Making up is hard to do

Added to Circus Vegas on September 4, 2008 in Backstage Pass | 0 Comments

I love circus make-up. The thick lines of dark liner, the glitter, the giant false eyelashes. Preparation for each performance starts hours before the actual show.

Most artists have no official make-up training - this is a skill passed down and passed around as each performer travels the world. While little girls might try to copy their mum applying lipstick, my little sister was trying to master the art of applying false eyelashes!

There are loads of multi-coloured lights raining down on you as you enter the centre of the circus ring - and that’s before the giant white spotlight hits you. Because of this, a lot of time and effort goes into applying beautifully elaborate make-up (and yes, even for the boys!) to make your face stand out.

Old circus techniques included applying soap to the ends of your eyebrows, covering them with foundation, and then re-drawing the eyebrow line way up high on the face; Clowns would use a talcum-powder like product to white out their face and necks before drawing on a big red mouth and cheeks. And, before Christina Aguilera and Beyonce made false eyelashes popular, the only ones available had to be applied individually, lash by lash.

Things are much easier these days as pro materials have become readily available in Ireland; but performers still spend a lot time creating their circus look.

Here are a few make-up shots.

My sister Kelly, just getting started:

10-year old Kourtney, who does her own make-up:

Clown Hedgy draws on his clown face himself too:

And check out those false eyelashes!: