CULTURE | makeupexploration

Looking at: The Concept of beauty in: Bollywood, Drag King, Drag Queen, Drag King, Tribal and Bishonen

Outlining Various Cultural Influences:

Bishonen

Transcend the boundary of gender, beautiful youth boy. Androgynous look- women will go to precautions to look like a bishonen

Bleaching

In asian cultures the lighter you are the more beautiful your deemed to be. Within japan and asia mainly, social hierarchy. African and jamacan communities go to extremes and the poorer communities will apply bleach directly onto their skins

Surma/Mursi

They believe the larger the lip plate the more beautiful you are, when they marry, the bigger the lip plate the more valuable they are and they will receive more cattle for their families.

Kayan tribe

They start wearing brass rings around their necks from a young age. They believe that the longer and more slender their necks are the more beautiful they are

Can a universal rule stand a good stead against an endless number of ideas influenced by cultural definitions?

Meissner, G. (2014) Facial Analysis and the Beauty Mask. [online]. Available from: http://www.goldennumber.net/beauty/. [Accessed 13 February 2015]

Dutton, D. (2010). A Darwinian Theory Of Beauty. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PktUzdnBqWI#t=237. [Accessed 13 February 2015]

CULTURE IN MAKE-UP

Notes Taken: A Darwinian Theory:

Artistic aesthetic taste: How did they come to be engraved in our minds, by the social site which we evolved. What is beauty? In the culturally conditioned eye of the beholder, a taste for both natural beauty and aesthetic.

Natural selection: explains pleasures, sexual selection. The peacock tail- wasn’t designed for survival purpose and instead for mating. Beauty is natures way of acting from a distance, exert a kind of magnetism. Virtuoso technique is used for expressing music painting and dance. Our aesthetic cravings. Human beings have a personal innate taste in something done well. i.e performances etc.

Beauty in the eye of the beholder, NO! its deep in our minds, a powerful reaction to images, to the expression of emotion and art.

THE BEAUTY MASK

IMPORTANCE OF TECHNIQUE

I also applied fake eyelashes to the tops and bottoms of the models eyes, and because his eyes were relatively small I drew the lower lash line in with a white pencil and glued the fake eyelashes onto the new line, emphasizing the stage look. I gave the model high pointed eyebrows which seems to be a classical drag queen look and used crown products brown shadow to redraw the line and fill the brow i with colour, I found the product a similar match to the models natural hair colour and didn't want to use black. Once the eyebrows were flattened I used a pink tone concealer (dermacolour) and applied the product with my fingers, pressing into the brows to diminish their natural dark colour, before matching a skin base.

FINAL LOOK

Dr. Marquardt performed cross-cultural surveys on beauty and found that all groups had the same perceptions of facial beauty. He also analyzed the human face from ancient times to the modern day. Through his research, he discovered that beauty is not only related to phi, but can be defined for both genders and for all races, cultures and eras with the beauty mask which he developed and patented.

Meissner, G. (2014) Facial Analysis and the Beauty Mask. [online]. Available from: http://www.goldennumber.net/beauty/. [Accessed 13 February 2015]

Cotterill, L. (2015). BA Hons Make-up for Media and Performance. Arts University Bournemouth. 05 February

DRAG QUEEN

Glue sticks are good to use, prozaid will be used for application as its 100% safe on the skin.

Apply dermashield to the area where you will be applying glue. Using a hairdryer on a low heat will set the glue quickly and efficiently.

Apply loose translucent powder over the brow, pressing the product into the glued areas, then apply an eye base with red undertones to neutralise the colour of the eyelid. Cream pan sticks with heavy coverage are used all over the skin.

PRO TIP: It is all about working in layers, his eyebrow will start on top of his natural brow. Apply a matt black eyeshadow over the gel to set the product.

DRAG QUEEN DESIGN

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David Petruschin: Better known by his stage name Raven, is an American drag queen and reality television personality from Riverside, California. The above left image influenced my first design for the Drag Queen look because it looks very feminie and pretty. The application is flawless and it doesn't look clown like, just stunning. He focusus heavily on contouring and I practised some of his techiques on the same model, see below. I also applied a bald cap to emphasize the contoured cheeks and he has a cap on in the tutorial, I wanted to completely take away her natural femininity and practise the style before applying the techniques on a man.

The above right image heavy influenced my final Drag Queen make-up application on a mans face. The main focus is in the eyes and it almost looks theatrical but completely flawless. The lips have been drawn over the natural lip line and enlarged with colour and the cheekbones are contoured with a lot of product. I used both of the above images and my own initiative to come of up with the final design, see below.

Below: Ultra Music. (2012). MNDR: Feed Me Diamonds, Featuring Raven, official video. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmuT1qUFA4Y. [Accessed 15 Februry 2015].

Below: dragqueens_ (2014). Instagram. [mobile app]. 15 February

PROBLEMS FACED

DRAG KING

To Consider:

-Previous Drag Queen Techniques used for highlighting and contouring

-Appropriate placement, reducing the size of the cheekbones, and eyelids etc whilst enlarging the nose, chin, browbone and jawline.

-Product knowledge: kryolan pan cakes or screenface greasepaints would be effective to use.

To Consider:

-Stippling techniques for applying facial hair. Choose the correct colour for your hair and attempt a realistic beard stubble.

-Hair styling and make-up application. Re-draw a new hairline or apply a wig to the model to diminish the main focus of her femininity which is hair.

Becoming a Drag Queen. (2013). Make Up Drag King Drag Queen. (n/a). How to Contour and Highlight your face. [online]. Available from: http://rebloggy.com/post/makeup-drag-queen-drag-king-contour-and-highlight-learn-how-to-male-contouring-f/62661627952 [Accessed 17 February 2015]

Steps: For the look

- I began by smoothing gel over my hair and scraping it back into a ponytail, once my hair was secured back I drew in a new hairline which angled my forehead and took away the feminine hairline. I used crown eyeshadow in a mid brown in the hairline and in my eyebrows, it was the most suited to my natural hair colour and blended relatively well.

- My eyebrows were too thin and arched so I used the same eyeshadow to fill them in and effectively create a new, flatter brow shape.

- The idea was to flatten my brow and drop it sllightly so that my eye naturally seemed heavier.

Steps: For the look

- To make my eyes appear heavier and sunken I used the same dark shadow on the inner corners of the upper eyelids, either side of the nose bridge, to widen the nose and give the lids/sockets depth.

- I looked at my face and used the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour palette to eliminate any female features and round my face. I gave myself frown lines and emphasysed the brow bones, making them appear rounder.

-Finally I used a stippling sponge and brown screenface greasepaint to create an illusion of stubble across my jawline, chin, upper lip and on the underside of my chin towards the (adams apple).

After seeing the reslts and watching various other drag king make up tutorials I think the stubble would have looked more realistic if I had of applied hair with a round blending brush and used the cut offs from my ow hair. However, I think the eyebrows and general face shape look boyish and was happy with the overall result. Though I didn't look manly and rather a young boy. I thik this is because my face shape is natrally very feminine and rounded. I could have applied fake wig as my hair wasnt able to be covered or tucked away but many males have longer hair now and I think it added to the 'unkempt' look that I was going for with this look.

The models eyebrows flattened relatively well with the Pro-Said glue alone and therefore the eyeshadow application was smooth. The eyeshadow did not lift the glue which I was surprised at and the product completely disguised her natural brows. The concept here was a dramatic Drag Queen make up for HD vs her natural beauty, a comparison of the two looks. Purely a reflection on how women and men alter their natural identities every day to become the person they desire to be. The reflection was interesting and by moving her eyebrows around she had a personality change. I used a neutral lip colour (DOSE OF COLOURS- Poise) because I wanted all of the focus to be on her eyes. I then used Kryolan pan sticks in different shades to heavily contour the face, a typical drag queen ritual.

The main inspiration for all of the drag queen looks came from Raven, see the images and video below for the tutorial and stunning HD make-ups. Above Model: Emma Freeman

The model had facial hair and this was problematic for the contouring and base application. I used a mix of dermacolour concealers and kryolan pan sticks in mixed shades to contour his cheek bones, nose, temples, jawline and forahead. Drawing attention to the apples of his cheeks and away from his Jawline in particular. The Pros-Aide glue didnt adhere his eyebrows enough and I had to trim them with styling scissors and Apply a thicker layer of Pritt stick over, mixing the two products to result in a stronger barrier. The models eyebrows were coarse and thick and it was very time consuming flattening them both equally. However, once they were down the product discuised them perfectly and the surface wasn't raised at all. Model: Shaun Smith

BOLLYWOOD MAKE-UP

Cotterill, L. (2015). BA Hons Make-up for Media and Performance. Arts University Bournemouth. 30 January

The B in Bollywood comes from Bombay, which is now known as Mumbai. It is a play on ‘Hollywood’

Indian cinema dates back to 1913 where silent films where popular, modern Indian film was introduced in 1947 and in the 1970s Manmohan Desai ‘Masala Film’ was released which consisted of action, comedy, romance and extravagant musical sequences of dance and song. This film dominates the Bollywood industry and is still a running success.

Make Up Development:

Focus is and always has been on the eyes of an Indian woman, Bollywood is all about the eyes and even when foundation was rare in India Kohl was always used to compliment the eyes and the Bindi drew colour to the face.

Traditionally Indian women would wear very heavy face make up to make themselves appear lighter skinned. Mickey Contractor is a revolutionary make up artist in Bollywood and explains:

“We have managed to change the mindset of the actresses by proving over and over that you don’t actually need so much make up and contouring. Because of the HD camera and lighting now, you cannot apply make up the same way they used to twenty years ago, which was caked on”.

Below: Dilbarak, M. (2012). Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai - Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, 2000. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QfPicmc4qw.[Accessed 03 February 2015].

Kareena Kapoor:

Above Left: IMDB. (1990). Kareena Kapoor. [online] Available from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004626/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm [Accessed 03 February 2015]

A stylish performer who charges a total of twenty million per movie and has no shortage of work. Her film debut was in the year 2000 with 'Refugee' along with the debut of Amitabh Bachchan's son, Abhishek. She went on to appear in 31 other Hindi movies. She is one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood, considered bankable, with an enviable A-listing and as of June 2007 is to appear in 'Tashan', 'Lajjo', 'Kismat Talkies' amongst others.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan:

Above Right: IMDB. (1990). Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. [online] Available from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0706787/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm [Accessed 03 February 2015]

Extremely beautiful woman who is known for her stunning looks throughout the world. She charges seventeen million per movie,

she is one of Bollywood's pre-eminent leading ladies. When her striking beauty, poise and commanding intelligence won her the Miss World crown in 1994, this former architecture major soon became one of India's most famous models, landing a prestigious Pepsi-Cola campaign and appearing in Vogue Magazine.

FAMOUS BOLLYWOOD ACTRESSES

TECHNIQUE EXPLORATION

Bollywood make-up is equally focused on men as it is on women. The beauty make up is effortless and the emphasis is on the eyes, always. I have tried to incorporate this in two make-up looks which fit the Bollywood look in my own style. I have taken influence from the actresses above and various instagram artists who are based in Dubai and India.

First Look:

My model asked me to draw on her eyebrows thick and I had to acknowledge her preferences. However, I would have preferred to draw in the eyebrows naturally, emphasizing her natural shape rather than completely redrawing them. I could have also done the eyeliner slightly thinner and I will aim to perfect the technique for my next make-up example. Model: Paige Flharty

I wanted to focus on the eyes and keep the rest of the face neutral in colour, even though I wanted the eye make up to remain the focus feature, I didn’t apply a lot of eye shadow and instead used a lot of eyeliner on both the upper and lower eyelids. I used a MAC sculpt foundation in NC20 and mixed It with a SMASHBOX CC Cream in Light/Medium for the contouring. I then used a light illuminating concealer under the eyes (mac) and powdered over with Anastasia Beverly hills contour palette. For the eyes I used a MAC gel liner and false eyelashes to create an illusion of volume and thickness. For the lips I used a MAC lipliner (barely nude) to cover the entire lip and glossed them over with a NARS shimmer gloss.

After the make up application I plaited my models hair tightly in a French plait style and laid a decorative head dress against her forehead. I wanted to practise plaits because I will be incorporating a Dutch plait in one of my ‘Survival Make-ups’

Below: shaziahaquemakeup (2013). Instagram. [mobile app]. 15th February and 4th February

INFLUENCE TECHNIQUE

This London Based Make-up artist has influenced my two Bollywood looks and her Arabian looks are flawless. I chose the images because of the shadow techniques and eyeliner applications, the eyes compliment the flawless skin base which has left her looking youthful and glowing. The false lashes aren’t overly large and the lips are neutral, which leaves the attention drawn to the eyes, a key technique in Bollywood make-ups. I used the images as reference and the above right reflects my first application, the above left influenced my second look.

SECOND MAKE-UP

I found the second make up application easier after practising my technique with applying eyeliner and the make up as a whole looked correct to Bollywood. For the second look I used MAC ‘folie’ eyeshadow with a burnt orange on the lid. I used the same gel eyelines as on the previous make up and the same contour palette. I lined the lips with NARS Rose lipliner and filled the centres with Inglot lip crayon in peach. I glossed over the lips with a estee Lauder liquid pink glitter gloss (unsure of the correct name).

For this make up I used a mix of yellow-based foundations from MAC in NC35 and NC15 and the hydration foundation by Bobbi Brown in tan. And the Anastasia Beverly hills brow kit on the models eyebrows. Model: Amy Mcdonald

ETHNICITY IN MODELS

Cameron Russel:

Image is superficial and immutable,

Health beauty and symmetry,

Gender and racial oppression.

-In 2008 a black model was used on the cover of vogue and wasnt seen again on vogue cover until 2011

-2001, vogue published a title: the arrival of the asian supermodel, not one black or asian model was used

-chanel runway 2011 no models were used of colour.

-2013 jordan dunn quote if you have a black face on the cover of a magazine it wont sell

-New York fashion week 2013 79% white and 9.75% asian 7.67% black and 2.12% Latina

Cotterill, L. (2015). BA Hons Make-up for Media and Performance. Arts University Bournemouth. 5 Feburary

It is argued that there is discrimination within the fashion industry towards models of a non white ethnicity. However, I think that in modern culture it is more about the product being sold than the model choice and the model will be chosen accordingly. Ellements magazine is a prime example of equality in models and their images are stunning, they choose their models accordingly to emphasize the product being advertised and there is no percentage difference in model ethnicity.

ELLEMENTS MAGAZINE. (2014). BEAUTYinELLEMENTS. (Stannwald, D and Hicks, B and Finnigen, J). London: Vanessa Guevara.

A select few of the models within Elements Magazine, above. Each model is of a different ethnicity and is chosen specifically for the promotion of the product or the colour of the make up being used. The gloss finish red/green make up on the first image wouldn’t look as edgy or eye catching if it where on a white model and paint on the second image wouldn’t show as dramatically on white skin, the cold element of the picture would be taken away and instead a different message would have to be portrayed. On the third image the red pigment would not show up as bright against black skin, it is the pure harsh contrast in colour against the models skin tone, which makes this simplistic, make up application look exaggerated on a photograph. The model on the fourth image looks to be chosen because of her freckly skin, complimenting the shell of the chocolate egg in her mouth.

WINNIE HARLOW

Skin Condition:

Some models use their unique ethnicities to their advantage, taking over the fashion industry with their fascinating looks. Model Winnie Harlow (Chantelle Brown-Young) is a prime example; she is one of the most talked about fashion models and continues to grow within the industry.

She was diagnosed with a skin pigment disorder- vitiligo when she was four years old and has used it to her advantage in the fashion world, standing up beautifully to society’s ‘beauty’ standards.

Notes Taken:

Immune system thinks that melanin in the skin is a disease similar to the common cold, it fights it off and the skin turns white.

We cant talk to you anymore, sorry our parents said we might catch your skin condition.

Whose to say I am supposed to fit in a mould anyways, I fit myself a new mould. It takes one person to realise that there is beauty in everything, Be your own person and know in yourself what beauty is.

She explains in an interview with the BBC:

"I feel like the industry is very much opening up, widening their eyes," That's what people are looking for...something they can relate to, a real person."

Above: TEDx TALKS. (2014). My story is painted on my body:Chantelle Brown-Young. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ5V_3GAucc.[Accessed 09 February 2015].

Above: Images of the model taken from her instagram showing her skin condition covering her entire body. She uses this to her advantage and it compliments her personality as a spokes person, she is admired by many people for her confidence within herself and her skin is beautifully symmetrical down both sides of her body.

Above: WinnieHarlow (2013). Instagram. [mobile app]. 09 February

CULTURAL IDENTITIES

Notes Taken: LadyBoys 2

‘Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and I see penis and boobs, I think its funny. I laugh at myself.’ Pang was born a boy and grew up wanting to feminize her body. She took female hormones and got breast implants.

For bar girls: A full sex change can be incompatible with their profession as male genitals are what the customer desires. ‘if I have a sex change then customers will not come back to me’.

The peak of what ladyboys can achieve (Pattaya- miss international queen transgender beauty pageant, the peak of what ladyboys can achieve through surgery.

‘its very hard to be a ladyboy’

Box of Broadcasts (2013). Ladyboys 2. Series 2: Episode 2. [online]. Available from: http://bobnational.net/record/179090. [Accessed 18th February 2015]

KATHOEY IDENTITIES

Second-type women: 'Kathoey is the term we like to use, the new term is transgendered people, a western term.'

Cabaret World:

Miss Tiffany is like a Miss Universe, but for Lady Boys. In the cabaret show, they are so beautiful. They compete in pageants around Thailand to win the prestige to be featured at Tiffany’s. ‘I don’t know that I am a lady-boy but I know I am a lady’

Kathoey- Born men and almost effortlessly women, a mixture of western notions of drag and transgender. Ladyboys live seemingly open and public lives, behind the make up and the glamour is the culture known for its illusiveness. Whether Thailand is as open to gender fluidity and sexual orientations as it seems...

Thai Trans Culture in Media:

Thai classical dance- almost all ancers are LadyBoys. The culture is elegant. Iron Ladies and Hangover 2 represent Lady Boys. Tannia Sukkhapisit is a Lady boy identified filmmaker, insects in the back yard was a film banned by Thai government. Most of the world think that Thailand is a ‘Gay Paradise’ because there are lots of gay and transgender, and you have the freedom to ‘express yourself’ to others.

Mplus+ Goals-

To bring work to the transgender people and male sex workers in Thailand. In Thailand there is no law to support the sexual orientation and gender identity. It is difficult to chang somitting, especially law, it is a movement which challenges the debate to accept them.

Above: VexCheProductions. (2014). The Third Gender: Documentary on Thailand’s Trans Community. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEAbjowQLv8.[Accessed 18 February 2015].

Above: Images I took whilst I was on holiday in Thailand at the Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai. The Ladyboys that where performing in the festival looked just like the women in the videos, unbelieveably feminine and graceful. Their make-ups were similar to the drag queen look but less theatrical and more beauty. The similarities were in the heavy eye make ups and contouring where the Ladyboys main focus was to draw attention to the cheekbones and the eyes (a wider/ larger eye illusion was the most common in the make-ups).

TRIBAL FASHIONS IN MAKE-UP

Fashions and Bodypainting, Body Markings and Techniques

Above images and written notes: Silvester, H. (2008). Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration from Africa. Thames & Hudson. High Holborn: London.

Useful information, Notes Taken:

The former is done mainly with materials from the plant world, whereas the latter predominantly compromises products of the hunt – all kinds of trophies, including buffalo horns, warthog tusks, monkey skins and more.

“These displays often have a practical origin, such as protection against the sun.”

Flesh becomes a raw material on which decorative fantasies can be played out. Families are free to do what they want, the only compulsory mark comes to girls of a marriageable age where they have to undergo an incision of the lower lip into which is inserted a disc, an unfortunate tradition.

`Some rock faces reveal strata of red, ochre, yellow, all shades of white and light grey.’ Very concentrated and pure pigments.

-These body paintings are totally free and yet they never repeat themselves, each one is extraordinarily fresh.

-Bodypainting is not done in isolation in order to create a reaction

-it is the same spontaneity we see when young children begin to draw something, break off, grab a new sheet of paper and draw something else.

Above images and written notes: Silvester, H. (2008). Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration from Africa. Thames & Hudson. High Holborn: London.

These intrepid hunters will have to learn not to kill wild animals; these free spirits will have to learn to obey laws contrary to those laid down by the elders of the village.

"Perhaps underlying it all is the spirit of the hunter, accustomed to the art of camouflage, or the warrior merging with nature as he confronts his enemy."

DESIGN INFLUENCE

Looking at various cultures and their interpretations to beauty or what is beautiful has had a great influence on my design ideas and Id like to experiment with paint to create a camouflage face and bodypaint with an editorial twist on the hair. I want both the hair and the make-up to be focus points and the general idea will be to add volume and create a wild aesthetic, I will use the paint to contour the models face shape, outlining the focus features, highlighting and contouring with appropriate colours and keeping the correct placement in the makeup.

I found the quotes from the book 'Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration from Africa' inspiring and authentic and will consider them in reference to my designs, matching the case studies I have decided to analyse, which discuss survival instinct and the similarities in behaviours between humans and animals, particularly those of isolated communities.

"If one really has to find a reference for this art form, it would have to be in its mimicry of nature and animals. One man might paint his face in a manner clearly inspired by that of a monkey; someone else will colour his torso like an animal skin. Each artist reproduces the things he has seen through his close proximity to nature."

Art was then a means of survival. Faced with animals, a man needed to be creative in order to prove his manhood.

Above notes: Silvester, H. (2008). Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration from Africa. Thames & Hudson. High Holborn: London.