My post last week about women asking what they need to know about being on the winner’s stage at an awards ceremony has prompted questions about makeup. So here’s my answer.
Now those of you who know me will understand that the ins and outs of makeup is not my specialty, but I do know about stage lighting and what affect it has on how you look.
Those strong lights that illuminate the stage and make sure that everyone in the audience can see you also “wash out” the colour of your skin while creating unsightly shiny patches. You can see these affects in Edge Multimedia’s Women of Influence Awards’ photograph, which I’ve used for this article.
So, here’s my five simple steps to make you transcend your stage companions:
1. Learn at what time during the event schedule your award will be announced.
2. 15 minutes before your award is announced go into the ladies’ restroom and “brighten up” your make-up. (This can also of course be done in the meal break before your award is announced.)
3. Use a warm-coloured foundation, make sure it gives a matte covering across your face to protect against shine, and make sure your jawline blends evenly onto your neck.
4. Use a deeper than normal lipstick and eye make-up to emphasize your features so that they can be seen from a long way away and avoid the stage lighting washing you out. Line your lips with a thin, sharp contour that emphasizes your natural mouth shape. This whole effect can look a bit gaudy close-up, and hence why I recommend that you do this only just before going on stage.
5. After your award presentation wander back to the restroom and remove the heavier makeup aspects so you can also look the best in close-up photographs.
Maybe this is why they say “winners are grinners”.