Is it skin friendly?

     Is one of the most asked questions I get asked as a make-up artist. People come on now! This is special effects make-up. To be honest most and I say “MOST” of the make-ups and body paints I use are probably safer then any of the over the counter garbage you buy. They are FDA approved... Then again if you have sensitive skin, you probably should not be getting SFX make up or body painting done.

Face it, Latex is FDA approved... yet people have latex allergies. Laxtex base paint is used for bodypainting all the time, it's used in SFX make-up all the time. It dries the skin something awful, at worst.

There was an actor on “Lord of the Rings” that could not go out in public for days at a time due to latex allergies so bad it pealed away layers of skin. Well there is a reason why SFX artist ask you, “do you have Latex allergies?” or ideally test it on you 24 hours in advance.

SFX artist use acrylic make-ups that ARE FDA approved for cosmetic use. So don't let face painters tell you there are no acrylic cosmetics. I've seen two in common use in the industry...

Heck we use gelatin, FDA approved for consumption... LOL... Or the good stuff that's even better. This stuff is awful on your skin, it does not let it breathe. You can get heat rashes, and on top of that pealing it off is like tearing a band-aid off your whole face! OWIE! Does not sound skin friendly!

Your sitting through hours of make-up then having to wear it all day for shooting, being active. The Adhesives are medical grade adhesives, but trust me all of this clogs your pours and does not come off easy. It's uncomfortable, sticky, icky and you get that itch you can't scratch.

But is SFX make up skin friendly? Even if it's FDA approved, this is no day spa people! I've worn this stuff all day myself, it's not even skin social, and may even be skin anti-social with some neurosis thrown in. It's SFX for Pete's sake, it's make-up with attitude!

     We set off small faux blood filled explosions “Squibs” on people for bullet hits,  “Skin Friendly?” Heck, we try not to warn people what it will feel like just so to see the look of surprise on their face. This is not skin friendly, it's not even actor friendly, but it's funny as all get out.  Mind you we use baking and the actor is totaly safe, but far from "skin bloody friendly"

So if you have sensitive skin, don't do it, don't ask, go away, this is not for you. Let us people that aren't sensitive do it. Well be over here at the party. Getting the cool parts, doing the photo shoots and having fun!

Stirling out....

Skin friendly? Oh Hi skin, how are you doing today? Give me some SKIN!



 Special effects (SFX) movie makeup has got to be some fairly stout stuff in order to stand up to a number of things, including the following:

•All-day shooting
•Blistering heat
•Freezing cold
•Water scenes
•Action fight scenes

Nothing exists in the movie industry that must take more abuse than SFX makeup. As a result of the demands for durability, many professional SFX makeup artists have been turning to temporary-tattoo inks because of the ink's durability and high pigment.

Not me.

I have found the rarest of makeup gems, BodyAir. BodyAir is a line of extended-wear makeup produced and distributed by AquaFlow, a company based out of Carrollton, GA.

During the past six months I have put BodyAir through on-the-job testing under the harshest conditions I could dish out. The tests include location shoots with hot days and chilly nights, performance on latex and gel prosthetics, body painting in night clubs and a full-season of, “Evil Dead the Musical.”

To my great delight BodyAir out-performed many major name-brand makeups that cost two or three times as much. Based on a 10 point scale, the break-down of areas I tested are as follows:

Coverage: 10 of 10
Here, BodyAir was a wonder with smooth, even coverage and minimal mix adjustments. Additionally, such a critical aspect for SFX artists usually requires that one use a host of tricks to match the makeup tint from Latex with the actor's skin.

The matching includes everything from darker undercoats to oils on the latex. Using BodyAir makeup, I was able to apply it straight to both latex and skin, and the blend was seamless and it looked natural – that is, as natural as a festering wound on a vampire can appear!

This is something I have never been able to do with any other product, ever.

Application: 10 out of 10
I was able to easily apply BodyAir makeup with either brush and sponge or standard airbrush techniques. The ease of its application proved to me that the products are versatile. What's more, I used this product in temperatures so chilly that the cream makeups stiffened and could no longer be used or blended, yet BodyAir kept going strong.

On top of that, this was the easiest time I have ever had airbrushing hair-fine networks of veins that looked natural. It is not an overstatement saying, "This was the best experience of my SFX career."

Durability: 10 of 10
I would have to say that BodyAir is king of durability because it is one of the most durable makeups I have ever worked with.

I threw everything I had at it: Shoots in pools with chlorinated water, blood-effects, baby oil, and to increase sheen, I covered it with metho-cellulose. I took it to dance-floors at night clubs and through sweaty, fight scenes.

The most it ever needed was a rare minor touch up.
The downside was that it is difficult to remove from the talent's skin at the end of a shoot.

Through trial and error, I found that if one alternates the use of oil-based makeup remover, spirit gum solvent and Dawn dishwashing liquid, the makeup would reluctantly come off.

Even with all that effort,one is likely to find flecks for a day or two after application.

I decided it is much better to spend a little extra-time removing well-applied makeup than having to stop an entire shoot and re-do makeup.

For its durability, I am giving BodyAir a perfect score: 10 out of 10.

Color: 9.5 of 10
BodyAir's high pigment colors are fun to use, giving you the ability to work fine detail and natural blending at low pressure. It also elicits deep, rich color where needed.
AquaFlow's product line has a host of shimmers that go on amazingly light.

The only thing I have not tried, which I would like too, is their metallic line. I have yet to find a liquid-metallic mixture I'm happy with, which I can apply with my airbrush gear.

Still, BodyAir is as good as any other high pigment, airbrush makeup I have used. If you like, you can even order custom colors from them.

The only issue I have had with BodyAir is that it does have a bit of a highlight-sheen once it has been applied. The best way to counter this is with a light dusting of powder.

The fix dulls down the art and make-up a bit, but is up to the SFX artist to balance trade-offs.

Value: 10 out of 10
BodyAir is by far the best bang for your buck that I have found to date for SFX makeup.

The fact that the products are high-quality, at a fraction of the cost of other makeups and body paints makes me wish I could score BodyAir at 20 out of 10.

Summary:
There were a few minor drawbacks with the product.

I found I had to clean my airbrush tip a little more often, and I had to make sure my equipment was clean. If I did not keep an eye on things, the product would set up in a brush or sponge which pretty much trashed them. If you allow it to set up in an airbrush, it can be a pain to clean.

Even so, I am giving it 10 out of 10, because you have to clean and sanitize your tools. Always!

Verdict:
In the end, I am giving them 49.5 out of 50, and I am not being overly generous.

The product has earned every point and I am delighted to have found BodyAir. I consider their product critical to my makeup kit and to my success on all types of gigs.

 BodyAir can Be Ordered from http://www.aquaflow.com/

Till Next time,  Stirling Out...

Photo Below By Marvin Weston, Model Nichole Elizabeth of NE Photos



     Stirling's 1^st rule: Always take it to the next level. Never settle; there is no reason for any Indi movie or photo shoot to look B grade in this day and age. Take it to the next level or someone else will, and, even if you did it first, your work will wind up looking like a cheap knock off.

      The Heart of FX... PASSION! PRACTICE! CREATIVITY! And... People Skills.

      Competition is fierce in the FX make-up arena, and seeing what I see it's getting greater all the time. Beauty schools are teaching FX work now as a standard curriculum, heck I'm teaching the teachers. Major schools colleges cranking out hundreds of us a year, in a market where all the jobs are taken by named artists. And you think you have what it takes?

     Maybe you do, just maybe you do. But you had better bring PASSION! PRACTICE! CREATIVITY! And... People skills. Oh yes people skills - charm, charisma, negotiating. As with any art it is 80% time to marketing and 20% time to art. If you have two people that are relatively close in skill, the person with People Skills will always get a lot more work. Soon that make-up artist will have far greater skills, because they get to do the art full time.

Passion and Time: To gain mastery level of a discipline it takes 10000 hours of practice. Do the math and get practicing. Mind you, you can have a lot of fantastic work and have a lot of fun in the mean time. I myself am no master, far,  far from it. But practice, study, practice, practice on top of 80% marketing time. You have to have passion! Passion and drive! Most FX make-up for the average person winds up in a closet, most books on a shelf. Passion is the drive that pushes we few on in the face of this monumental task ahead.

      Creativity: Creativity is one of my favorites; as FX artist we are paid to play. It's one of the greatest things in the world. It's the ambrosia that fuels the passion. It's the magic thing that takes it to the next level and sets you apart from people who just know how to do the work. It has helped me become a leader in the Oklahoma FX make-up. Helped me to do A list FX work on micro budgets. It can not be taught, it is the the IT factor for makeup artists.

          Make-up Artists are the first on set and the last to leave... silent, unseen and in the background. Tirelessly we make films better, stars burn brighter. And when it is done we clean up and go. Passion, creativity, people skills. They make us the consummate professionals.

 John Stirling

Stirling FX



Welcome to my little FX world of Fantasy and Horror...

             I'm John Stirling with Stirling FX, an award winning FX make-up artist. I'm Here with FearCast to help you with your FX need. We will be doing, tutorials, hint, tips, general advice, product reviews, FX shoots, and all round mad fun with this. Some of the advise will be for anyone playing with make-up, some of it will be aimed at the Indie Film and Photography crowd...

  Below FX work from "The Badlands" TV Pilot