Wednesday, February 13, 2013

An impromptu Masquerade Mask Makeup


My firiend sophie, who I met at art school last year is a beautiful changeling, she can play a marie antoinette, she can be a coy nymphette, she can be a dark & mournful beauty.
She is my muse and I love working with her, last year I created a painting series using her as my model. This year she is away at NUIG studying, and comes home every so often to help me out with my make up, this shoot was taken at the end of a character one -just because. I didn't have it pre planned although it fell into place quite quickly- she had this fabulous black corset nestling in a bag of clothes and props she brought with her, I had the underskirt, hat and gloves. We already had the black background up so went ahead and done this, I am very glad that we did. It's my favourite shoot thusfar.







Style of the makeup
It is modelled on a Venetian style mask and I looked to the photographic spreads of Vogue Magazine for inspiration on how to pose and light my model. I found the stylist Grace Coddingtons High Fashion Shoots from within the pages of Vogue very inspiring. 
As this is a high fashion look, and the focus is on selling the clothes I deliberately chose a “soft” make up look, and setting the model with a backlight to highlight the gown part of her ensemble, with the barn doors set to illuminate her outfit rather than her face. 
For the make up itself I used a dramatic purple eye, made all the more mysterious and dramatic by the “lace” framed ventian mask with added glitter for some glamour.
I primed using mud primer, waiting five minutes then applying a matt gosh foundation then powdering heavily with silk pigment, creating a matte finish on my clients skin.
For the "mask" I applied a purple and black smokey eye,tight-lining both upper and lower lashes in kohl, with a liquid liner applied on the upper lid. I added more purple at the temples then extended it out on all sides to get the mask shape, I then  improvised the “lace” edging part of the mask using an applique bat shaped sequin from a local craft shop, I wanted a soft look and stipping this shape with a black powder created the look I wanted to achieve. I used stila, urban decay & fuschia eyeshadow palatte's.
I applied some full false lashes for added drama 
A somewhat co-ordinated to the lip colour blush kept the focus on the eyes.
And a red blotted out lip by the dita von teese range from art deco.

Inspiration for the Look
In history-A Venetian style mask make up, masks are the main feature of the venetian carnival.Traditionally people wear them between the festival of st. stephens day and the start of the carnival season of shrove Tuesday. In modern times, they are generally made using gesso and gold leaf, and are hand painted using feathers and gems to decorate them.
On the catwalk- Alexander Mc Queen. Thick Venetian mask style make up painted on models during the A/W show of 2001 play up the Theatricality of his clothes.

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