Nutcracker 101- Make-up

Let's start out by saying that this is not, by any means, an expertly written blog on stage make-up.

These are the things my little brain can remember after thirteen years of performances (this includes school performances and spring shows, as well as, Nutcracker).

As a quick side note:
Ballet dancers tend to wear less street make-up
(and often none)
than the rest of society.

The basics of ballet stage make-up includes:

1) Base that is one shade darker than one's skin color.

2) Eyeliner

a) Black or brown

b) Optional: White
(For between the upper and lower extended lines of the black or brown)

3) Blush
(pink or orangish)
(nothing with a blue tint*)

4) Lipstick with some shine to it.
(nothing with a blue tint*)

* Note: A blue tint makes one look blue and unnatural on stage because of the lights.

5) Eyeshadow
(usually the color of the eye color)

6) Make-up remover wipes
(Sensitive skin works best)

Some parts in Nutcracker have professional stage make-up, these include:

Drosselmeir,

Animated Toys,

Soldiers,

Gingerbread Children,

Mother Ginger,

and possibly,

Arabian,

Chinese,

or other character parts.

At some point, photographs will be added to better illustrate this post, because it is definitely difficult to describe everything in details.