Gear Talk: Makeup and Touchup

When wearing a mask, there is bound to be some areas around the eyes that show the skin beneath ... plus your eyelids. Unless you are going to be wearing sunglasses for the entire time, you are going to need some makeup to blend your skin color to that of the mask and provide as seamless a transition as possible.

But... you need to prepare. You need to experiment and test.

 

Where Do I Test?

It would not make sense to continually apply makeup to your face, try on the mask, clean up and repeat. Also, you need to make sure that you are not allergic to the makeup. The best proxy for the skin around your eyes is your inner forearm. You can apply multiple color swatches and the match up the best one, or if you need to blend two colors, you can figure out the best process on your arm that you will (eventually) apply to your face.

Cleanup

On your arm - you can use any mild dish detergent (like Palmolive or Ivory) and a sponge to clean off the test swatches.

On your face - use cold cream first. Clean with facial tissues. Follow up with some Maybelline Eye Makeup Remover (blue cap) on cotton pads or eye makeup remover pads and finish up washing with facial soap (like Dove) and water. 

On your mask - pull the mask inside-out and use any mild dish detergent on a damp sponge to clean off any makeup. Rinse the sponge and clean any soap from the mask. Pat away any excess moisture and let air dry.

What Do I Use?

I like Mehron products. I've had great success with them. The three I use are Celebre, Celebre HD Foundation and CremeBlend Stick. A little goes a long way; they provide excellent coverage, last a long time, and are very easy to remove (from the face and from the mask). Kyrolan products tend to be a little more gummy and harder to apply.

The products are very creamy and you may be tempted to use a barrier spray to keep everything in place. I would say that if you have had a history of prior eye infections or clogged eye pores (called chalazions), avoid the barrier spray; let your skin breathe - removing a chalazion will often involve a visit to an ophthalmologist and if your tear duct becomes clogged or infected, you will need to visit an ophthalmologic plastic surgeon. Having a history of eye infections, this warning comes from experience.

With that said, I've been using just plain Mehron makeup and scrupulously cleaning my eyes after every application. I'm very happy to say that I have not had any difficulties for over 15 years!

I've built up my Mehron products over several years and I think I have everything I need to match the tone of almost any realistic mask. (I'm still working on the perfect match for a CFX "Jae" mask). Here's my inventory:

Mehron Celebre HD

Medium Dark 0	Dark 1	Eurasia Chinois
Medium Dark 1	Dark 3	Eurasia Fair
Medium Dark 3	Dark 4	Alabaster
Medium Dark 4	Medium 4

 

Mehron Celebre

Black

Medium Ebony

Medium Tan

 

Mehron CremeStick

Burgundy	American Indian	Sable
Dark Egyptian	Red

How Do I Apply?

If you're planning to wear contact lenses, put those in first (but that's another blog post!)

Using a circular motion, gently rub your index finger into the makeup, then apply from the inner corner of your eye of the lower lid, moving across to the outer corner. Make sure that you apply a thin, even layer (going back to add makeup as needed) and completely cover you lower lid area. You may also need to apply some makeup directly to the edge of your lower lid as well.

Next, add some more makeup to your index finger and fill in the inner corner of your eyelid - top and bottom, and a bit on the side of your nose in that area as well.

Again, add more makeup to your finger and close your eye. SLOWLY and GENTLY wipe the makeup across the lowest portion of your eyelid (nearest the eyelashes) from inner to outer corners. Keep repeating until your entire eyelid is covered. I repeat - take it slowly and gently - you're not in a contest to see who gets it done fastest!

Last step - apply the makeup on the skin below your eyebrow.

Repeat with the other eye; if all is done properly,  your eye area should now resemble that of a racoon!

And now you can put on your mask!

Gear Talk: Whose Side Are You On?

My testing with different masks has uncovered that the "double nip" problem does occur to varying degrees on different masks with different sized sculpted bibs - in general, longer bibs have less or no problem, with wider (but shorter bibs) exhibit the issue.

(For those of you coming in cold to this post, the "double nip" issue occurs when wearing a half (or full) silicone torso with a mask worn OVER the torso). Depending on the thickness of the shirt - and whether it's patterned or not - you can see two sets of nipples - one from the mask, and another from the torso)

My first thought was to find something temporary that could fasten over the flatter set of nips and prevent them from showing under clothing. While silicone prosthetic adhesive DID work to keep a bandaid in place, it DID NOT prevent the nipple from being seen. I needed something that would basically flatten the area out and provide a smooth surface.

Hmmm .... what could provide a flat surface AND stick to the silicone mask (or torso)?

Then it hit me ... 

I was asking the wrong question... because I was addressing the wrong side of the equation:

What could provide a flat surface AND stick to the clothing being worn OVER the mask and torso?

This made the solution a lot simpler: clear, plastic surgical tape (1-inch), bandaids (1-inch) and cotton pads (the ones without any ribbing or texture on them).

 
The actual solution will depend on what mask you're wearing. 

• A large bandaid on the clothing over the flatter nipple may work; 
• You may need a few pieces of surgical tape in the area (half-overlay each piece to create a "layer", and you may need more than one "layer" for the coverup (this is my favored solution). The first application should be done horizontally; the second application vertically. Shift each additional "layer" 45 degrees from the prior "layer". This will create a "star" shape that is thicker in the middle (directly over the nipple) and thinner around the edges.
  
• For stubborn nipple exposure, a trimmed cotton pad (under the bandaid or surgical tape) may be required.

Make the "patch" large enough to more than cover the nipple all the way around. You want to be able to move around, and if your clothing moves more than the silicone beneath it, if not, you risk exposure of the second nipple and ruin the illusion.

Practice Makes Perfect...

 

A Proportional Response - Part III - Video Review

When preparing for the video, I decided to use a different mask - just to see how a larger bib would lay on the torso. 

Remember - my GOAL here is to properly adjust the head-body ratio when wearing a mask.

The "Double Nip" issue does occur when a wider sculpted bib is shorter than the chest area of the torso. For the Metamorphose "Clark", there was a bit of overlap, but it can be somewhat circumvented if you wear a patterned shirt, pullover, etc. I am going to test if a bandaid with some additional silicone prosthetic adhesive will work to cover one set of nips and allow a wider range of clothing.

Speaking of clothing ... if you decide to wear a buttoned shirt, make sure the sleeves are wide enough to cover your (newly larger) biceps and triceps. Slip one arm in normally halfway - pointing downwards - and then point your other arm upwards and pull the sleeve halfway onto the other arm. You can then adjust the sleeves and body of the shirt as needed.

The polo shirt I used on the initial try-on was a bear to get on as the shoulder area was twisted and the additional friction caused by the larger arm/shoulder size overall and the silicone itself; another test here will be using some talcum powder to help get the shirt on.

So here's the video - enjoy! And as I said, any questions, please ask!

A Proportional Response - Part II - With Mask

What it looks like

As a homage to all those Smitizen photos and videos with the upper torso and the black pullover hood, I wanted to show off the torso being worn. As I had hoped, it definitely does create a better proportioned silhouette.

With a Mask

I tried the half-torso with a mask. The purpose of this (other than looking - in the immortal words of Billy Crystal/Fernando - "mah-velous") was:

• Does wearing a mask with a sculpted bib create a "double nip" effect? - that is, does the torso's nips and the mask's nips both show up under clothes?
• Can a mask with a sculpted bib be safely and comfortably be worn UNDER the torso?
  

For the first hypothesis, I used one of my Studio135 "Chiseled" masks. These masks have the narrowest sculpted bib and should prove whether the "double-nip" effect would show up. And the answer was...

NO. (But...)

Using a Metamorphose "Clark" mask, there was a slight "double-nip" effect because while the bib on the mask is wider, it is shorter. I think this will depend on the mask you are wearing; and my recommendation here is if the effect does show up, wear something with a pattern to de-emphasize the problem.

For the second hypothesis, I again tried with a "Chiseled" mask. It was difficult to even stretch the neck wide enough to tuck in the mask, so I gave up; the width of the silicone in this area is thin, and I did not want to take the chance of tearing the neck. (More about this later...) With the first hypothesis disproved, however, this is sort of a moot point - Any mask with a sculpted bib can be worn OVER the mask without (much of a) problem. Masks with a short bib may work, but in my initial try-on with my "GQ" mask, the bib was still too thick to safely stretch the neck and tuck in. 

You may be able to put the mask on first and THEN put on the torso, but I don't know if taking this risk is worth it. You're going to need lube on the outside of the mask, and I'd rather not apply anything to the paintjob except water and very mild soap.

The Full Monty

My initial try-on with a polo shirt found that while I could get it on, it would be easier to get on one size larger. A larger polo shirt is on the way, but I was able to see how the proportions look with a button down casual shirt. 

Success!!

Critically looking at my head-to-shoulder ratio, the half torso definitely removes the "South Park" effect. 

Now ... a warning

When you are removing the torso, make sure that you stretch out the wrist openings and add a little more lube and rub it around. I managed to put my finger thru the forearm area as I was taking it off. 

I felt that it was a bit sticky, but I figured, "It's okay, I can slip out of it." 

NOT.

The neck and forearm areas are thin, so be careful. The tear is currently curing with silicone-1 and a 4-way powerstretch patch. When you are removing the torso, stretch the wrist open and add a bit of lube and rub all around. Also add some lube to the back of your hands.

A Proportional Response - Part I - First Thoughts

On more than one occasion, I've received comments on my videos or my pics about my head looking too big for my body (one of the nastier comments was "That looks like one massive head...almost like a South Park character.") But I never noticed anything truly off.

Until I looked at some of Seb Taylor's pics and watched his IG videos. There really was a tremendous difference when he wore a mask with (and without) a muscle suit beneath. I truly could see the difference that that added thickness made in restoring proportion to the overall illusion. I will admit though that my pics always did look a little better with a padded muscle shirt beneath.

 

So I decided to buy a muscle torso (with arms and without stomach) from Smitizen. This will be my second purchase from them (I had originally purchased a muscle torso with short sleeves and color matched to my Knuckles mask).

 Torso Specifics

• It weighs about 12lbs.
• Unlike the interior honeycomb design of the newer and larger enhanced torso and legs, this is a SOLID piece of silicone. 
• Because it is SOLID, there are no issues of actually seeing the honeycomb through the surface, as occurs on the legs/lower torso and to a lesser extent, on the upper torso.
  
• It is very easy to put on (but you need lube)
  
• The neck is quite long and very stretchy. But thin.
  
• The arm length is PERFECT. The length is just above the wrist-bone. The forearm area of the sleeves are thin. If you are familiar with CFX gloves, the thickness here is about a half of those items; this area - along with the neck area - is also slightly translucent because of the thinness of the material. Similarly thin silicone - like CreaFX masks - is not translucent.
  
• Forearm area is nice and tight and there is no wrinkling at the wrist; however, there is a little bit of wrinkling at the elbow when you bend the arm; I was specifically looking for the issue, but it's not too obvious.
• I did not go for the "careful crafting service" option where the flashing on the seams is reduced. I figure that if I go for a repaint, I'll have that done at the same time.
  

Remember, if you are trimming a silicone torso (or a mask's silicone bib)...

1. Always trim less than you think; you can always cut more, but not less.
2. Measure more than once and cut on a flat surface using a solid piece of wood (like a wooden yardstick, a piece of wide wooden molding or a piece of a 2x4) to press the silicone flat and hold it in place; use a utility knife or a single-edge razor blade with a brand-new blade. 

Application

As with any Smitizen product - upper or lower body - you are going to need LUBE. Not powder. I have never tried the alcohol process of lubrication, so if any readers have tried this, I would really appreciate some feedback (and perhaps a video link!). Make sure you use a water-based (not silicone-based) lube. I use Gun Oil H20 in a squeeze bottle.

• Apply the lube to the inside back of the torso. Be generous, but don't overdo it. Over-apply the first time you try it on - you can judge what you will actually need afterwards.
  
• Apply lube to your chest and shoulders. Don't overdo it - you want a consistent thin layer on your skin.
• Apply a LINE of lube down your arm - shoulder to wrist - and then rub it around so again you have a thin, consistent layer.
• Pull the torso over your head, and slip your arms in. Adjust the sleeves so the seams are straight. They should be on the inner and outer sides of your arm.
• Pull the torso down over your pecs - you're done!

Other Thoughts

I need to trim the neck down by about an inch. As far as masks go, I have to see how the various bibs lay on the torso (I want to avoid seeing two sets of nips). Of course, I think I'm going to need some larger pullovers/shirts as well...

Stay tuned for upcoming posts - trimming, video reviews and more!