Gwendoline's make-up bag

I’ve just been reading Millie Dollar’s blog and thought I’d have a rummage in my make-up bag and give you the lowdown on my key items for a vintage burlesque look!

First off base; for shows I find Foundation Stick in Porcelain by Bobby Brown perfect, but my other fave is NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. Being quite pale I go for Siberia which gives a lovely light coverage for day wear. Often I wear this without powder, but my powder of choice is NARS loose Powder, the shades I have at present are Flesh and Snow. In the blusher line I mostly use Fleur Power by MAC,which is a great girly pink without being too bright or gaudy.

It is really important to make up your body if you’re a burlesque performer, remember the audience will see that too! I favour Screen Face All Over Body Make-Up and for extra coverage I mix it with Color Tration Super Concealing Liquid Make-Up which makes for a really perfect finish. Color Tration also do a barrier spray which is great as it prevents the whole lot coming off on your costumes. A light dusting of Urban Decay’s Marsh Mallow shimmer powder and the base is done!

Most of my kit is NARS or MAC, but for eyebrows I use Benefit’s Browzings with an angled brush; eyebrows are a key element of the 40s look, so it’s worth spending time to get them right and using a good product.

As far as eyeshadow is concerned I usually go for Gesso which is a good matt white and Bamboo for contouring, both by MAC, as a basic look, sometimes adding darker shades for added drama.

In the world of eyeliner I used to be a devotee of Benefit BabyCake, but they have deleted it!  I’m presently using MAC Liquidlast liner, which is amazing stuff and just doesn’t move!  The only thing that will shift it is Clinique Take The Day Off, which is the best make-up remover ever! Still on the eye front, I have been using Clinique High Impact mascara for ages and despite trying lots of others I still come back to it as I find it doesn’t clog or dry up like most of them seem to. I always use false lashes for shows, but only on the outside corners of my lash-line to heighten the flick of the eyeliner.  You can either use individual lashes, which can be a bit fiddly or just cut down a regular pair.

Getting a true red lipstick can be problematic, often they are too pink or too orange, or too oily and seem to get everywhere or bleed easily. I have two favourites; NARS’ Red Lizard and MAC’s Ruby Woo. The Ruby Woo is rather dry so you need to moisturise your lips first!  A good liner is also important as is a lip brush if you want to create a flawless look.

And there you have it, ready to go!