Thread: not-too-strong lip for stage?

I have pretty blue eyes and a "meh" chin, so I normally wear eye makeup and chapstick.

My understanding of stage makeup merely amounts to "go drag queen, because otherwise the lights wash you out." So, what lip makeups could give me a lip-colored lip under stage lights? I have mid-tone Caucasian skin.

I once got the tip that for a natural looking lipcolor, look on the inside of your lower lip. That's the color that will look natural on you, about two shades darker then the outside of your lips.

Play around with different colors to see what works for you. For stage make-up stronger colors look better on stage. I attended a theatre performance in january where I could hardly see the facial expression of the dancer despite being on the front row, because she didn't wear the right amount and shades of make-up.

The other question I have is how often are you on stage? Yes, darker lipstick when performing is necessary. You want to draw attention to your beautiful smile and be help your audience to see your expression. But unless you are under intense stage lighting, you don't have to go Fire Engine Red unless you want to.

If you play up your eyes, don't play your lips up so much that they compete. But you still need to give them colour.

{{{HUGS}}}

On the subject of lip colors (Fire Engine Red or otherwise), a friend I recently did a duo with told me that her first teacher said you should always wear red and only red onstage because all other lip colors have a tendency tio look different under lights and turn to other shades. I never heard this before -- anyone else hear this? Is this your experience?

For stage, if you don't want bright red, you can go for a darker muted shade rather than a bright shade. Wines, browns, and deep roses can all look good.

For restaurant shows and haflas, where you need your facial expressions to show up at a distance but won't be washed out by bright lighting, you can go for medium shades. Reds are great, but so are roses, mauves, plums, wines and browns depending on your skin tone.

I like to wear red lipstick over a lip stain for stage performances. I don't know that I have ever seen anyone with too much lipstick or too much make up onstage, but I have seen hundreds of dancers with not enough. Stage lights REALLY wash out make up, that's why the higher quality, densely pigmented products work best for stage, the light doesn't just shine right through them. You need blusher too.

Use a lip liner. Brown eye liner pencil works beautifully as a lip liner as it add some definition to your lips and it stays put.

I'd encourage you to play around with stronger colors, just to see what breaking out of your comfort zone does- on stage you really do need stronger colors. I don't like bright red, but I use a bright red base and mute it with a brown or copper or rose mineral powder (meant for eyes, but who's keeping track?) which has the added benefit of working as a setting powder so my lipstick doesn't stick to my veil or hair.
ONLY for stage
I check by looking in the mirror from at least 10 feet away with as bright a light as I can manage.

I have a long-lasting L'Oreal one called 'Pomegranate' that is my favorite not-too-bright, but deep enough for stage or day-time performances lipstick. I can't find it right now to tell you the exact type (it is probably in my desk drawer at work) but it is one of those with one end you paint on the liquid color and the other end is a gloss you paint over the color when it has dried. If I'm doing hair flying, veil dragging across my face stuff, I put on just the color then add the gloss after the performance. This is what I like to wear for costume colors other than red, because it is too almost plummy to look right with red clothing. It is a deep rose, dark pink color that I love; just too intense for regular everyday wear for my tastes.

I asked a few months ago about red lipstick and then went on a buying spree for some of the recommendations I got, but that is probably too intense for what you're talking about. I was at that time putting a red costume together for a Valentine's performance, and didn't already have any red lipstick. I usually gravitate to other costume colors and the L'Oreal 'Pomegranate' has been my mainstay.

For stage, dark or red lips are a must-have. You want the audience to see your beautiful lips and smile!

For parties, restaurants, nightclubs and more intimate venues, I'll do more of a glam-nude look because I think it looks very sophisticated and sets off a dark or colorful eye beautifully. My favorite is MAC lipliner in Soar, plus MAC lipstick in Cosmo, topped with some clear gloss. (Sometimes with a dab of white pearly gloss in the center of the lower lip for that kissy-face look!)

ETA: My favorite "go-to" red is MAC's Dubonet. Not too brown, blue or orange. It's a perfect classic muted red with a creamy finish. Viva Glam IV is also quite gorgeous, especially with burgundy liner.

Originally Posted by dunyah

I like to wear red lipstick over a lip stain for stage performances. I don't know that I have ever seen anyone with too much lipstick or too much make up onstage, but I have seen hundreds of dancers with not enough. Stage lights REALLY wash out make up, that's why the higher quality, densely pigmented products work best for stage, the light doesn't just shine right through them. You need blusher too.

Yes. True stage lighting makes you look like a ghost unless you are made-up over the top. I agree with this above quote!
Brownish tinged lipstick looks awful under stage lights IMO, however I have seen some experienced dancers use it despite that ..l;,

I cringe at rules like "MUST wear dark/red lipstick on stage ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS."

Originally Posted by Juniper

I have pretty blue eyes and a "meh" chin, so I normally wear eye makeup and chapstick.

If you have a "meh" chin, I will throw out a suggestion that you "strengthen" it with contouring, to balance your face, should you choose not to wear a strong lip color.

Azhia, you always look stunning. The nude lips look fabulous on you but would be terrible on me. So it all depends on who you are and what looks good on the individual. But in general, I see a lot of dancers who look very washed out on stage.

Azhia, I agree with you that Dracula lips are not a mandate that must always be followed. I watched a Petite Jamilla video this morning where she wore rich fuschia lipstick, and I think Sadie doesn't wear deep dark colors a lot either. But how much do you think skin tone and color has to do with the overall effect and what you should go with lipstick-wise? You seem like you are a lot tanner than some of us.

I am green-yellow toned coffee-with-cream colored complexion with full-ish, crooked lips (I'm VERY crooked through the mouth and nose).

I'm not advocating that everyone drink my Kool-Aid and go Just Chapstick on stage. ..l;,

My argument was against the mandate on dark lips all the time. That being said, there are a plethora of nudey-pinky-beige not-too-strong lip colors that everyone can find suited to their skin tone, so I believe it is not a matter of me being relatively darker than the OP, I think it is more about lip shape, in addition to finding a color that enhances the natural lip tone. Take a look at the Arab pop stars. MUCH MUCH lighter skinned than I, and many of them do nude lips.

If you want to enhance lip shape, use a lip pencil 2 shades darker than your natural lip color to draw in the appearance of fullness, dot with a gloss in just the center of the bottom lip. A flattering "natural tone enhancing" lip color is one that looks good on you when you have ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER makeup on.

Not to be nit picky, but I said "Darker" as opposed to "Dark" If your natural lip shade is pale pink and you use crushed rose, you are going darker.

It was a hard lesson to get my head around.

{{{HUGS}}

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I'll be looking for a pencil and stain a couple of shades darker than my natural lip color, but bear in mind the advice to adjust for different lights.