Category: General

International belly dance instructor and performer Sara Shrapnell, author of Teaching Belly Dance, now on amazon.com, recently taught a highly informative workshop on professional quality makeup application techniques for a polished and bulletproof performance face.   She went over the entire makeup application process, from primer to color.  Today, I would like to share her best tips for crafting the perfect belly dance smile.

Front, From Left: Shalimar, Poppy Maya, Stacy • Back, From Left: Davina, Sidalia, Zemira, Sara Shrapnell

Perfect lips are one of the most essential components of the finished look of an entertainer.  While a lot of women just slather on a coat of lipstick before heading out of the house, a performer needs to spend a little bit more time and technique to create a lasting look.  It’s a multi-step process with several steps to develop depth, saturation, and intensity that will appear rich in any lighting situation and last through the entire show.

• Begin with Hydration, from the inside.  Your lips are one of the first places where dehydration will show.  Lip skin is especially delicate and drinking plenty of water will keep them from appearing flakey and dry.

• Exfoliate your lips. The morning before a big performance, exfoliate your lips.  Tips that came up during the course of the workshop included: Use a rough washcloth and facial cleanser to gently scrub away the top layer of skin.  Some ladies dedicate a toothbrush to serve as their lip exfoliator, apply a dab of moisturizer, soap, or petroleum jelly to the toothbrush and rub it into the lips to brush away flakes.  If you are a DIY type of gal, you can mix some cooking oil, (I prefer olive oil but others suggest coconut oil or grape seed oil,) with some ordinary sugar to make a paste to apply in a gentle circular motion to smooth the skin. Some dancers swear by using a base of honey  and sugar. Of course, there are many, many ready made facial exfoliators will also do the trick, just be sure to be extra gentle when using a scrub.   (Need more Lip Exfoliation techniques?  Check out this list of techniques over on The Gloss.)

• Slather on the lip balm.  Using a lip balm on a daily basis to hydrate and condition the skin, will help the lips maintain their smooth and supple appearance. If you are a low-maintenance type of gal, you may want to select a balm with a tint to add an extra touch of color. There are many products to chose from, and ultimately, it’s not the balm you choose, but daily application that will keep your lips ultra smooth.

Hydration and balm should be regular parts of your daily beauty rituals.  Exfoliate as needed.  Prior to applying your makeup, make sure that your lips are immaculate clean, smooth and soft.

• Save the Lips for Last.  Apply your primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter and other contouring products to take your face to it’s most flawless look.

• Apply a Stain.  Stain sticks to lips beautifully, so you can use it to lay on a nice color foundation.  Even at the end of the day, when your lipstick has melted away, there will still be that kiss of color left on your lips from the initial application of stain.

• Use a lip liner.  Carefully and judicially apply your lipliner.  A slightly lifted cupid’s bow, or a deeper lower lip can becreated with lipliner.  However, don’t extend your lip lines too far beyond normal, or you might wind up with unbelievably exaggerated contours.   Once you have perfected your liner, fill in your entire lip.  Lip liner sticks to the stain which serves a base for the application of lipstick.

• Wait until you get there to your event to apply your lipstick.  With a lipliner base, you can leave the house with confidence, but leave the final decision on color until you get the venue.  Did you bring several costumes so you can choose the best outfit for the lighting situation, the background color, or to fit into a lineup better?

• Find a signature red.  Nothing beats a glamorous red lipstick to complete your look.  Although it may take a bit of time and a financial investment, it’s worth it to really take the time to find the best color for you.  Most dancers amass a wardrobe of red lipsticks that work for different lighting situations and tonal variations to enhance different costumes.

• Use an oil-based product to clean your lips.  At the end of the night, it’s important to carefully clean your skin.  Performance makeup is thicker and heavier than the makeup worn by most for daily wear. Meticulous cleaning will help protect your skin from blemishes.  Remember that an oil based cleanser will wipe away the layers of makeup.

Two Bonus Lip Tips:  Practice your makeup application techniques. Always test drive your lipstick before taking it onto the stage.