clear plastic barrier on your face like cling film (but specially designed to fit your face complete with air holes) The barrier is supposed to remain in place when the mask is removed. the film will need a transparent matt finish so the makeup is protected underneath the mask and can bee seen clearly without reflection.

Another way too do it is to get two masks specially designed to fit over each other and just not remove the second. This is easiest done with a whole head mask under a face only mask.

I was thinking maybe spraying my whole face with hairspray then applying the latex?

Not sure that will work. what you need is a transparent barrier between the makeup and the mask. If you can afford to have two masks custom made it would be the best idea. Otherwise The only product I think might do the trick is the spray on makeup fixative from Three Kings Theatrical (http://www.threekingstheatrical.com). In fact, send them an e-mail because they may well have a better solution.

It takes me about 2 hours to get my makeup on (with potty breaks).. I'd love to find some shortcuts.

Nice makeup Mozo! I can get my makeup done in 45 mins. I just practiced, practiced, practiced. I did little things like applying my auguste makeup with a sponge to speed up the time to apply the makeup. This make this go a lot fast the most of the time the makeup doesn't need to be patted down. Detail work is always my problem but I try to keep it simple. But the time usually hurts. I plan on getting some contact lenses to make my eyes blue. I know this will cut some more time off because I won't have to manuver into position as much. But the quality of the makeup always preceeds the time of putting it on.

I've yet to break the hour barrier!

Takes me about 45 mins. but I can do the auguste less than 30 using the powder for the auguste color. We learned the Euro Auguste at a workshop and the Ben nye powder is much quicker to get on and take off. and looks great and you can use the blush to enhance your red lips as well, I really like it.

I haven't times myself lately. but last time I checked, It took about 25-30 min. And is likely faster now, since I don't have to paint the outline my eyes. The crayons have saved me having to start over on occasion.
Sapphire Sue, Ditto on the Ben Nye powder. I will never use baby powder again!

Baby powder is really harsh on your face, as well as your lungs if you inhale it! I have used pro-face powder since I started and it's wonderful. Really keeps everything in place nicely.
Jubilee

I would like for the blue above my eyes to be more vivid. Any suggestions?

Baby powder is really harsh on your face, as well as your lungs if you inhale it! I have used pro-face powder since I started and it's wonderful. Really keeps everything in place nicely.
Jubilee

I use Mehron Barrier Spray Fixer and Sealer. It does not suffer from the powder effect, so it leaves your makeup looking brighter and clearer. It also helps with makeup removal if you spray your face before putting on the makeup. If spray each colour as you put your makeup on it will help preven colour bleeding. By the way the spray is also Non-Aerosol so it will not harm the environment.

Contents - SDA-40, Water, Acrylates/Octyacrylamide, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. Whatever all that stuff is!

There is also an Ben nye Auguste powder that you can use instead of the cream

Gilbert
I haven't seen the Melron Barrier Spray before. So you use it to set your make up instead of a powder? I checked a couple of catalogs I use and couldn't find it. Who carries it? I like the powder but I like to try different things from time to time too.

Gilbert
I haven't seen the Melron Barrier Spray before. So you use it to set your make up instead of a powder? I checked a couple of catalogs I use and couldn't find it. Who carries it? I like the powder but I like to try different things from time to time too.

I get mine from Three Kings Theatrical (http://www.threekingstheatrical.com).

LaRock's Magic in Charlotte, NC sells barrier spray. I haven't tried it, but I'm going to. Go to www.larocksmagic.com

I look it up, thanks,

Hey Mozo are you near Charlotte? I'm an hour away in Lancaster.

I tried the barrier spray and my main problem with it is that my clown white tends to crack when I'm using it. I don't know if I didn't pat well enough our I sprayed too much on. BTW, I'm in Chattanooga, TN. How are from you guys from there?

I'm about two hours from Charlotte.. 4 hours from Chattanooga

I'm in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC.
Jubilee

I tried the barrier spray and my main problem with it is that my clown white tends to crack when I'm using it. I don't know if I didn't pat well enough our I sprayed too much on.

I brush grease paint on and have not had any problems. I think the trick is to spray your face before applying the makeup and then after each colour. You must let it dry each time. Only problem is this takes more time than powder but Ifor my purposes the brighter finish is worth it.

AH! So it isn't a product problem, it's a youth problem! :o)