This morning, the Cincinnati Enquirer ran an Q&A piece with Phillipa Hayball (Target) regarding her makeup. You can read the full article here: The Enquirer – Makeup part of Cirque’s magic.
Question: How long does it take to apply makeup for each performance?
Answer: 45 minutes to an hour.
Q: How long did it take you to learn?
A: Usually they do one side of your face while you do the other. Then we have 10 pages of a step-by-step guide that tells us exactly the process we need to do.
Q: What part is most difficult?
A: The hardest part is the lips because I don’t want to look too much like a clown, and also when I am not smiling, I don’t want to look sad.
Because the mouth I create is not the same size as my (real) mouth, it is hard not to make it look sad. I also have to draw a target on my nose every night and that gets a bit wonky.
Q: Does your makeup change during the show?
A: Yes. In addition to Target, I play Cerceaux, the aerial hoop act. For Cerceaux, I wear a hat that covers my blue eyebrows and add red tears going down the side of my face.
Q: Who designed your makeup?
A: Nathalie Gagné. She has done the makeup for 90 percent of the shows. She will come once every six months or a year and will review everybody’s makeup and correct how we are doing it. Someone in wardrobe also keeps an eye on the makeup, because after you have been doing it for five years some people will start skipping steps.
Q: What type of makeup do you use?
A: Ben Nye, a theatrical makeup, and M.A.C. products
Q: What do you do to keep the makeup in place?
A: The makeup we use is considered “wet.” It all goes on wet and then we add a translucent powder that sets the makeup and pretty much keeps everything in the same spot. Then we go over everything with dry brushes, and then the lipstick.
Q: When all the makeup is on, can you still see yourself in the mirror?
A: I actually see more of myself when I put the makeup on. When I go on stage, I just want to give everything I have and to have fun with the audience and create faces. So it’s great that I know when I take my makeup off no one will know who I am.
Q: How do you remove your makeup?
A: I use a three-step process: The oil step, which completely disintegrates the makeup, and then a gel on top of the oil makes it easier to get the makeup off. Finally, I use wipes with makeup remover in them. When I come home at night I wash my face with a face wash.
Q: Do you wear makeup in real life?
A: I wear the same makeup I did when I was 17; I wear mascara and lip gloss. But I would like to, especially when I see girls wearing pretty makeup. I am going to look into it. But I have been putting theatrical makeup on for 17 years, and that’s enough!
{ Source – The Cincinnati Enquirer }
