Normally when the VM puts on a show, when stage lighting requires it, we’ll use this same base makeup and then add a little blush to the cheeks. On the contest stage, I find, we have help getting to a uniform look. The VM Women have chairs set up in the hallway, and are working on several guys.
I find an empty chair at the first station and have a seat. She looks over my base makeup to confirm that it’s evenly applied, and then adds a little light brown lipstick. It’s a very masculine shade, I’m sure. Then I’m sent to another seat, were another lady applies the blush, and a third one gives final approval. (If I ever recognized or remembered who the ladies were who worked on me, that memory is lost in the excitement of the day.)
With my makeup done and my performance outfit on, I’m ready to go. Oh, wait, not yet – I didn’t transfer my wallet and camera to my tux pants. I make my way back through the dressing room for them.
On the way, fellow VMer Bruce takes me aside and suggests I might have one of the performance team look over my makeup, because, he says, “It’s heavy.” At first this seems like a minor distraction, since I did receive approval from the ladies, but Bruce is insistent: “It’s really heavy.”
I head over to our makeup table mirrors and look, and… oh my, is he ever right. My cheeks are done up in a blob of candy apple red. Way too much – we’re going for looking natural under stage lights, not looking like we should be standing on street corners in red light districts!
My red cheeks and I (wouldn’t that be a great name for a children’s book?) go into the men’s room across the way so I can wipe some of this gunk off. There are other men in there, and one of them pointedly comments, “I didn’t know we were getting made up like Raggedy Ann & Andy!” Thanks for that.
A few paper towels later and my makeup job is back to looking human.
Okay – now I’m ready to go.
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