Glow-up Makeup Competition - A Land Far Far Away by

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-18 12:30:51 UTC

Bio: I am Catherine and I'm studying Creative makeup at Stockton Riverside College. I have always been interested in makeup, specifically the opportunity to showcase my creativity and how application can alter the appearance of the face and features. In school I also had an interest for Art and creative writing as I enjoyed the ability to portray my interests and thoughts in artistic ways.

Introduction

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-18 14:54:59 UTC

Moving into my final project my aim is to showcase all the skills I have developed since beginning this course last September, showing my range of makeup techniques in different areas of the industry, my personal skills that have aided me in working in theatre and film productions and my ability to work collaboratively to continue advancing my skills. Once we have democratically selected a theme, I will begin by creating a timeline as a group, planning out key tasks and dates, before then creating and individual timeline including all my independent work towards this project. I will research the chosen theme to begin developing initial ideas, before moving into makeup artist research of influential artists that will help me further develop my ideas and the techniques I need. From this point i will begin collecting reference images and ideas for my mood board, along with further research of specific techniques to practice and experiment with. I will attend regular production meetings, to gain advice and support from my peers as well as collaboratively working on health and safety, including risk assessments and allergy charts. I will also attend workshops with my tutor to work to advance my skills and gain more knowledge on any techniques or areas of the project I am struggling with. Once I have created a clear idea for my makeup look, I will then work each week to develop and refine this idea, completing face charts, a budget, a final mood board, costume, hair, nails and many practices of the application and techniques, whilst documenting my progression throughout the next 10 weeks in Padlet.

18/03/25 - Deciding on a theme

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-18 17:54:44 UTC

After breaking down the brief we then began deliberating on a theme. Pushing us to begin the creative process and create our own ideas, we started with each picking an idea from Nina and then pairing up to create a new theme from two different concepts. For example, working with Amelia we discussed ideas coming from our individual themes ('Dreams' and 'A galaxy far away') to come up with the title of 'A subconscious world'. This helped us to broaden our creativity and be less literal in our thought process, before we then each picked or created a theme individually to put to a democratic vote, where we agreed on 'A Land Far Far Away'.

18/03/24 -Breaking down our brief

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-18 17:57:08 UTC

Once we had been given our brief, we discussed the requirement collectively, allowing us the time to question any parts we were unsure on and begin to understand the work that needed to be complete in order to create our finalised makeup to the highest standard possible. Separating into pairs, we then created a mind map to help us organise our ideas and start planning our time and priorities in the upcoming weeks. Working with Lucy, we prioritised what we found most important from the brief, starting with the weeks and sessions we had before our competition, to have a clearer idea of the time frame we have to complete the requirements before then separating off the collaborative elements of this brief, any elements that would be worked on as a team and should be included when completing the group timeliness. From the rest of our individual work, we mainly highlighted the importance of research, organisation/planning and practice, to then begin thinking how we would achieve these aims. For example, when completing research it should include a range of resources and trustworthy books/websites to help us with our techniques and ideas for the makeup, as well as many different influential makeup artists from various areas of the industry, to gain a wider range of knowledge and different points of view, to help us get a clearer idea of the type of makeup we aim to create. We also discussed the importance of organising our work and how we would do so to plan our time appropriately and complete all aspects of the brief, to achieve this the most important thing is creating a timeliness, planning out tasks and goals to achieve in each week leading up to week 9 (competition week).

18/03/25 - Collaborative Timeline Plan

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-20 18:58:56 UTC

In order to manage our time and organise our progress through the project it was vital to create a timeliness as a group and individually. To do so we began working in pairs once again separating requirements of the brief into each week, as we thought they should be complete. This helped us begin to plan out our time and sessions over the upcoming weeks, in an order that would help us reach our targets and prepare for our finalised makeup. Moving onto our group timeliness this also ensured everyone was aware of the each task needed to complete this project and were able to take part and have their own opinions in our group conversation. Along with knowledge from our tutor and discussions within our team we were able to work through each week, planning out which of the collaborative elements and key tasks would be complete in the 3 sessions of the week, as well as including some of the main parts of the project that would also be completed in our own time, such as research and mood boards. Overall, today we were able to work together to understand the brief and requirements of our final project, democratically decide on a theme and create a timeliness for everyone to follow, which now allows us to begin on our research and create our own timeline in preparation to progress with our work next week.

25/03/25 - Harvard Referencing

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-25 12:20:52 UTC

In today's meeting as decided as a group last week and stated in the timeline, we asked our tutor to book us in for a lesson in Harvard referencing. This was important to complete before moving to far into our project, before we began our research into techniques and ideas to ensure we were able to show our research and the knowledge we have gathered correctly. As a team, we learnt the difference between a direct quote (a quote copied from a source and paraphrasing (knowledge from a source put into your own words). A direct quote shows that your information is factually correct and proves that this has been researched to gain knowledge on a topic. Whereas paraphrasing shows a clearer understanding of what you have learnt through your research by putting it into your own words. In this session we also learnt about the importance of citations and a reference list to prove that your information is correct and there is research behind your knowledge that anyone reading my work can access themselves. A citation is a shortened version of the information put in your reference list, stating the author and year it was publishes, as well as a page number if your referencing from a book. This can included in brackets at the end of a quote or paraphrase in brackets or at the start of the sentence. Along with this you must include an entire list of references with every source (website, book, etc) you have used at the end of your work, stating as much information as possible about your source. Referencing is also used to avoid any claims of plagiarism (claiming other work as your own knowledge). Going forward in this project I will use all the information I have learnt this morning to correctly reference and prove that there is research behind my work, ideas and techniques. This will help me show improvement in my knowledge and clearly show progression in my work, as i intend to research many techniques i would like to use in my finalised makeup, as well as showing context and development of ideas for the theme and design.

Initial ideas & Research into the theme

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-03-25 14:00:14 UTC

Once we had decided on a theme and title I began to think of ways this may inspire and ideas i may want to look into for my makeup design. Initially the title 'A Land Far Far Away' made me begin thinking about fantasy characters and playing on traditional fairy tales. Although I like the idea of taking inspiration from a fairy tale story, I also wanted to be able to put my own creativity into my look, with further discussion as a group I thought this idea may give me too strict of a character to work to, making it harder for me to create an original and unique makeup for the competition. Instead thinking of less traditional fantasy stories that I personally enjoy and could find inspiration from, my first thought was 'The Chronicles Of Narnia', originally a series of seven fantasy novels by the author C.S. Lewis from 1950-1956, which was then turned into a 3 part movie series from 2005-2010. From my personal preference in makeup, I knew I still wanted my character to have an aspect of beauty, like what I have learnt in my work with fashion and photography makeup, which helped me create a clearer idea of creating an 'Ice Queen' character. Starting the development of this idea with inspiration from 'The White Witch' featured in this story, and furthering my research to potentially find more characters with a similar aesthetic, to help me create a more original makeup with inspiration and knowledge from a range of fantasy characters. In terms of techniques, I want to incorporate my own strong points and interests, I would like to use a mixture of editorial and fashion techniques, developing my abilities and interests to still create a glamourous makeup, whilst also including potentially sfx techniques to show a range of skill and further portray the icy, frozen aesthetic of my character. Advancing on my initial ideas, I aim to further research characters within this category, begin researching techniques to create a frozen look with sfx or different products I am unfamiliar with as of now and start my practices in technical and dramatic eye makeups and looks as this is something I am already confident in, which I can develop as I continue research into other aspects and techniques of my makeup.

Body painting - 26/03/25

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-02 12:46:33 UTC

Advancing our skills, in preparation for this project, we learnt about and practiced body painting. This is a very creative and artistic skill that would be great to include in our finalised makeup to further create a full look with costume, hair, etc. We practiced this technique using water activated paints and reference images of flowers of our choice. This application requires artistic techniques, blending colours together and including light and dark and shading as we advance our skills. To begin I marked the outline of my flower with a white kohl liner that would not show once the paints were applied so that it the final product looked realistic, and then mixing pinks, purples, white and black to accurately replicate the shades in my reference image using my knowledge of colour theory. Using craft brushes, I started by painting the tips of each petal with white and then a light purple to the middle section of each petal and blending together with a clean brush dipped in water, before finally adding the markets shade of purple to the root of the petals and using the same technique to transition the colours into each other again. Once the petals were dried I mixed pink and purple with a thin brush to add the stems and mixing the remainder of this colour with a small amount of black to add the buds and fill in the centre of the flower to further add depth and once again transitioning this into the petals. Finalising my flower with extra details, I mixed black with the darker shade of purple and used a clean thin brush to add the lines and freckles of colour to each petal. I enjoyed this technique and using my previous knowledge of art to create a realistic flower on the body. To advance on this technique I think I need further practice with water paints as at times the product separated as I repeatedly added water to create a better blend, however with further knowledge of this product beforehand I believe this could have been avoided. I am happy with the end result of this makeup, as I think it was realistic and I worked hard to develop this technique, something I will continue to do to include this in my final makeup for this project.

Competition - 01/04/25

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-02 13:46:53 UTC

Today I competed in my first makeup competition, working within the editorial category with the help of inspiration, designs and practice from the past few weeks to create my own design showcasing my technical abilities. This was a great insight into the process and organisation of competitions and how this may help me prepare for our competition. For this I had a time limit of 45 minutes, which worried me during practices as I often work slowly, focusing on the details of my makeup. However, with the preparation from my practices I was able to complete my design to a high standard within the time limit with minimum stress. Although for our final makeup we have a much larger time frame, we still must be finished for a certain time, therefore, this was good practice in time management to further prepare for this project as well as highlighting the importance of continuous practice with my techniques to be able to complete all aspects of my makeup. As well as timing, this experience also gave me a better insight into what judges look for within a makeup design, specifically highlighting the importance of creating a design that allows me to show off as many of my abilities as possible, including a range of techniques, products and application to showcase my skills through my makeup. When watching other makeup artists and competitions, I also noticed the thought and preparation that is put into costume hair and accessories and how this can be used to elevate a makeup design and create a more completed look and further develop a character around makeup, something I will put more focus and work into for this project as I aim to portray a character around my makeup.

Chronicles Of Narnia - The White Witch

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-02 15:05:19 UTC

The White witch is the main antagonist in The Chronicles Of Narnia series. In the books she is described as 'white-not merely pale but white like snow... a beautiful face... but proud and cold and stern.' This character interests me as her beauty is almost used to enhance her seemingly evil personality, with strong and pale features. When looking at her portrayal in the movie, I immediately noticed the pale blonde hair carried into her face on her eyelashes and eyebrows, this along with her pale skin and lack of definition in her face made her appear almost frozen, an idea I am looking to advance on in my makeup.

Hans Christian Andersen - The Snow Queen

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-03 09:40:47 UTC

When searching for more inspiration into my character I discovered the fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen originally published in 1844, that has inspired many interpretations of a 'Snow Queen' character, including most famously the animated Disney film 'Frozen' and a range of other films and books. Born in 1805 Hans is most famously known for a range of original fairy tales that he wrote between 1835 and 1873, most noticeably works such as 'The Little Mermaid' (1836), 'The Princess and The Pea' (1836, 'Thumbelina' (1835), etc. 'The Snow Queen' written in 1845, in summary this book tells the story of 'Friends Kay and Gerda love each other like brother and sister, but one day, Kay gets some glass in his eye and it takes away his ability to feel anything. Abducted by the Snow Queen, Kay is taken to live in her glittering ice kingdom in the dark, frozen North, where the ice freezes his heart.' (BookTrust, 2024) The original story was illustrated by 'Vilhelm Pedersen' and has inspired many other artworks depicting this character. When researching this book, i found a range of book covers with varying interpretations of the Snow Queen, most showed her as pale or white in colour, with a very monochromatic colour scheme, sticking to pale blues and white, and often dressed in fur, ice, snowflakes and extravagant headpieces.

Frozen makeup technique

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-03 11:02:06 UTC

For my final makeup I would like to attempt to make the face and/or body appear actually frozen, something I am unfamiliar with and therefore want to research and learn from professional makeup artists a new technique to create this effect, which i will practice and perfect within our scheduled time for makeup before the competition day. This idea was inspired by the common theme of ice/icicles I have seen through my research of similar characters so far. When researching these techniques, I was able to find videos from professional brands (Kryolan and Pam London) detailing techniques and products that can be used to achieve this look. When watching these videos, I learnt a lot about colouring the skin, freckling different colours (red, purple, blue) that was effective in making the skin looked damaged and frostbitten. These are techniques i could use and emphasis, to create a more exaggerated frozen effect. However, I found both videos used professional SFX products, specifically created to replicate snow and ice. This is something to consider, in my final makeup but is not a product currently available to me and would need to be included in my budget. Looking into products listed in both videos I also found that the Kryolan was vastly more expensive in comparison to those detailed by Pam London, whose tutorial I also found more informative. Although it seemed to be more catered toward Film and TV industry makeup, I think with my knowledge of other areas of the industry I could intensify this effect for the more dramatic effect I am aiming for. Overall, learning about this technique was still very helpful to help me progress in my ideas for my design, I am now confident I want to continue in my research to make an area of my final makeup appear frozen, as well as practising what I have learnt, whilst incorporating my own ideas and experiment with products to find what is most effective. Furthering on my initial ideas, I would like to use this technique on a section of the face moving it up into the hair and potentially incorporating the use of coloured hairspray to add a white streak (loosely taking inspiration from the character 'Anna' in 'Frozen' who from my research is struck by her sisters 'ice powers') into the hair following from the white, frozen look on the face. This led into me beginning to think about ideas and designs for both hair and body makeup.

Making Icicles - Research

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-03 13:47:59 UTC

When discussing my ideas and taking feedback from my tutor, she suggested including icicles at some point in my design. Furthering on this idea, I began researching ways of creating my own 3D icicles to include, I found tutorials of multiple different techniques using different materials such as silicone, paper, hot glue etc. Watching tutorials using a range of materials, I felt most confident in my abilities to replicate the techniques using hot glue gun. I also found the final product was closest to the look I was envisioning, appearing quite realistic as well as being relatively sturdy to keep its shape and structure when used on the body. In my own time, I will plan time to experiment with this technique in preparation for the final makeup, potentially experimenting with other techniques too if I am not happy enough with the outcome of this practice or if I feel it doesn't fit the aesthetic or purpose for my makeup design.

Production Meeting - 08/04/25

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-08 10:40:13 UTC

Coming together collaboratively, we each discussed our initial ideas and vision for our makeup, allow each individual to share there ideas and providing feedback and help where necessary. As a group we discussed our opinions on each design, sharing our knowledge of techniques, further inspiration and how we envisioned each others characters to help develop our ideas further. I was able to share my ideas and vision for my character so far, techniques I have researched and want to practice, as well as the overall look, including costume and hair. From my feedback, I am confident in my ideas to make part of the face appear frozen and how hair could be incorporated in this, as well as reassurance in how making and using icicles in my design would would be effective in further developing my look. It was also suggested to include the same frozen effect at other areas in the body, which is a great idea to further create a completed look with technical aspects across the rest of the body. I also was able to further my current ideas during our meeting, and questioned adding sfx to create frostbite injuries on the hand, which would create a wider range of skills shown in my design, which the rest of the team agreed would be an effective concept. Finally sharing my ideas with costume, I am now confident that I want to incorporate fur, a common theme through my research so far, which everyone liked as well as potentially creating a monochromatic white outfit and white hair. Overall, this meeting was helpful for the entire team, as well had an opportunity to share our individual designs and both give and take feedback from our peers to help begin furthering our initial ideas/design and developing our character.

Frostbite - Research

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-08 11:01:49 UTC

With reassurance from the rest of my team in the team meeting, I am confident in progressing with this idea through research. When reading from the NHS website (2021), i discovered there is 3 stages of frostbite; early, intermediate and advances. To create a more effective look to showcase my abilities and create a more extravagant character, I want to work on creating an advanced stage of frostbite. In the advanced stages 'the skin becomes white, blue or blotchy, and the tissue underneath feels hard' (NHSuk, 2021). The NHS website (2021) also describes thick black scabs that appear when the tissue dies known as tissue necrosis. Furthering my research, I then searched this condition and found a description from Cleveland Clinic (2025) that this is known as the death of cells in your body that can appear in 6 different patterns, the one of which that creates the black scabs I want to replicate known as Gangrenous Necrosis, where the skin begins to rot. This was really insightful knowledge, to help me create a clearer vision of the injury i want to create, ensuring it is realistic and accurately replicates the effect of frostbite. With this knowledge, I will move onto looking into sfx techniques, potentially using latex as suggested by my tutor in today's meeting, so that I can begin practising and working on this aspect of my design.

Frostbite sfx technique

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-08 11:23:04 UTC

Once I had completed research to understand and gain knowledge on the condition of frostbite. I began looking into tutorials to begin to understand techniques and product that can be used to create a realistic injury. From this I found a tutorial by the YouTube channel 'Cris Alex' (2025), using professional products that I recognised with familiar brand such as Mehron, I also found it informative in describing the effects of frostbite, with accurate information that matched my previous research and application to replicate this, it also shows the progression through the 3 stages and increasing levels of severity, that I could practice, and develop for a suitable effect to match my character.

Initial Mood/Inspiration Board - 08/04/25

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-08 16:14:10 UTC

To organise my ideas and work so far, I decided to create a mood board to display my process and help me develop a clearer idea and vision. This was an important part of my process, to collect my individual pieces of work and ideas, allowing me to progress in my creative process and complete an initial design, following my individual timeline. This board included images I have found through my research into the original fairytale 'The Snow Queen' and different techniques as well as a wider range of inspiration I have found that I would like to take aspects from for my own design. From this I will continue my plan to create a face chart displaying my my initial design for the look, that may be altered and improved on to develop my makeup before producing a finalised face chart by week 9. Moving into the next few weeks, I will then begin researching and looking for further inspiration into costume and hair based around my makeup design to create a more finalised and complete character that I aim to continuously improve and develop leading up to competition day.

Frostbite Practice - 09/04/25

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-09 12:47:56 UTC

With the knowledge I have gathered through research of frostbite and techniques used to replicate this injury, I have moved onto practising this element of my design today. As this is new to me I closely followed the process shown in the tutorial by 'Cris Alex' to help me learn and develop this skill. I found starting with red colour on the high points and tips of the finger helped me create a more realistic effect as it still showed through the white I applied after making the hand appear irritated. I then began to darken the areas I first coloured with red with a mixture of blue, purple and small amount of black. For my application, I primarily used a mixture of small fluffy blushes and sponges to make the colour appear blotchy as described in the tutorials, which I found more realistic as the skin appeared irritated and damaged, in comparison to how flat brushed would've created a more solid colouring that would more obviously show that it was created with makeup. After colouring the fingertips black, as my research showed they are usually the are most severely affected by frostbite, I then applied small amounts of latex in random shapes again attempting to stick to the areas that my research and reference images showed to be most affected by the injury. After drying with the hair dryer, I worked through each piece of latex, experimenting with my colouring to find what had the best effect, as I found this wasn't explained in as much detail in the tutorial, therefore I returned to the research I originally completed on frostbite and it's progression to Gangrenous necrosis, to create realistic colouring. Repeating the process I had over the rest of the hand, I first freckled red over the top of the latex before then adding blue to darken the piece, and using a mixture of purple and white on sponges to make the latex match the rest of the makeup. Then going under the latex where I had peeled it up, I applied black in solid colour to create contrast and depth that made the latex look more realistic as if the skin was actually lifting and transitioning it into the rest of the makeup by freckling blue outward away from the latex. Throughout the process, I also found repeatedly going back over my makeup with a small amount of white on my sponge, helped avoid my colours blending too much and removing the blotchy effect I created in the beginning as well as keeping the pale colour of the skin. Once I was happy with my work, once again as suggested in the tutorial, I applied small amounts of white highlight primarily to the pale and less injured areas of the hand, to further develop the effect, as well as removing the matte look makeup creates on the skin, again working to create realism in my injury. I was happy with the end result of this practice, I am confident in the effect it created and how it matched my vision for this character, feedback from my peers further reassured that the look was overall realistic and well applied. To help me with my development, I also requested feedback from my tutor, who was also happy with the end result, but suggested creating larger areas of latex that would show more clearly from a distance and further improve the effect created with this product. Moving on from this practice, I am confident I want to include this in my final makeup and add this injury to my design, as well as now beginning to look into a nail design to work cohesively with this makeup. My ideas and aim with nails so far, is to add a more glamorous aspect to tie in with the beauty/editorial aspect included on the face, however I need to further think about how to achieve this, without taking away from the realistic injury on the rest of the hands.

My Timeline

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-09 13:40:51 UTC

Progressing from the timeline we created collectively, I also made a personal to help me organise my time over the next few weeks, so that I can complete all the requirement of the brief and plan my time well to help my progression towards meeting my goals for this project.

Week 1:

Group tasks-

Deciding a theme
Breaking down the brief
Creating a timeline

Individual tasks-

Initial ideas
Breaking down the theme
Create Padlet board and Bio

Week 2:

Group tasks-

Tuesday meeting
Harvard Referencing session
Deciding a title
Body painting session

Individual tasks-

Begin research into character
Develop initial ideas

Week 3:

Group tasks-

Tuesday meeting

Individual tasks-

Research into techniques
Character research
Competition

Week 4:

Group tasks-

Tuesday meeting
Feedback on design ideas

Individual tasks-

Techniques research
Practice techniques
Mood/Inspiration board
Initial Design

Week 5:

Group tasks-

Health and Safety paperwork
Continue communication on Teams

Individual tasks-

Practice techniques
Makeup Artist Research
Develop on Initial Design

Week 6:

Group tasks-

Health and Safety paperwork
Continue communication on Teams

Individual tasks-

Finalise ideas
Create Mood Board
Hair-Research, design, practice
Continued research and practice

Week 7:

Group tasks-

Tuesday meeting

Individual tasks-

Completed Mood Board
Practice complete makeup

Week 8:

Group tasks-

Tuesday meeting

Individual-

Finalised costume, nails and hair
Secure model

Week 9:

Group tasks-

Tuesday meeting
Model care
Competition- Thursday June 5th

Individual tasks-

Finalised design and makeup

Week 10:

Individual tasks-

Finish all work
Evaluate makeup

Hair Practice - 09/04/25

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-09 14:39:34 UTC

To begin thinking about hairstyles and design to elevate my makeup and final character, I took the opportunity to learn a fishtail braid when Neve offered to teach the group this morning. This was helpful to begin practising and advancing my skills in hair, an area I am not as familiar with. I liked the final look of this plait, although in it's most simplest form I may not use in my design as I don't feel it would fit my vision for the character so far. However, advancing on this skill I may experiment with attempting this on a smaller section of hair to further develop and add detail into the hair. Moving on from this practice, I have now began thinking about hairstyles and beginning to develop and idea and design to further progress in making a completed character for my project. This also showed me the importance of learning from my peers, and sharing skills so that we can collectively widen our range of abilities, that can be included in our final makeup to improve and develop on our own knowledge and ideas.

Snowflake - Research

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-10 10:58:54 UTC

After creating my initial design for the face, this helped me progress into thinking about body painting following our session in the second week. As in my makeup I have included a graphic liner feature, creating simple snowflakes leading from the eye out, to make the rest of the body work cohesively with the face makeup I thought about painting larger and more realistic/detailed snowflakes down the arms and legs depending on my costume. To help me in making a realistic design, I read from the official Met Office website (2018)where i found that snowflakes begin as ice crystals formed when water freezes in the sky that continue to collect water molecules as it falls through the air, creating a snowflake. To learn more about the patterns and shapes snowflakes form in I continues my research learning that 'All snowflakes contain six sides or points owing to the way in which they form' because 'the molecules in ice crystals join to one another in hexagonal structure' (Met Office, 2018). The Met Office (2018) also states that a general rule that every snowflake is completely unique as there is essentially an infinite variation of formations reliant on the conditions it falls in. However they can be broadly categorised into groups depending on the type of condition there are formed in which are: Dendrite Snowflake, Thin Plate and Sector Plate. The most commonly recognisable, and the one I would want to replicate for my character being the Dendrite Snowflake. Met Office (2018) states that 'the name means 'tree-like' recognising their branching structure' and are formed in low temperatures 'where the atmosphere contains abundant moisture to allow the snowflake to form intricate patterns.' Snowflakes are also clear in colour as the ice that they are made from is completely translucent, meaning they reflect the colours that surround them, something I would have to consider when painting them on the skin as to how the skin tone underneath would affect the colour they appears as. With this knowledge as well as my skills and practice in body painting do far I will practice creating a Dendrite Snowflake replicating a realistic structure and colouring depending on the complexion and shapes of the structure. Continuing my progression with this aspect of the design, this knowledge helped me think more about the patterns in snowflake and if this could potentially be used in other ways to elevate my design, something I will have to put further work into and potentially asks for opinions and feedback from my peers and tutor to develop this idea.

Initial Design

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-10 11:11:52 UTC

With the knowledge and ideas I have gathered so far through research, practice and inspiration, to continue on from the mood board I created earlier this week I created an initial design, focusing on makeup for the face to display my vision for this project as of right now. I used my knowledge of other Snow Queen characters, techniques I have researched as well as my own skills and interests to create a detailed face chart, showing my work so far and how I will progressed to create a more finalised design and completed look. This design will most likely be altered and improved as I continue to practice and push my abilities as well as further research into techniques and makeup artists suitable to help me develop my skills. However, this is helpful at the moment to help my progression, by providing a clear vision of my ideas at the moment, so that I can more efficiently plan my design and work on areas I would like to practice or improve using the resources available to me (workshops with my tutor, makeup books, etc)

Snowflake Body Painting Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-10 14:52:30 UTC

Continuing from my research and previous practice of body painting I completed a realistic snowflake paint using water activated paints and eyeshadow. I started with a base foundation to lighten my skin tone, as I will for the entire body in my final makeup, so that I was working on the same base as I will be on the competition day. This is also gave me an insight into the shade I will use and how body painting will work on top of the product already applied. For this I mixed a white greasepaint with a small amount of pale foundation to still create a natural skin tone unlike previous makeup where I have made a completely white base. As I did in our previous body painting session I marked out the shape with a white kohl eyeliner before following my markings with more precision in water paint. To create depth and shade to match my aim of realism I then followed around the shape with a light brown shadow. This was inspired by a body paint design I found in the book 'Creative Makeup' (2022, p.90) creating a realistic necklace across the chest where they explain in Step 15 how they used a light brown shade to add shadow to the otherwise flat shape. I found applying the water paint first made this step easier as the two formulas do not mix together as much as eye shadow and kohl eyeliner would have. I then went back with my water paint to ensure the shape was sharp and neat before adding smaller lines leading from the branches to match the intricate design of real snowflakes. Furthering this detail, in my last step I used a cotton bud with water to remove product from the centre of each end point and then a rounded brush with a small amount of water paint to create a blend into the centre allowing some of the skin tone to show through, with my knowledge from research that the ice that creates snowflakes is translucent in colour. I was happy with the end result, developing my knowledge of body painting to create a makeup that can be used in my final makeup to improve my whole character look. In my makeup, I have decided from this to create larger snowflakes on bigger areas of the body, which will allow me to add more detail easier as individual section of the snowflake will have a larger area to work on. This has helped me further progress in my design work as I begin to think about how I will create a whole look, that works cohesively with the main focus (the face). During this process, I also put further thought into using snowflake patterns. From this I found a makeup created by the artist 'Rachel Wood' in the book 'Make-up Is Art', using snowflake stencils across the face.

Design Progress - Body Painting

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-10 15:00:16 UTC

During the process of creating a snowflake using body painting techniques, I also put further thought into using snowflake patterns. From this I found a makeup created by the artist 'Rachel Wood' in the book 'Make-up Is Art', using snowflake stencils across the face. 'Here stencils were used to create an image of a girl trapped in a snow globe' (Make-up Is Art, 2013, p.185). The book also states the shapes were created using white hairspray and Duo lash glue to then cover with white glitter. Although I would not use this on the face as done in this particular makeup look, this may be something that would be effective across the rest of the body, to work cohesively with both the snowflakes on the face and the detailed ones I have already practiced, once again helping me develop and create a more completed character look. I also like the idea of adding glitter, to bring another texture and skill into my design, showing a larger range of techniques as well as adding depth to my look. Moving on from this, I will practice creating my own stencil and experimenting with placement on the body to see if this would be an effective detail to add to my design.

Context - Glow-Up Competition

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-10 15:24:18 UTC

Within the brief, it stated our makeup will be completed with the intent of fitting a competition and theme (decided democratically within out team) similar to the TV show 'Glow-Up'. Where contestants each week fight to remain in the competition by completing a creative make-up look based of a theme decided by the producers and judges Val Garland and and Dominic Skinner, two popular professional makeup artists. Glow-Up is a TV show created by the BBC and described by Netflix(2019) as competition show where 'aspiring makeup artists navigate colourful challenges to win a career-making opportunity in the beauty industry. As of right now (April 2025) season 7 has just begun with 10 new makeup-artists working to show their abilities, skills and gain experience as the show provides opportunities to work on fashion shows, TV productions and theatre, all of which I am working to gain skills and experience in on this course. Watching this show, helps provide information on what is wanted from a makeup artist in the industry, judges Val Garland and Dominic Skinner, are constantly looking for both practical and personal skills we have so far been shown the importance of. Knowledge of this show will help me in this project as it further shows, the skills and techniques necessary and what will be judged in my final makeup to create the best end product I can. Progressing in my work to fit the brief, I aim to show knowledge of all areas of the industry, inspiration and information on current trends along with unique ideas as well as a clear portrayal of my technical skills in makeup and professionalism in my personal skills working collaboratively with my team and model.

Makeup Artist Research- Val Garland

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-23 14:42:59 UTC

Val Garland is a London-based makeup artist who begun her career as a hair stylist in Sydney, Australia before moving back to London in 1994 beginning her career as a professional makeup artist, working on a range of catwalks and commercial shoots in Fashion and photography makeup. Her impressive career eventually led her to begin judging the TV show Glow-Up with co-worker and friend Dominic Skinner when it began in 2019. Learning more about her career, I aim to gain a better insight on professional artists and what I am looking to aim for when competing in our own version of the TV competition. Her impressive portfolio includes working with big celebrities such as Kate Moss and Lady Gaga, popular fashion magazines such as 'Vogue and 'Dazed', as well as other big names in the industry such as Alexander Mcqueen and Björk. In 2004 she was also named Pantene Pro-V's Makeup Artist of the Year, followed by becoming the first Global Makeup Director for the popular makeup brands L'Oréal Paris in 2017. Office magazine (2018) describes her speciality as 'outlandish, creating alien creatures for the likes of (Lee) Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, and transforming Lady Gaga for her famous horned “Born This Way” look.' I was intrigued by her style as throughout her career she has repeatedly created unique and imaginative makeup, when speaking to Office magazine (2018) she states that her inspiration can come from anywhere or anything she sees that she can find something inspiring in.

I think my brain is like a sponge. I just sort of lap up stuff to think about later. It could be anything, anywhere, things I see, I hear and feel. I could be in the potting shed in the garden rummaging through flower cuttings or equally inspired standing in front of a Ryan Hewett painting. It’s all about music and art, or indeed the very concept of our natural world. -Val Garland to Office Magazine (2018)

As previously stated, Val originally began in hair dressing in Australia, her transition was quite unique as it came when a makeup artist didn't show up for a shoot one day, where she stood in with only what she herself wore for makeup at the time. After this occasion Val, with the contacts she had built specifically with the photographer from this shoot, she would be asked back whenever they would book a shoot. This further shows what I have already learnt about the industry, the importance of building contacts, and being prepared for whatever may happen and working under pressure when opportunity rises. Talking to the BBC (2024) Val talks about how growing up and beginning her career in the 80s also brought a lot of inspiration for Val from the club scene, the creative characteristic looks created for clubbing events and the trends of the time.

“I wasn't interested in being beautiful. I wanted to be noticed. Wearing frosted white powder with jet black holes and a stonking red lip, that would be my look.”- Val Garland to the BBC (2024)

Her knowledge of current and old trends and how she pulls information from different places, further shows me the importance of having a range of knowledge on trends, time periods and the current economy. This is further highlighted when she talks about her experience working with Lady Gaga who she says reminded her of her friends in the 80s, when they began talking about that time. Whilst discussing ideas for the makeup for the 'Born this way' shoot Val described a look of hers from the 80s that she made entirely of meat, inspiring the iconic meat dress worn by Lady Gaga to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

Val Garland is a great example of someone who took every opportunity given to her, built contacts and pushed herself and her creativity to create a name for herself in the makeup industry. Her range of abilities and unique looks, created from her imagination and range of inspiration built over years in the creative industry has made her an influential name in thew beauty industry and a big inspiration for me and others.

Makeup Artist Research- Dominic Skinner

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-23 15:27:52 UTC

Dominic Skinner is and English Makeup Artist with over 25 years of experience in the industry, he has built an impressive portfolio working with a range of photographers, designers, artists, celebrities,etc to create looks for magazine, beauty campaigns, west end shows such as Tina and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and runways for huge names in fashion such as Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gautier. His work has also led him to the title of Director of Makeup Artistry for the popular beauty brand MAC Cosmetics, as well as being the other half of the judging duo for BBC's Glow-Up with Val Garland, who I previously looked into. Before transitioning into the makeup industry Dominic always had an interest and love for art, beginning with art school where he started his career as a photographer. Talking to MAC Cosmetics about his career he says as a photographer he was always obsessed 'with the idea of makeup as an addition to the image rather than something separate.' and found the leap from art to makeup easy, as he saw a lot of similarities in the two.

I found the leap from art to makeup very easy. It seemed very obvious: colour theory, application, tools - there was no issue.-Dominic Skinner to MAC Cosmetics

I was intrigued by how Dominic converted his knowledge and experience in art to help his transition into makeup. In a similar way Val and other professional makeup artists use previous life experiences knowledge and trends to help them create unique and inspirational makeup talent. Talking to MAC Cosmetics Dominic shares his artistic knowledge as a painter in his earlier years, and the importance of texture to create depth in his artwork. Something he took into his career in makeup.

For me there is nothing more dull than a matte face, there’s nothing of interest there. Whereas slip on a bit of gloss - on the eyes, the lips, wherever - and suddenly it’s really interesting. It’s alive. Something to catch the eye, make you stop, stare and think about.-Dominic Skinner to MAC Cosmetics

I found this an interesting thought, when designing my own makeup for this competition, and developing my ideas to include a range of textures that could help improve my makeup and create a more interesting and completed character. Sharing experiences as a child, Dominic also shares a clear interest in makeup from a young age, describing watching Bladerunner in his youth being the first time he saw makeup as a creative form.

Watching Daryl Hannah spray the black paint across her eyes was the first time I saw not just makeup but makeup as a creative form.-Dominic Skinner to MAC Cosmetics

Talking to the BBC (2024) Dominic describes his journey into working his first fashion week. Showing his determination, as he began by knocking on agent's doors every season attempting to get an opportunity, he talks about how the first time he did so he found everything was organised months in advance, so instead of giving up he went back months before the next season and did the same thing again before he got a job. On the day of his first show he talks about how he had to travel at 4am to make it, with little experience and a less than adequate kit, but with constant determination and perseverance to take opportunities and push his way into the industry he slowly learnt and improved his skills to reach the level he is at now.

So then you learn and next time you bring the right kit, do the right make-up. It’s a learning process, until eventually you find yourself backstage in Milan talking to Jeremy Scott because he’s lost a model that’s covered in green body paint.-~Dominic Skinner talking to BBC (2024)

Dominic's perseverance is inspiring to me as it shows his set backs and how he overcame these to continue gaining experiences and skills whilst establishing himself as a professional Makeup Artists, showing the importance of determination and constant development in knowledge and skills to reach and influential level in the makeup industry.

His ongoing search for makeup knowledge and strive for perfection has lead him to become one of the most sort after Makeup Artists full to the brim with tips, tricks, hacks, inspiration and a go-to for creative thinking. With a fine balance of a fashion eye application with a character lead mindset in every look he does, Dominic’s unique approach creates a world that is believable, recognisable but at the same time aspirational, pushing the classic and sometimes everyday to the editorial edge.-Dominic's personal website Dominicmua(2024)

Eye Makeup Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-29 09:35:02 UTC

Moving on from my initial design, I first practiced the eye aspect of this face chart. Something I am already familiar and confident in doing, with the aim of figuring out the process and steps and what would need improvement to develop the technical skills and aesthetic of the makeup. I started by adding a paler foundation around the eye top create a base matching what I want for my final makeup, as well as creating a base for the eye makeup. Beginning with the eyebrow, I placed a grey greasepaint to mark out the shape in a more exaggerated arch similar to drag makeup, before setting the product with a matte, grey eyeshadow, and going over this with a liquid silver glitter to create the silver brow. I was unhappy with the end result of this, as I found my natural brow took away from the effect of the silver, which would be a bigger problem on my model with a full natural brow. To prevent this I will in the next week practice techniques to block the brow, and give this aspect of the design further practice to create a better application. I will also think about and experiment with different products to create the silver colour and texture as this didn't show up in certain lights.

For the eyeshadow I started by placing a bright blue eyeshadow just under the super orbital, for an exaggerated shape aiming to make the eye appear larger. To transition this into the skin ton I blended up wards with a pale blue, and then placing a small amount of dark blue shadow where I originally placed the first eyeshadow to add further depth and create a more gradual blend of light to dark. I then carved underneath this shape with a white greasepaint on a small flat brush to create the sharp line shown in my design. On a small thin brush I then applied a dark blue water-activated eyeliner, following the bottom lash line up until it met the eyeshadow, and bringing it back towards the centre of the eye and extended the inner corner following the top lash line down. I also connected it to the bottom lash line for a more cohesive and complete look, by blending dark blue eyeshadow across the lash line on a small dense brush. Using a similar technique, I repeated the eyeliner with a lighter blue greasepaint across the top of the darker shade, and setting with an eyeshadow of the same colour to avoid it transferring across the rest of the eye makeup. From this practice, I now know to get a cleaner shape more efficiently I should have applied the lighter shade first and then the darker blue as the eyeliner was easier and more precise. Before moving onto the under eye, I also set the white greasepaint with a white shimmer to add a different texture to the look, and take away from the matte affect across the rest of the eye. Using a small angular brush, I then followed the shape created across the eyelid and eyeliner under the eye in the middle blue shade and blended this downward with the paler shadow. Again to ensure I keep sharp and neat lines I went between the two lines with white greasepaint, again setting with a white shadow to avoid transfer. With a clean angular brush I then created small lines in dark blue eyeshadow angled outwards, replicating the effect of eyelashes in further enlarging the eye. Using a white eyeliner on a small thin brush for precision, I added a small snowflake in the eye makeup, using my previous research and more detailed practice of snowflakes for accuracy, and then adding small white dots randomly around the eye, however once I have purchased them I will experiment with replacing some of these with gems, before deciding which is more effective/ I prefer. I then finished the eye with black mascara on the top and bottom eyelashes, and a larger false eyelash on the top to separate and depth through the use of black and make the eye stand out against the eccentric eye makeup. I am happy with the techniques I have shown in this eye makeup and the end result, that matches the design shown in my initial face chart. I think it could be improved with more practice, experimenting with the use of different products or orders in my process to further develop the end result. Moving on from this practice, I will continue to improve and practice this eye along with the rest of my design, to continue my development working towards the final makeup for the competition. This has helped me become more confident in this aspect of my design, as well as helping me continue to plan my progression to develop this, my next s5tep will be to research and practice brow blocking techniques before moving onto a complete practice of my design, as planned in my timetable to allow me time to continue my development of the entire look to reach the best end product I am capable of for the competition.

Research of Historical Royal Hair

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-30 09:39:00 UTC

As my character is meant to be a Queen, when beginning to look at hair and costume ideas I want to be able to portray this aspect, specifically as the use of makeup mainly focuses on the them of ice, snow, etc. To begin I looked into the Victorian Era, based off my knowledge of 'The Snow Queen' By Hans Christian Anderson, which was originally published in 1844, during Victorian times that has so far inspired my makeup and character. Beginning this century the aim of hair was to create a very feminine look suggested a rounded or oval face shape, long hair was also found desirable so women would not usually cut their hair Gothic Horror (2015). As stated by the website Victorian Era (n.d.) this era favoured a range of up-dos and hairstyles far more simpler than times before. However, ringlets and large curls remained popular along with the innovation of crimping hair using hot irons. This time period also saw the beginning of women leaving there hair down usually at the back of their head.

It created a pretty picture and the naturalness that came with it was very desirable. - Victorian Era (n.d.)

I also found it was common to add adornments such as flowers, jewels and ribbons, something that I think would be effective in my own design to accessorise and detail to the design as well as further portraying the aspect of royalty with jewels that are commonly used to show wealth. The Chertsey Museum (2019) further describes Queen Victoria influence in hair, inspiring what is known as the 'Apollo loop' in the beginning of the Victorian era described as 'a plain or coiled plait of false hair was attached onto wires to create eye-catching loops worn vertically on top of the head.' However, as this era progressed as previously stated hairstyles became more simple and neat.

'Hairstyles eventually became more natural and demure with hair parted in the middle, drawn into a bun or coil with curls allowed to fall loosely at the sides of the head.' - Chertsey Museum (2019)

Eventually moving from tight ringlets to looser waves with the introduction of the 'Marcel wave' following from Marcel Grateau’s invention of the curling iron in the late 19th century.

Overall, this research was helpful to begin working towards a hair design that incorporates a royal look and knowledge of period hair styling whilst still referencing current trends and my ideas so far, fitting with the aesthetic and range of inspiration for my character. Moving on from this, I will further research into techniques to create this hairstyle and begin practice to find a look suitable for my final character design.

Hair Techniques

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-30 11:30:56 UTC

With inspiration from my research of Victorian Hairstyles as well as more current and popular hairstyles, I have decided as a first practice with hair, my aim is to create a braided bun with the top half of the hair inspired by Queen Victoria's 'Apollo loops' and tight ringlet curls across the rest of the hair, popular throughout the Victorian Era. Before moving onto practice this design, I completed further research to ensure I knew what I was confident in the techniques needed to do this. To create ringlet curls I now know I should use a thin curling wand on small sections of hair to create the tight curl I am aiming for. Along with this I found a tutorial from Princess Hairstyles (2015) on YouTube detailing the steps to create a braided bun, this was helpful as it shows the type of bun I aiming to create myself, however I will need to alter this technique slightly as I am only working with the top half of the hair, therefore a smaller amount of hair. Moving on from this I am now confident enough to continue onto practice these techniques, allowing me to see the final result I am imagining and know whether this fits the aesthetic of my character and makeup or what may need to be altered and developed for my final look.

Braided Bun Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-30 15:21:26 UTC

With the knowledge and ideas I gained from my research of Victorian Hair and different techniques I completed a practice of my vision for the hair so far. Beginning with the bun, I sectioned the hair in half, before following the steps shown in the tutorial, sectioning the hair further into 3 parts and plaiting each individually before loosely plaiting the free together and using Bobby pins to position it. However, once I had completed this I realised the bun was not sitting high enough on the head, therefore it didn't add any height and couldn't be seen from the front. To solve this problem I started again ensuring once I had sectioned of the part of the hair I was using it was placed as high on the head as possible, creating a better result. Although, my placement was better, and I am confident in the technique I am still unhappy with the end product, my model has layered and shorter hair on the top of her head, resulting in a smaller bun than I envisioned. However with further communication with my tutor, I am now aware for the fuller bun I am aiming for I would have to use a hair piece and alter the technique I have used in this practice. This is something I will have to put further consideration into and another practice to improve my original design and technique before designing whether this would be an effective hairstyle for my final makeup.

Ringlet Curl Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-04-30 15:28:42 UTC

Once working with the top section of hair to create a braided bun, I moved onto the rest of the head aiming to create tight ringlet curls. With my knowledge and further help from my tutor, I used a thin curling wand, sectioning the hair in straight lines and curling very small sections from the end of the hair to the root each time and hairspraying immediately after. However, after completing the bottom section of hair I realised I wasn't achieving the curl I want, it was a lot looser and I struggled to get the curl all the way to the root. Once again discussing with my tutor, for advice on how to improve my technique, we gathered that the curling wand may be part of the problem, as it was not hot enough nor fit for the purpose. With further discussion with my peers, Amelia offered to bring her own curling wand for me to complete another practice which may give me a tighter curl closer to what I have envisioned for this design. This is something I will practice again to see if I can solve the problem with a different piece of equipment before determining if I want to alter or completely change my hair design for a style I am more confident in or can work to complete to a higher standard.

Eyebrow Blocking Technique Research

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-07 10:00:42 UTC

After my first practice of the eye makeup shown in my initial design, I am now aware that I will need to block the eyebrow in order to complete my design effectively. Similar to drag makeup techniques, I am aiming to create a more lifted exaggerated brow shape in an unnatural colour, which I cant execute well on top of a natural brow. Advancing on my knowledge from our drag practice a few months ago, I first found a step by step tutorial using spirit gum in 'The Makeup Artists Handbook' (2012 p.122):

Apply the spirit gum, brushing into the brows to lay flat and smooth against the skin.
Using a soft cloth or powder puff wrapped in nylon, gently press and roll the brows until the adhesive looks matte. (Leather shammies or nylon or silk fabric works best with spirit gum, because they do not stick to the adhesive.
When the adhesive is dry, apply a sealer over the top of it.
Apply foundation, choosing one that fits the character's skin tone, with full coverage and staying powder.

This was helpful to refresh my memory on a technique I have previously used, as well as giving me further tips and detail on how to apply and create an effective look with this product. This is a technique I will practice to determine the suitability of this product and effectiveness of the end result for my final makeup. This book also included information on the eyebrow blocking technique but using wax instead of spirit gum, as well as how the two techniques can be combined. However, with further research to expand on the knowledge I gained from this book I found a more detailed tutorial within the textbook Theatrical, Special Effect and Media Makeup Artistry (2021 p.304-5).

Step 1 - Clean the eyebrow area.
Step 2 - Comb the natural eyebrows upwards.
Step 3 - Warm and soften a small; amount of eyebrow wax in the palm of your hand.
Step 4 - Apply the wax over the eyebrow area with the flat end of a metal tool, keeping the wax as thin as possible.
Step 5 - Use a small amount of petroleum jelly to smooth the are and prevent cracking.
Step 6 - Apply a sealer over the area and wait until it is completely dry.
Step 7 - Apply a small amount of pink base to just the darkened eyebrow area. This will neutralise any darkness of the natural hairs. This may not be necessary on light-coloured eyebrows.
Step 8 - Apply a light dusting of powder.
Step 9 - ~Apply cream makeup to match the skin tone and powder to finish.

This step by step was particularly, helpful as it explained the technique in more detail, along with picture descriptions to further help me understand the technique and be able to follow along with the instructions provided. With this further detail I also think there is steps and advice I can carry across to my practice with spirit gum. Such as; combing the brow upwards; using pink to cancel out the darkness of the brow; covering with cream products to avoid disturbing the products previously applied. As i mention earlier The Makeup Artist Handbook (2012 p. 122) also describes how both products can be used together, which may be more effective in practice. First applying spirit gum and combing the hairs flat and following with the same application of wax and finishing with sealer and foundation.

Moving on from this research I now feel more confident and prepared in practicing this technique using both spirit gum and wax, to compare the effect of both products and if either is suitable for my design. Following on from this, if I am unhappy with the effect of each product individually, I now also have the knowledge to practice creating this techniques using the two products combined, as a further development in my practice with this technique.

Eyebrow Block - First Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-08 11:17:58 UTC

When discussing my plans and previous research into this technique, she suggested using both spirit gum and wax together instead of testing both individually for a more effective cover. Following her advice, I started with a clean eyebrow and used a metal spatula to apply spirit gum starting at the start of the eyebrow and pushing the hairs upwards to get them as flat to the face as possible. Applying more pressure than I had previously for our drag makeup, whilst still ensuring my model was comfortable, made the product work more efficiently and flatten the brows better, which also created a better base for the wax. With the wax, I warmed it in my hand to make it easier to work with before flattening the shape to thin the product, and cover the eyebrow shape better. As I know from my previous work with this product, to make the wax blend better I then used the clean side of my spatula with a small amount of petroleum jelly to blend the edges into the skin. As suggested by my research I used a small amount of sealer over the top to try and prevent cracking or separation in both products and allowed this to dry before applying makeup over the top. Using a pink wax concealer on a small flat brush, I completed covered the area before blending the edges and applying a cream foundation in a shade matching what I had described on my face chart. When reflecting on the end result, I was unhappy with this as the brow was not covered well and both the wax and brow colour was visible through the makeup. I was happy with the application and effect of the spirit gum, however from the final product i think I applied the wax too thick as it stood pout visibly from the face. As this was my first time working with a sealer, I also think this was applied too thin as from my research I know the aim of this product is too avoid any movement or separation when makeup is applied over it, something that was a problem for me moving onto the concealer. My colour correction also needs improvement to better cover the natural eyebrow colour showing through, I think I needed a slightly more pink colour, less like the skin tone, as well as powdering between this product and the foundation to avoid them mixing. Overall, although this practice was unsuccessful I think I learnt a lot about the products I am using, how to work with them as well as being able to notice the problems in my application from the information I gathered from research and feedback from my tutor. Moving on from this, I will complete another practice correcting the problems in my technique on this eyebrow cover.

Eyebrow Block - Second Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-08 11:33:23 UTC

Continuing on from my first attempt, I tried again to correct my issues and hopefully cover the eyebrow more effectively with the knowledge and experience I gained from my previous attempt at this technique. Repeating the same technique with spirit gum, as this I was already confident in, as it flattened the hairs well and created a smoother base for my wax. This time I further flattened the wax, using a slightly smaller amount as well as less petroleum jelly. Applying in the same way, I believe this was more effective in creating a more natural cover, as the wax being smaller and thinner meant it remained more flat to the skin. I applied more sealer, ensuring I coated the entire brow and allowed plenty of time to make sure it was completely dried, and made sure i checked before applying anymore product. Using the same pink wax concealer but also adding a very small amount of a brighter pink greasepaint I again covered the brow, powdered this product and applied foundation once again. However, this once again did not have the desired effect, therefore I turned to my tutor for further feedback and knowledge. As I was confident in my application and use of spirit gum, she used the other brow to demonstrate a more effective application of wax. From this I learnt that I should be avoided greasy products as this was disturbing the product causing the separation and movement when applying more over the top. Instead, in further practice I should put more practice in my application and techniques with wax to blend without the use of petroleum jelly, which may also be disturbing the spirit gum beneath causing the brow to lift. Once the wax is applied and blended she also suggested using Fixative A to seal the product more effectively. When colouring she once again reirritated the importance of avoiding greasy products, so in order to use the wax concealer, which is the correct colour to cancel out the darkness off the brow, she suggested mixing this with a setting powder to remove some of the grease from the product. She also suggested using a bigger applicator, like a sponge instead of the brush to avoid disturbing the product beneath. This was really helpful, to give me further advice continuing on from what I have learnt in my research to learn m9ore about the products I am using and how to apply them for an effective brow cover. Moving on from this, I will practice this technique again to hopefully further improve my technique, however if this does not work well for me I may have to potentially discuss changing the product I am using and attempting a different technique so that I can cover the brow completely in order to complete the details shown in my design.

Base Makeup Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-08 12:32:11 UTC

Following my intial design, I next practiced the base makeup, to see if it would work how I envisioned and be an effective element in my design, as well as being prepared in how I would want to apply it for our competition. To begin I mixed a pale foundation shade with a white greasepaint to create a full coverage and pale skin tone. Applying this, all over the face and buffing it in with a large fluffy brush to removes any brush strokes and make it look more realistic and natural. I then contoured with a mix of blue and wh8ite greasepaint that I knew from previous work would blend well with the base without being too harsh, I follo9wed the natural contours of the face, following the cheekbones down towards the jaw aiming to make the face look more hollowed, something I noticed in my research of other characters, as most have strong bone structures and are portrayed in movies mainly as the antagonist. For the smaller section of the face I aimed to make a frozen effect, working cohesively with the frostbite on the hands. I started with a white greasepaint mixed with a small amount of blue to create more contrast and difference from the rest of the face. Following my research and techniques used for frostbite, I used a small fluffy brush and the dark blue from bruise wheel freckling colour around the edges of this section, becoming more sparse as I moved towards the centre, as well as adding more to the depths of the face (e.g. eye socket and under eyes). I repeated this process with the purple and red shade as well as a black greasepaint on other fluffy brushes of different sizes depending on how sparse or confined I wanted the colouring to be. For example, I wanted less of the red colouring, therefore using a larger fluffy brush that would create less and more spread out freckled colour. I found using the black greasepaint, between other shades however had smudges the colours together slightly, to fix this problem I finished with a small amount of black again to bring back the colour and depth. Although I think my application and product choice was correct and work well for the effect I aiming for, looking back ith input from my tutor and my own personal reflection I personally think this does not create the same look I am envisioning. I think the base for the 'glam' part of the face is too pale which takes away the contrast between this and the 'frozen' section. The blue contour also felt too overwhelming which also takes away from the effectiveness of the other section as well as counteracting the glam aspect I am aiming for. Moving on from this I will aim to develop my base experimenting with a more realistic pale shade for the foundation as well as trying a cool toned contour blush that will still work cohesively with the blue shades throughout my look but create a more realistic 'glam' look. Looking at the end result of the frozen section I also found this too be too overwhelming and not as realistic as the frostbitten effect I created on the hands. To solve this problem and improve this section of my makeup I will revisit my work on frostbite to better replicate the effect on the face, so that it works cohesively and keeps an element of realism within my character work. Overall, this practice was helpful to create a clearer vision of my final makeup, as well as helping me pick out areas that need further development to execute my vision and design to the best of my abilities. After this practice, I have also ordered the snow paste and ice gel I found through my research of frozen makeup techniques, as I am now confident in sticking to this idea and character, therefore these products are vital to execute my makeup as I aim to.

Purchasing Accessories

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-13 09:52:14 UTC

As I am yet to secure a model and therefore can't complete a full costume design I began by choosing and ordering accessories to begin my preparation and outfit design. Looking at characters I have previously researched and looks featured on my previous mood board, I was able to notice common themes of gems, fur and and colours of blue and white. When looking for accessories I tried to portray the themes in my makeup reflecting the idea of royalty through heavy amounts of accessories, jewels and gems, and incorporating aspects that portray the other side of my look (ice and snow) with snowflakes (featured in my makeup design) and a fur shawl that I saw repeatedly through my research. For the nails, as discussed previously with my peers and tutors, I had to choose something that reflect my character well, but still works with the frostbite effect I aim to create on the hands. Working around this, I was able to fins long nails as I originally envisioned, that had a gradient colouring from a natural skin tone to white, meani8ng they would still look realistic and work effectively with my makeup design, whilst reflecting a more glamourous aspect in length and colour at the tip. am happy with my purchases and how they reflect my chosen character whilst working cohesively with my ideas and work so far for the makeup. They reflect my previous research into similar characters and ideas featured in my mood board, whilst still fitting my unique vision instead of replicating previous characters and designs from other artists. Moving on , I am more prepared to choose a costume that works with the makeup and accessories once I have sceured my model, making this decision easier, with further research and ideas forming from these purchases and continued makeup practice.

Budget

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-13 11:08:08 UTC

Maekup Snow Paste - £9.00

Shipping - £5.99

Accessories (e.g. necklaces, nails, hair clips) - £24.14

Shipping - £3.00

White Liquid Eyeliner - £1.25

(Dress - £13.26

(Shoes - £3.32

Shipping - £3.00

Base makeup practice #2 - 'Fashion' Makeup Section

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-20 09:31:55 UTC

Continuing from my first practice, which I was unhappy with the result of, I attempted the base again altering my colours and techniques to try and improve my design. Although I was happy with my techniques and application, I found the base for the more 'glamorous' side of the makeup, to be too theatrical and didn't match the idea I had envisioned, as well as making it more difficult to create contrast between this and the 'frozen' section. To try and fix this problem, I changed my colour scheme to be ore natural and realistic. Still starting with a paler foundation colour, I changed my proportions when mixing the shade, using more of a natural skin tone and less white. Instead of a coloured contour, I instead used a cool-toned natural shade, that still matched the colour scheme and undertones of the rest of my work whilst creating a more natural makeup suitable for a more fashion and photography style makeup. Unlike my original practice, I also added blush to the high points of the cheek, to work cohesively with my contour placement as I am still aiming to create the illusion of a sharper facial structure and hollowed out features. I mixed a pale pink shade with a red, aiming to create a cool-toned red that would work cohesively with the colours across the rest of the makeup, however this blended to a more peachy warmer shade, something that I may have to rethink when I next practice this look. I finished the base with a small amount of lighter concealer under the eyes, chin and forehead to further lighten the face and further extenuate the illusion of a sharper facial structure. For the lips, following my initial design I used a red lipstick applied to the centre of the lip and blended out wards. i used a small fluffy brush with the remainder of the foundation shade to further create thew ombre. However, like the blush I don't think this colour worked cohesively with the rest of my makeup as had a warmer undertone than I intended. Overall, I think the decision to change to a natural colour scheme was effective in better executing my vision and developing my look to show a wider range of skills incorporating different areas and techniques from the industry. I am happy with my development and changes made from the first practice, to move towards a practice of my full design, where I will also experiment with a more pink and cooler blush and lip shade to match the cool undertones and blue shades used throughout my design.

Eyebrow Block - Third Practice

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-20 12:15:08 UTC

With the advice and feedback from my tutor last week, I once again practised blocking the eyebrow using spirit gum and wax. Again, beginning with a clean eyebrow and apply the spirit gum pushing the brows up to flatten them to the skin. I am already confident in my application of this product, as it is effective in creating a smoother base for the wax to sit on. As suggested by my research, I then used Fixative A as a sealer, with the intention of preventing the spirit gum causing any problems with the application of the wax. I applied the wax thinly across the eyebrow, this time using only my metal spatula without petroleum jelly to avid adding grease to the makeup, and pushing the product outwards to blend smoothly with the natural skin. Once I was happy with my blend, I once again applied a heavy amount of Fixative A to seal the product in place before applying makeup over the top. After allowing the sealer to dry for at least 10 minutes, as suggested by my tutor I mixed a pink cream with setting powder to remove some of the grease as it is a wax product and then covering the brow with a small flat brush and blending the edges with a dense fluffy brush avoiding the actual brow as to not disturb the products beneath. Setting this with powder, to prevent the pink shade mixing I then applied a heavy amount of foundation over the top, once again only blending the edges to keep the eyebrow cover as strong as possible. Overall, I think there is vast improvement between my first two practices and this one, with the help from my tutor and further practice and knowledge of the products i am using. However, it was also suggested during this process that I attempt using a non toxic glue stick, a technique popularised by drag artists, which my peers found was much m,ore effective in completely covering the brow. moving on from this practice, I will also attempt using this product to compare the techniques and end result so that I can choose the most effective one for my final makeup.

Base Makeup Practice #2 - 'Frozen' Makeup Section

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-05-20 13:17:02 UTC

Improving on my first attempt, which I was unhappy with as I found it lacked realism and didn't have the same effect as I managed to achieve with frostbite makeup on the hands I previously worked on. I decided to revisit this makeup practice so that I could better replicate the technique so that the face worked cohesively with the rest of the body and have a more realistic effect. I began by placing the red shade from my bruise wheel, where from my previous research I imagine to be the most affected by this injury; under the eye, in the socket and around the edges of this section. Then applying white greasepaint lightly across the whole section, to create a paler complexion without making it look like makeup/foundation. Then using small fluffy brushed, I freckled both blue and purple shades from my bruise wheel across the face, focused on the more affected areas and more sparsely in larger sections. Between colours and steps I also used white greasepaint on a kitchen sponge, to avoid the colour being too intense, which I found a problem with in my first practice, as well as creating highlight to enhance the frozen effect and make the illusion more realistic and 'skin-like'. This also helped my makeup work more cohesively with the snow paste I then applied, which I found through my previous research from PAM London. Before moving on to this, I also cleaned the edges of this section of with a slightly darker foundation on a flat brush to create a but of shadow and depth, adding to the contrast between sections as detailed in my initial design. As this product was new to me I began by working on my hand, experimenting with different techniques and equipment, starting with a cotton bud (as shown in the video from PAM London) and a range of brushes, however I found it easiest to apply with my spatula, as it helped it stick to the skin better and allowed me to apply the product more precisely. With this technique I applied the product around the edge of this section, as well as adding a small amount to the eyelashes and eyebrows, after using a spoolie to add small amount of white greasepaint to the hair too, making it work more cohesively with the rest of the makeup, as to not take away from the illusion. Overall, I am far happier with the result of this practice, as I think it shows vast improvement after revisiting my research and practice of frostbite in previous weeks, to create a more realistic effect that works a lot more cohesively with the makeup I aim to complete on the hands as well. The addition of snow paste, I found also worked well to develop my makeup, by including a more unique product designed specifically for ice and snow effects, something I would like to use throughout my final design. Moving on from this, I am now a lot more confident in my completed base makeup, including the other side of the face as well, meaning I am more prepared to now complete a practice of my full design, putting all aspects of my makeup and practice so far together. This will help me massively in progressing towards my final product, as I will be able to see my entire concept together, with time to alter and further develop it to produce a final makeup and character to the highest standard I am capable of on competition day.

Final Practice - Base

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 11:59:41 UTC

In final preparation for our competition I completed a full practice of my makeup design, ensuring I was organised with an order in which I would complete my makeup as well as being confident in all aspects of my makeup and how they come together cohesively to accurately portray my vision for this character. Beginning with the base, after marking out the two different sections of the face with a white eyeliner following my design, I stripped back the mixing of the shade, this time just using my palest shade of foundation mixed with white, which created a much nicer and realistic pale shade for the face and body. I followed this with a pale cool toned contour following the same placement as my other practice. Above this I used a pale cool-toned blush instead of my last practice where I experimented with a red, peach toned shade that I found didn't work cohesively with the complexion and colour scheme of the rest of the makeup. I used powder to further create the illusion of a more hollowed out facial structure, using a heavy amount underneath my contour and along each side of the nose. Once I had set the whole face, ensuring the placement and use of cream products wouldn't be disturbed I repeated the contour and blush in the same shades but a powder version to further enhance the effect of the contour and brighten the blush. I found this also helped to make the pale base look more realistic. Overall, I found this base a lot more effective and closer to what I had envisioned when designing my makeup, in comparison to previous practices. This was helpful to further develop my design and improve my makeup, by taking the feedback and personal opinions from my last two practices to create a higher standard of makeup and use of different products and colour schemes to create the desired effect. I now feel more confident with a more clear vision and plan of techniques and products/colours I will use for tomorrows competition.

Final Practice - Eye Makeup

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 12:00:28 UTC

The second area of makeup I then moved my focus to was the eye design. Beginning with a light blue greasepaint just below thew super orbital still following my original plan as I liked the effect of a more exaggerated eye shape to create a larger eye and allowing myself more space for a complex design further portraying my skills and abilities. I blended this upward transitioning into the skin tone before I reached the brow. I added a small amount of greasepaint in a darker shade of the blue and used a smaller fluffy brush to blend this upwards without covering the lighter blue or disturbing the blend I had already created. Once I was happy with my application and blend of this section, I used a small flat brush to carve out this shape and create the illusion of a higher crease, following the natural structure of the eye but raising this line above the socket. Once I was happy with the shape and effect it had created I then heavily covered the rest of the eye lid in white greasepaint before immediately powdering the section, as I found in my first practice where I powdered later on in my application, due to the formula of the greasepaint it began to separate and mix with the other products I then added, creating a less sharp shape and inconveniences for myself with the rest of the application. Improving on my last practice. this time I first created a larger eyeliner shape with light blue greasepaint before the adding the darker blue. Still following the same eyeliner techniques to create a shape that followed and worked with the natural eye shape but bringing it higher into the crease, as with the knowledge from the last practice I was able to envision where the darker shade would be placed to ensure both showed equally to create the same effect with better technique for a sharper and cleaner eyeliner. I also lightly powdered the blue before applying the second line with a dark blue greasepaint to avoid them blending or disturbing each other. I also found using a small angular brush instead of thin eyeliner brushes was easier to create the liner with this product and created a cleaner line more efficiently than my previous technique. I was also able to get closer to the lash line and create the inner corner line more efficiently with this brush to once again improve my technique and cleaner shapes across the eye makeup. Again powdering between each step, to ensure the longevity of my makeup and test the wearability as this makeup will have to last the entire day tomorrow and still maintain the same standard and effect when it comes to judging in the afternoon. Before moving to the underneath of the eye I used a small thin brush with white greasepaint to further clean up any mistakes or imperfection in my makeup so far ensuring the design was completed to the best of my ability. On the same small flat brush I used previously, I applied white greasepaint across the under eye, further helping me ensure the sharpness and shape of my eyeliner to help exaggerate and enlarge the eye. I also found this helped create more of a base for the blend underneath the eye. Once again after powdering my previous step to ensure it was not disturbed by the application of more makeup, I then used a small angular brush with light blue greasepaint following the shape I had already created with the top eyeliner to further enhance the illusion of a larger and new eye shape I was aiming to create with my eye design. I used a small fluffy brush to then transition this into the skin tone, working cohesively with same technique and blend I had created above the eye. With a clean angular brush I then added the lines extending outwards fro the eye in a darker blue, this time without blending them as I found it took away from the other blend and made the lighter blue less vibrant, taking away from the overall effect of my look. Finishing my eye design, I used a liquid eyeliner I purchased for this purpose as I found the products previously used created two thick and inconsistent of a line, when creating the snowflake above the eye. I found this product provided more consistency in the application and was more efficient in creating a clear and precise snowflake in such little space. With the gems I had ow purchased to further develop my design, I used small amounts of lash glue to dot them sparsely around the eye makeup and in the centre of the snowflake without disturbing the products beneath to work cohesively with heavy theme of gems in my accessories. Overall, I think this practice shows a clear development from my first practice of the eye design, using different products of a smaller range so that they all work together without disturbing or creating problems in the application as well as incorporating changes and different textures to improve the overall effect. The use of powder between each steps also made me feel more confident in the longevity of my design as it held better whilst completing the rest of the practice in comparison to the problems I found in my first practice. Removing some of the risks or problems that may have occurred if I stuck to the same products and techniques from my first attempt for the competition and how the makeup would have moved and looked by the end of the day.

Final Practice - Frostbite Section

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 12:55:07 UTC

Finishing this overall practice with the injury section of my design I first redrew the white line to remind myself of the border to keep contrast between the two areas and removing any base makeup that may have travelled over the line. As I was happy with my previous practice of this section I followed the same techniques and application to refresh my memory and make sure I was prepared for tomorrow and could see the entire makeup design together, ensuring it was the same as I had envisioned when applied together. Using my bruise wheel I first applied the red shade across the edges of the section, eye bags and eye socket on a larger fluffy brush as from previous practice of my technique for frostbite I found that the red should be applied most sparsely. Then using a sponge to freckle white greasepaint across the whole section, to create a paler complexion whilst making the skin look damaged. Then on a clean slightly smaller fluffy brush I applied the blue shade from my bruise wheel across the same areas as the red as well as bringing this across the rest of the section lightly with a sponge. Between each step I continuously went back with a small amount of white on a sponge to keep the 'icy' frozen effect as well as avoiding each colour mixing together taking away from the realism and effectiveness of each individual shade and placement. Finally adding a small amount of black greasepaint on a small fluffy brush to the areas I imagine from my research being the most effected/damaged (eye bags, eye socket and sparsely around the edges) before adding a final layer of white, then lightly setting with powder on large brush ensuring I didn't disrupt each layer and finishing with a heavy amount of powder as I found in previous practices of frostbite this created a different texture which added to the effect and realism of the injury. To clean up the shape and create more contrast and depth, I took a cool toned powder contour on a small flat brush to carve around the 'frostbitten' section and blending outwards on the other section of the face. I found this was an effective development in my makeup to make the frostbite stand out and further create contrast between the two sections. Overall this practice was helpful in furthering my confidence on the final day before the competition. Although I was already happy with the frostbite technique and the appearance of the final product, today I was able to see the completed face with each aspect of the design that had been practised separately come together to create the vision I have been working on leading up to competition day and help me feel further prepared with a more organised and structured plan for how I will complete my design tomorrow.

Final Practice - Hair Design

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 13:22:40 UTC

As I was unhappy with my previous hair designs and work, I decided to solve this problem and take pressure of myself for an area and skill set I am less advanced in I changed my plan to a much more simple design that I felt more confident in as well as being able to work around having a section of the hair slicked back to work cohesively with the frostbite injury on the face. For this I decided to create a plaited headband, that would allow me to slick back part of the hair as well as being able to incorporate accessories into it that would make it look more effective as well as matching the rest of my look. Starting by pinning half of the front of my hair back to mark the section that would be slicked back I then took even sections of hair from behind my ears and plaited both to the end. One at a time I took each side across the top of my head and pinned them behind the ear where the pin and elastic would both be hidden. Using rhinestoned snowflake hair clips I had previously purchased with the rest of my accessories I clipped them into the plaits tilted forward so that they were clearly visible from the front at equal distances apart. I found I was much more confident in my abilities to complete this hair design in comparison to my previous one. Overall I think it is still an effective design, particularly with the incorporation of the snowflakes which work cohesively with the use of snowflakes and gems across my whole look. As well as allowing me to clearly show the difference between the frostbitten side of the face being slicked back and the more 'glamorous' side of my makeup following through with the rest of the hair. I now feel more confident for the competition with a hair design that is more suitable to my abilities and time efficient allowing more time to execute my makeup to a higher standard and show my range of abilities.

Competition Day Preparation

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 13:45:21 UTC

With all my preparation over the past few weeks I began the competition day with a structured plan, communicating with my model to endure she arrived by 10am, allowing myself plenty of time to ease the pressure and complete all aspects of my makeup and costume. As well as excess time to ensure my model was comfortable and could take breaks whenever necessary. In final preparation as a team we each put in an equal amount to collaboratively put together a table of food and snacks for both us and our models throughout the day to ensure everyone was able to eat and feel comfortable in the working environment,. In the days leading up I cleaned my brushes and kit to make sure I maintained a high standard of hygiene further ensuring my model was comfortable and confident in my professionalism. Finally, on the day before I set up my working station following the room plan we had created collaboratively so that everyone had a fair amount of space to work and was organised to be able to enter on the day and begin as soon as they were ready without problems. I ensured my station included all the products and equipment I would need to complete my whole design and was organised in a manor that would help me work efficiently without any extra difficulty or problems. On the morning of I maintained consistent communication with my model for what time we would both arrive as any final worries, to ensure I avoided any potential problems that may disrupt my process or cause unnecessary stress. This included organising a lift to ensure I arrived on time keeping and prevent any damage to my mood board. As well as keeping my costume in the bag it had arrived in until it was used to avoid any stains or dirt.

Final Makeup - Eye

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 14:21:39 UTC

Once my model had arrived and we were both organised and ready to begin, I first completed the eye aspect of my design, as this was something I was confident in and had already took precautions to ensure the longevity of the products and design. Following the plan and application I had already completed in my practices, I began by carving under the eyebrows and setting a base, with the same pale foundation shade I planned to use across the rest of the face, developing on my practices I made the decision to remove the darker blue shade from the first blend, as I found in my final practice it took away from the vibrancy of the lighter blue and when discussing with my peers I decided it would work more cohesively with the blend underneath the eye which otherwise were identical in technique and application. I used a small flat brush to carve out underneath the shape with a white greasepaint, ensuring I altered my shape to better fit my model's natural eye shape as I had previously only completed this aspect of the design on my own face. Once I was happy with effect and illusion this shape created, enlarging the eye in the same way my practices had done I set the white greasepaint across the eye lid with a heavy amount of powder, once again aiming to ensure the longevity as this now had to remain for the entirety of our allowed time. Again, altering my placement to match a different eye shape, I asked my model to look straight forward as I marked the shape for eyeliner following the bottom eye line up and in towards the socket before asking her to look down so I could comfortably fill in the shape and follow the lash line closely, before following this shape with the darker blue on top of the first line once it had been powdered. Using the same technique, I followed her top lash line down to create the extended inner corner to further exaggerate the illusion of a larger eye. Once I had placed each shape and aspect of the eye makeup, I used a small thin brush to clean up any errors or imperfections with a white greasepaint ensuring everything was completed to the highest standard to best portray my abilities, before moving to the under eye. After applying and setting a heavy amount of white greasepaint to create a base consistent in colour and clean up and create a sharper shape across the bottom of my eyeliner, I then used this as a guide to create the under eye eye shadow using a small angular brush following the eye shape I had created with my use of eyeliner and eye shadow techniques before transitioning into the skin tone with a small fluffy brush. I then asked my model to face me and look forward so that I could use a clean angular brush to mark out the placement of the bottom lines to match the shape I had created and work with her natural shape to further the illusion of a larger eye. With more product on the same brush, I created the lines more precisely fixing any imperfections with a small amount of the lighter blue shade to create cleaner lines without disturbing the blend I had already created. Finishing the eye I used white liquid eyeliner on a small thin brush to create a small snowflake, following the same technique as my final practice as I preferred this product and technique for a better application in comparison to my first practice, and finished with small gems applied around thew top of the eye with lash glue. After I had completed the rest of my makeup and costume, I also returned to the eye to add a dramatic eyelash that began short in the inner corner and gradually developed in length towards the outer corner to further exaggerate the illusion of a larger more extended eye. I waited until the end of my makeup to do so, to ensure the eyelash stained on well and avoid discomfort for my model throughout the day. Overall, I am happy with the final product of this aspect of my design, I think I showed good development in my techniques. Experimenting with different products through multiple practices and knowledge of different products and formulas helped me find what would be most effective in creating what I had envisioned in my design. With all the work leading up to this competition, I was able to execute this aspect of my final makeup to a high standard and show my abilities in eye makeup including techniques with eyeliner and eye shadow as well as a knowledge of facial structure specifically different parts of the eye and how I can alter these shapes to create the illusion of larger eye. However, unfortunately despite my planning I found the longevity of this makeup did not hold as well as I had planned. The heavy amount of makeup and use of greasepaint meant that by the end of the day the makeup had begun to separate and did not hold the same standard as when it was first completed. Despite my efforts to solve this problem by touching up the vibrancy of the colour and trying to reapply makeup where it had settled into the creases of the skin I was not able to get it to the same standard as it's original appearance. This was an error in my own judgement as in previous practices, it had held it's shape better however with the longer time between this morning and judging it unfortunately did not work as I initially planned.

Final Makeup - Base

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 14:21:54 UTC

Moving on from the eye, I completed the rest of the makeup for this side of the face, first marking of the other section with a white kohl eyeliner, that wouldn't be visible when the face was completed but helped me plan for the other section and avoid crossing into this section. I mixed my palest cream foundation to work with my model's dry skin complexion with a large amount of white greasepaint to create an exaggerated pale complexion. I applied this across the entire section as well as down the neck and across the chest, anywhere that would be shown with my costume to ensure it looked realistic and the whole body matched and worked cohesively. Then using a cool toned pale contour shade I followed my model's natural facial structure, across the cheekbones, temples and jawline, as well as following under the cheekbones connecting to the jaw for the hollowed out facial structure I was aiming for. Once this was transitioned into the foundation shade for a realistic effect, I used a cool toned light pink shade for blush above the cheekbones and travelling up lightly onto the temples to bring more colour into the face and making the unnaturally pale complexion look more realistic. I then set the face, applying the powder more heavily underneath the cheekbones and along the side of the nose to further create the illusion of a hollowed out face, and then using a large brush to apply powder heavily across the entire face to ensure the longevity of my makeup, so it hols the same standard by judging time. I finished the base with a powder blush and contour to bring more colour back into the face after I had set it and further enhance the facial structure. Overall, I think my base was well applied using techniques I have developed throughout the year on this course, specifically using my knowledge from theatre work to create a more exaggerated character makeup. I have worked with my knowledge of colour theory to create a base that would work with the cool toned colour scheme that runs throughout my whole look primarily focusing on shades of blue and white and how I could create a realistic complexion that works cohesively with these colours and is effective in creating my character.

Final Makeup - Frostbite (Face)

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 15:00:05 UTC

Completing the face, I redrew the line marking the two contrasting sections of the face and removed any makeup that had travelled over the line for a clear base to create the injury effect. Starting with a slightly larger fluffy brush I sparsely freckled red from my bruise wheel around the edges of the section, in the eye bags and across the socket of the eye, where the injury would most affect the skin before lightly adding some into the centre of the section to further portray damage to the skin. Then using a sponge, I heavily applied white greasepaint across the whole section to create a pale complexion whilst still allowing the red to show through, making the skin look irritated and injured. With the blue from my bruise wheel, I first took a small fluffy brush and freckled this heavily across all the same areas I imagine to be most severely injured and then used a sponge to lightly freckle this across the rest of the section to create the cool blue undertone, matching my initial vision of a 'frozen' face. Going back over with white greasepaint on a sponge to ensure the colours weren't to harsh or blended together, I then used a smaller fluffy brush to apply small amounts of black randomly across the edges and into the eye bags and socket to show variation in the effect and severity of the injury. Again, adding another layer of white on my sponge to maintain the pale complexion and 'frozen' appearance I continued to add small amount of colouring and layering until I reached my desired effect. Once I was happy with the appearance and realism of my effect, I lightly applied powder to set the makeup ensuring longevity without disturbing the different layers or mixing the individual colours together and then heavily applied a white highlighter across the section to create a different texture, creating more contrast between the two sections and furthering the illusion of a 'frozen face'. I finished this section by using a small flat brush with a cool toned powder contour, to create depth around the border, blending it outwards into the other side of the face, whilst also cleaning up any colouring that may have travelled onto the other section. At the end of the day I then returned to this aspect of my makeup, using my metal spatula to add snow paste to the border , as well as the eyebrows as well as using white greasepaint on a spoolie through the brows and eyelashes so they worked cohesively with this effect further adding to the realism in my injury. Overall, I am happy with the final outcome of this aspect of my design, I used my research of techniques, real injuries and professional products to create a realistic effect that perfectly portrayed my original idea of a 'frozen' face in a more realistic way that portrayed my range of skills and knowledge of realism and techniques.

Final Makeup - Snowflake Body Painting

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 15:11:58 UTC

Moving onto the body makeup, I used a step-by-step picture guide I had taken during my practice of this aspect to accurately and efficiently complete two snowflakes on the arms of my model. Beginning, with a white kohl eyeliner I marked out the simple structure of a snowflake, before repeating this step in a white greasepaint on a small thin brush for precision. I then used a small flat brush with a cool toned contour using the same technique as I had previously done on the face to create depth and make the body painting look more realistic with a more 3D effect, buy outlining the shape. Developing from my original practice I then used a white liquid eyeliner, as other practices and aspects of my design had shown me this was more precise and consistent in colour, to add the finer details and extra lines to my snowflake to further the realism in my body painting. I also added two simple sparkles around each snowflake using the same technique to make them a more filled out aspect of the design. Overall, I am happy with the end product of these using my research and reference images of real snowflakes to create an accurate shape and structure. This also helped me to incorporate an aspect of body painting in my design, something we completed a collaborative workshop on at the beginning of this project, which I enjoyed and allowed me to show a wider range of skills and techniques.

Final Makeup - Frostbite (Hands)

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 15:31:21 UTC

Once again following step-by-step pictures I had taken of my process during practice to help me organise my process on competition day I moved onto the hands as I finished my makeup to prevent inconvenience for my model. I started by applying the false nails, to avoid smudging by adding them after and keeping my model's nails clean. Using a large fluffy brush, I applied red from my bruise wheel to the knuckles and finger beds, again showing the most severely affected areas. I then used a large brush and white greasepaint to create a pale base before freckling white over the area with a sponge for a more 'frozen' effect. On the same areas as I applied red I used two small fluffy brushed to first apply the blue shade from my bruise wheel more heavily and then black greasepaint more concentrated to the knuckles and tops of the fingers, increasing the severity of the injury in these areas. I used a sponge to lightly freckle blue over the rest of the hand and then added a final layer of white to keep the pale complexion and enhance the 'frozen' effect. Moving onto the latex aspect of this design, I added small sections of latex across the hand and fingers, allowing them to dry with a hair dryer, before using my spatula to lift up small sections of the latex, ensuring my model was comfortable the entire time. With each piece of latex I first coloured on top of the latex, so to create contrast and a difference in shades and texture between the two layers, I added the same blue colour and then freckling black on top before finishing with a layer of white on my sponge to match the rest of the skin. Underneath the latex I heavily applied the red shade from my bruise wheel, before freckling black over the top on a fluffy brush, without the inclusion of a layer of white to enhance the contrast between the two sections and further show the most severely injured areas of my makeup. As with the rest of my makeup, I heavily applied powder to ensure that the makeup stayed in place until judging specifically on the hands, using a large brush to not disturb the different layers and colouring and finishing with highlight to once again add texture and further enhance the 'frozen' effect. Overall, I am very happy with this aspect of my makeup, being one of the first areas I researched and practised I found this frostbite injury also heavily inspired a lot of other aspects of my final makeup. Specifically, how I have incorporated across the rest of the body to show cohesion and add a less 'glamorous' more darker side to my character. My heavy research into techniques and real frostbite helped me develop this technique and create a realistic and effective injury to further show range in my abilities and different styles/areas of makeup.

Final Makeup - Frostbite (Shoulders)

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 15:46:12 UTC

As I has planned my time well, ensuring I had enough to take breaks when necessary for me or my model as well excess time on top of what I had predicted my whole makeup to take so that I could complete each aspect to a high standard as well as be prepared if any problems did occur, I realised I had extra time in the day to further develop my makeup. With this time I stepped back and looked at my whole design to see where I could improve and add detail. From this I decided to add two more sections of frostbite on the shoulders to tie in what I had already completed on the hands and face making my look more cohesive and making a more completed character. As this was a technique and process I had practised multiple times I was able to use my knowledge from previous applications and research to easily alter the injury to work realistically on the shoulders. Using the same order of application as the other areas, I began with the red shade from my bruise wheel on a sponge to freckle this lightly across the shoulders before doing a heavier layer of white on a clean sponge. Moving onto the blue from my bruise wheel I decided to continue using sponges as the shoulder is quite a broad area of the body where no one section would be more injured than the rest. Instead using my sponge and focusing the majority of the colour in the centre and moving sparsely outwards to transition into the natural skin, and repeating this technique with a small amount of black after completing a layer of white in between. Finishing with powder to set, and the same white highlighter to again add texture and enhance the effect of the injury. Overall, I think this was a good use of my extra time to continue developing my look, using a technique I have become very confident in from excessive work over the past few months.

Final Makeup - Hair

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-12 15:53:31 UTC

Following my finalised hair design from yesterday, I began by slicking back the one side of the from of the hair in following with the border of the 'frostbitten' section of the face. Using a comb and gel I was able to get her hair back smoothly,m despite having to work with a fringe, I the used hairspray to ensure this stayed in place for the rest of the day. Before taking two equal sections from behind each ear and plaiting them to bring across the top of the head and secured with pins at opposite sides of the head. I found this hairstyle along with the use of accessories further helped prevent any problems the fringe may have caused and created a simple but effective design that worked with the rest of my makeup. I am happy with this design and my decision to change from my original idea to avoid problems or time delays by working to my skill set and current abilities. However, in the future I want to begin developing my current skill set in hair to widen my range of abilities and skills, therefore giving myself more opportunities and creating more complex character designs.

Final Makeup - Conclusion

cbraithwaite2006 — 2025-06-13 09:09:42 UTC

Overall, I am happy my final makeup, throughout the past few months I have worked with a range of products and techniques to further develop my skills. I have completed wider research, to help complete my design to the best of my abilities and continuously develop my abilities and improve my work. As well as this, I have used my knowledge and skills from this year in college, incorpoorating a range of techniques from my work in theatre, film and fashion to create a final product that represents my experience in all areas of the makeup industry. I think my final makeup is a good reflection of my abilities and learning through these experiences, as well as my individual research to develop my knowledge and experiment with new products and techniques. Throughout this project I have also worked collaboratively with my peers, to both give and receive feedback helping each other develop our individual designs. We also worked closely to democratically decide on a theme, how we would present our final piece and ensuring we maintain a good work environment for both us and our models during the competition. Ensuring everyone had a clear plan of how today would be organised, painting a high standard of hygiene and clean environment, and making sure our models were well cared for with food, drinks and planned breaks. Overall, I am content with my progress throughout the year and extensive work over the past few months to create a completed character makeup and look today, using a range of professional techniques, a good knowledge of products and formulas and high standard of application all backed up by continuous research and a clear show of my knowledge. In the future, I want to continue with this course to further improve and widen my skill set and continue building my portfolio with further works on film and theatre. In the next year, I will continue my work to develop on the abilities I have worked on this year, as well as pushing myself to broaden my knowledge and makeup further to begin working towards professional jobs and building a career for myself in the makeup industry.