Thread: Smokey eye spin-off: how long does it take you?

Putting on my performance face with smokey eyes and everything takes me an hour. Granted, I'm a perfectionist and I rather take it slow than having to correct any mistakes. Also - it doesn't budge a bit, even after three sets. Which is good. But all the lining and blending and lining and blending, and blending, and blending, phew!

It probably has been discussed before, but with all the smokey eye talk lately:
how long does it take you to do your performance make-up?

I do a medium smokey eye and it takes me about 10 minutes; granted I don't perform, it's my everyday eye.

Lid lining, highlighting and blending.

I'm with you on the hour-long process! I start with primer and work from there. I'd rather take an hour and make sure my make-up stays put and looks great for the entire night, rather than constantly be worried about it or checking it throughout a performance.

It takes me an hour to get ready which includes shower/shaving, hair and makeup. I don't do the smoky eye thing.

When I first learned how to do pefromance makeup, it was from a Fat Chance Belly Dance tribal CD. Even though I don't do all the tatoos and such for cabaret peformance, the basic foundation is still the same. For cabaret, I'm more apt to glue rhinestones on my face than make tatoos, but it takes about the same amount of time.

It may take me a little longer than an hour if I'm applying false eyelashes or not. I usually don't bother for gigs where I'm going to be close to people, like restaurants and parties. For stage shows and photo shoots, I always do false eyelashes.

Takes me about 1.5 hours once my hair is already curled. Takes my hair 3 hours to set a curl with steam rollers (and even then the curl may only last an hour). If I do a fall, it takes about an hour & a half to get ready. I do smoky eye, takes me about 15 minutes, not including lashes (which take forever, depending on the brand). I start with primer, then base, then blush, then lashes, then smoky eye, then hair, then lips last, then get dressed. Whew! to leave my house at 8:30 I always start getting ready by 7.

Oh, I do false lashes for every gig...I don't care how up close I get, I just love them that much!! I'd wear 'em every day if they weren't such a pain to put on.

Originally Posted by shahla

It takes me an hour to get ready which includes shower/shaving, hair and makeup.

Me too. I can even do 45 minutes if my legs/pits are already shaved, or if I don't have to get into costume until I arrive at the venue.

My eyes definately take the longest, though - at least 10 to 15 minutes just on the eyes.

Happy to see the posts, here.
It takes me about 1 hour 15 minutes to do everything, but yes, going from "blank canvas" face to completely done takes about 30 minutes by itself.
One thing that makes it go quicker: I don't typically vary the look/colors too much. I'll go about 2x a year to the MAC folks, and have them conjour up a look for me, then just use that with everything, it works!

I can do a smoky eye in 5 minutes (just the eye) if I have to. Granted, it's not as good as when I take longer, but if I'm short on time I can rip it out pretty quick. Entire time to prep, start to finish, takes me about an hour. This includes packing costumes, etc., as well as doing all the beauty stuff.

I take about an hour (start to finish) as well. That includes packing costumes, picking out music, shower, shave, makeup, hair.

i need 1 - 1.5 hours to get into full "drag". full stage makeup with eyelashes, hair, body shimmer, etc.

the smoky eye itself can take 5-10 min depending on whether i grabbed the right crease brush and how many colors i use

takes 30 min to wash it all off, including undo hair, remove eyelashes and all waterproof, shower, etc

how long does it take you all to get out of "drag"?

I allow an hour. Or at least I usually *intend* to, heh.

But back in the day, when I was a baby hairdresser and wore Siouxie-style makeup every day, I could do it in five minutes, no hint of a lie. It was that fast because a) I was young and my skin was smooth b) I only used about two colours total. I would put cake foundation on with a sponge, wipe wipe wipe, do a purple shadow over the whole eye area, in the crease right into the side of the nose (and sometimes down it), out towards the temple and under the cheekbone with a fairly big blusher brush, add black (unblended) in the same spots but not the lid and closer to the eye, classic ballet-style liquid eyeliner top and bottom, eyebrow pencil (through to the skin of course), go. Lipstick could go on at work and I'd attack my head with more spray when I got there, too. LOL.

I can take my current, much less dramatic, much more fiddly to do performance face off really fast now due to the invention of makeup wipes.

Um.....I uh.....do it in the car on the way to the gig! LOL

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Um.....I uh.....do it in the car on the way to the gig! LOL

Ok, you definitely win ..l;, There's no way I could get away with that! I get *very* sweaty while performing (ew!), everything has to be perfect or it'll be gone in 5 seconds!

Getting out of drag - a good half hour, yes. And I still never can get all of the eyeliner off.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

But back in the day, when I was a baby hairdresser and wore Siouxie-style makeup every day,

This comment is worthless without pictures.

There AREN'T any any more! I must try and dig some up but there were never many.

Takes me an hour, and I often put everything on except the false eyelashes. I have 3 different pairs, depends on the lighting and how close people will be as to which on I use. Also, I turn up 15, 20 mins early to say "hello ! I am a reliable dancer. See ! " and instead of wasting the time I then get to usefully use it applying the eylashes to my now set makeup, plus I've put the right ones on to suit the gig.

Also I keep a performance bag (like a large airline carry on bag) packed ready for performances, and each costume has it's own small bag (like a 'bag-for-life' supermarket bag), so I just grab whatever costume suits, put into the performance bag, and go.

It takes me about 15 min to un-drag myself. I HATE HATE HATE removing my eye makeup. Especially when I use a glitter liner. Such a messy pain in the arse. I don't really sweat much when I dance so usually I don't shower until the morning. Of course if it is the middle of july and the AC in the venue was broken, then I would shower, that would add another 25 min. 10 to shower and 15 to dry my hair. I can't go to bed with wet hair. Yuck!

I'm happy to see that I'm not alone in 1 - 1 1/2 hr for hair and makeup! This is after showering and drying my hair. I can get it down to under an hour if I'm pressed for time. I don't usually put false lashes on but I'm thinking of going for it tonight. I consider my makeup time as "meditation;" it helps me relax and get in performance mode

I put makeup remover on my eyes and let it sit for a minute. Then I wipe it off, wash my face, and use makeup remover once more. The thick black liner I use can be really stubborn!

My fav makeup lace - ELF - has a quick "how to" on smokey eyes...

elf cosmetics | get the look | how to makeup | makeup tips

Funny, it still takes me 30 just to do my everyday make-up!

5 minutes to un-drag using make-up remover and a gentle scrub. Then I just brush out my hair which, because it's so fine, doesn't do that much in the first place!! ..l;,

putting full performance make-up on takes about an hour. When I'm in a hurry, I can make it in 30 minutes, without false eyelashes and such.

Taking it of takes about five minutes, those face wipes make-up remover thingies are wonderful!

I almost always shower and wash my hair after performing. My har is really long and I use a ton of product, so brushing it out is super painful and time consuming. Including the shower, though, it only takes me about 15 minutes to de-drag.

I've got it down to exactly 23 minutes (fake eyelashes and all). It took me nine years to do that; in another nine I hope to have it down to 15!

Ok here is the trick to doing it in the car - or at least in under 5 minutes! The product is Maybelline Cool Effects - color is black night/black/black velvet. Although it does come in lots of colors! It is a super thick pencil and the consistency is a soft satin feel crayon that goes on crazy smooth. And it actually is cooling. You just draw it all over your eyes like you just don't care and then smudge lightly till you get that all over smokey effect. Then you go around the edges of the eye again to give it a darker outline. Then pad lightly with translucent powder. If you are wearing lashes put the lashes on after you smudge but before the final lining. You can get this liner at the drugstore. It's about $5. Hope that helps!

Full makeup with contacts, eyelashes & glitter eyeliner (eye kandy - usually 2 colors at least) is less than 10 minutes barring a disaster in application.

If you add a few swipes with a flat iron to tame hair, a shower, packing costumes and probably burning a CD last minute, an hour if I actually manage to budget that much time. :-p

ETA - I'm going to go look for that Eshta.... sounds interesting!

Originally Posted by miriamgamal

Full makeup with contacts, eyelashes & glitter eyeliner (eye kandy - usually 2 colors at least) is less than 10 minutes barring a disaster in application.

If you add a few swipes with a flat iron to tame hair, a shower, packing costumes and probably burning a CD last minute, an hour if I actually manage to budget that much time. :-p

ETA - I'm going to go look for that Eshta.... sounds interesting!

What?! How?! That's amazing!
(Youtube) Video, please:))

I swear it works!!!! But you have to set it with translucent powder and if you have time apply some eye shadow to help the blending. But these cooling effects liners are awesome! I one in gold and purple also. Here is the link! Go for it ladies! Maybelline New York: Products: Cool Effect Cooling Shadow/Liner