ballet festival - please share make up recommendations - under 10s

[Mrs Brown]

Would anyone mind sharing make up recommendations/tips for under 10s ballet festivals please.

 

My daughter has done one festival and her teacher wanted blue eye shadow but wasn't there on the day so I went with more neutral colours which I think worked well given she is very young but this year the teacher will be there. She is in a mid pink tutu and is naturally pale with dark hair. I would quite like to use purples/pinks but I am still unsure what is "normal" makeup for a ballet festival. Do they need foundation too? I didn't use it on her last year but I keep reading about people using it so am not sure. 

 

Any help gratefully received.

 

thanks

[sarahw]

This is a good thread on festival make up

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/13432-advice-on-stage-make-up-for-an-8yo/#comment-184576

 

Personally I find blue eyeshadow rather old fashioned and I've heard adjudictator say so to an older girl. I agree brown/pink/purple more natural and I would go for those for a ballet. I guess it depends on how afraid of the teacher you are!!! I don't think a young child will be marked down for it.

 

I think foundation does help their face show up but it doesn't have to be orange!! The thread has some suggestions. Good luck!!

Edited April 15, 2017 by sarahw
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[sarahw]

Not sure if a moderator can add a make up tag to this and the thread I quoted above? I had to search under foundation to find it!!

[Jan McNulty]

Good idea Sarahw.  I've added a "makeup" tag to both threads.

[theother51]

My daughter never did festivals but I agree with Sarah, blue is very old fashioned & isn't a good look for ballet. 

 

Dd's previous teacher used to ask for natural browns/beiges for ballet, rose coloured blusher & rose coloured lipstick. For modern & tap they used brighter colours. No foundation for primary aged children. 

 

Now dd is older she wears foundation one shade darker than usual, a cream coloured eyeshadow base, brown on the lids, a peachy coloured blush & alternates between a rose lipstick & a more red shade depending on the theme. 

[BlueLou]

Just think that the adjudicator needs to be able to see her face, and facial expressions, clearly. We have been to festivals where the adjudicator is a long way away, up in a balcony at the back of the hall. So this is no time to be overly subtle and tasteful - be bold! I always think a bit of sparkle looks good

[Pixiewoo]

We're always told to emphasis the eyes.

 

And I agree... subtle is not the way to go! 

 

[Confuddled]

I got the £25 make up set suggested on the thread linked above, and it was great. Only issue was that the eyeliner just wouldn't come off - micellar water, wipes, special eye make up remover, you name it I tried it. And she still had black panda eyes for school that Monday. So I'd suggest that set, but a different eyeliner (if you're using it). 

 

I have to say, the battle getting the eyeliner off has rather put my daughter off more shows. She told me she loved the whole thing, but she hated the make up and hair spray. She's auditioning this year, so we'll see, but I'm tempted to not do the eyeliner and see if anyone notices...

Edited April 15, 2017 by Confuddled
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[Guest]

The best thing for removing stage make is a duvet cover, preferably one in a pale colour. Seriously perhaps try a soft eye pencil instead of eye liner, my dd had one that was double ended, white one end and black the other. And don't hold back with mascara. I agree with Pixiweoo that its important to emphasize eyes.

[Mrs Brown]

brilliant, thank you so much everyone.  I too feel blue isn't quite right for ballet in a pink tutu. Both my girls have done professional panto a couple of years so we have had bright blue eye shadow and bright red lipstick (something not right about putting a bright red lipstick called scarlett siren on a 7 year old to me) but it seems wrong for ballet.  My eldest (9) is also doing ballet at the festival but her tutu is teal and greeny blue mermaid type colour eye shadow seems to look right on her with the tutu so I am not worried with that but the younger one being in pink seems to lend itself more to purples and pinks like you say.  I have seen some baked eyeshadows in a set which include a purple and pink sparkley ones which seem quite high pigment so I might look at that properly.  eyeliner I will get for both then.  Do you think black mascara then? one has black eyelashes anyway, the other has quite dark eyelashes but is fairer haired and more olive skinned. hmm black for her too then I suppose.  Not wearing makeup much myself any more since having kids any suggested sorts? there seem so many, do I just want a "defining" one? rather than lash building/thickening/lengthening and so on?

 

I have a sort of rose pink blusher from panto which I am sure will be ok.

 

Will look at foundations too. just tried the elder one with some of mine and whilst it didn't look like it ought to make much difference it did look much more finished. 

 

thank you. 

[xanthe]

I love make-up and having lots of sisters, years at boarding school and a dodgy goth phase back in the 80's, I've tried most brands over the years and on the whole I'm pretty happy with mass market brand. I'm a big fan of Max Factor - especially for foundation as they have a huge range of colours, and if like me you have that lovely blue with purple tinge Scottish skin-tone, they do actually make one to match. Foundation has good coverage, but the Panstik is particularly good and stays put for hours. Their own translucent powder isn't bad, but I do prefer the Cornsilk version. They have a lovely lipstick in a shade called English Rose which is really pretty and not too dark or too 'pink' - it also makes really good blush and eyeshadow. 

 

Boots No.7 also has good range of colours in foundation especially at the paler end of the spectrum and stays on well. I got fed up with brands like MAC as they just didn't stay as well.

 

For eyeshadows, Superdrug has some very cheap brands that do uber-glittery and day-glo colours, but the cheaper brands don't have much staying power or look great in the box but don't go on quite right. Ones that do work well are Boots No. 7, Revlon, Max Factor and Bourjois. 

 

Eyeliner is easiest (former Goth opinion here) with either the felt-tip type ones, or the liquid liner that comes with a very thin brush. Kohl crayon is a nightmare with children. Otherwise get a very, very dark brown or black eyeshadow and use that with a fine brush to get the same effect without the trauma. For mascara, I'm not a huge fan of black on children with fairer lashes and hair - dark brown gives the emphasis and avoids any hairy caterpillar look. Put it on last of all, wait 5 minutes and then apply a second layer. Eyelash curlers are great but need a bit of practice before you use on anyone else.

 

I would invest in some make-up sponges and some decent brushes (the applicator things in the boxes are useless) - I got a full-set of MAC brushes on eBay a few years ago for under £10 so worth looking for bargains there, but you basically need a brush for applying and blending eyeshadow, a fatter one for blush, a lip brush and a big fluffy one for powder. 

 

If you want good primer, then Oil of Olay Regenerist Serum is amazing at setting everything and does seem to protect their skin a bit. DD is pretty sensitive and hasn't reacted to that or any of my MaxFactor/Boots No.7 stuff.

 

[sarahw]

I use black face paint with a very fine brush instead of eye liner - find it much easier. 

[Pas de Quatre]

For younger pupils I find powder is better than foundation -  Max Factor is always good.  For blusher I like Bourjois easy to build up the amount of colour you want, which then stays well.  Eye shadow depends on the costume colours.  Too brown can look rather dull.  Eye brows may need to be lifted a little with a blemish cover stick underneath if very dark and thick, although less today as heavy eyebrows are the fashion.  Very blond eyebrows need a little darkening, brown eye brown pencil is as good as anything.  These pencils are harder than eyeliner or kohl pencils so only use them on the brows. For younger dancers I don't ask for full eyeliner, or mascara just the classic little line at the outer corner of the eye which seems to widen the eyes enough.  A good cheerful red lipstick completes the face, and it can be useful to do a little extension line at the corners of the mouth with a lipbrush to help the smile!    

[meadowblythe]

 

Slightly off topic, but fond memories of my DS scaring the living daylights out of an NQT when going into year 6.  First English homework of the term "What I learnt in the Holidays."  Following an EYB course, he wrote in great detail about learning to put on make up for himself, and the difficulties encountered with mascara and his success with lipstick.

 

Apparently she tottered into the staffroom looking for guidance on how to approach this from a child protection point of view- only to be told not to worry, he was a dancer!  By Christmas, when he proudly announced "tonight I meet my father ... " she asked how rehearsals for The Nutcracker were going without batting an eyelid.  She went on to be one of the finest heads in the county.

[Mrs Brown]

Love that story meadow. 

 

Thanks everyone, some great tips there. Yes we are talking redhead type skin tone but with black hair and turquoise eyes. Striking but difficult

[shygirlsmum]

My DD is also very pale redhead, she has just discovered mac do a white foundation which can be mixed with other foundations to get her perfect colour match.  I think it can only be bought in the pro shop though.

[HollyLou]

I've found the best foundation for my DD is the boots seventeen range, it doesn't seem to sit as heavy and seems to be for younger skin. I prefer to use chunky eye pencils, the NYX ones are brilliant. My DD dance school likes under 10s in blue and over 10s in brown. It does need to be heavier than we prefer just so you can see facial expression, luckily the older girls are amazing at make up so I leave it to them to do for me. The best mascara I've found is L'Oréal one, my DD cannot get away with false eye lashes and this seems to add lots of volume. 

[Pas de Quatre]

For turquoise eyes, turquoise eyeshadow might be too much, but you could try a silvery grey and then blend in a little turquoise towards the outer edges of the lids.

[Mrs Brown]

On Monday, April 17, 2017 at 14:50, Pas de Quatre said:

For turquoise eyes, turquoise eyeshadow might be too much, but you could try a silvery grey and then blend in a little turquoise towards the outer edges of the lids.

oh yes turquoise would be too much on the little one with the turquoisey coloured eyes, the one wearing teal/blue/turquoisey colours doesn't have the same colouring. sorry I was a bit misleading.

[Mrs Brown]

will check out the seventeen range then if their foundations are quite light. I don't really want to cover all the younger ones freckles or she won't look like her so yes just something very light, or powder as a couple of people have mentioned will be better for her. 

 

I can see I am going to have fun trying to put mascara on someone else. we have had a play around now with eyeliner and that seemed to go ok so perhaps it won't be as bad as I am anticipating..

 

thanks

[Ellie]

43 minutes ago, Mrs Brown said:

will check out the seventeen range then if their foundations are quite light. I don't really want to cover all the younger ones freckles or she won't look like her so yes just something very light, or powder as a couple of people have mentioned will be better for her. 

 

I can see I am going to have fun trying to put mascara on someone else. we have had a play around now with eyeliner and that seemed to go ok so perhaps it won't be as bad as I am anticipating..

 

thanks

I find it best to do the eyes before foundation / blusher etc. Have her look down slightly when you put on the mascara.

[munchkin16]

What about a tinted moisturiser? Will give a little bit of coverage and colour but still show the freckles and not be too heavy. 

[Mrs Brown]

Thank you. I have found a very lightweight foundation to try with the girls. Will have a make up session to try it out. Thanks for all the tips and advice.