I am all about the glitz and the glamour. I am also all about the BBC. So imagine my joy when the two combined and made the fabulous creation that is Strictly Come Dancing. This programme has been keeping me, my friends, my mum, my sisters, and even (don't tell him I told you) my brother-in-law happy on a saturday night for 7 seasons.
Now, I tune in as much for the fabulous make-up and the glamourous hair, as for the dancing, so I'll allow you to picture my face when I read an email from the lovely Natalie at Headstream PR (thank you Natalie!!) inviting me to come and take a look around the studios to see how the dancers and celebs get made up every week. I could've tangoed with joy.
So on Saturday the 14th November I cruised up the number 72 bus route to the BBC Studios, conveniently located opposite Westfield. I was met, after an unfortunate incident involving a broken mobile (damn Samsung!) and a heavy downpour, by Kate from Headstream PR and the lovely Jenny of thestylePA.com - and we commenced our tour.
After signing in and getting our Visitor passes, where we luckily managed to catch a glimpse of Head Judge Len looking very dapper in a nice navy pull-over (I loved it, but I was trying to look cool), we headed backstage.
We were lucky enough to watch Kristina (pictured above) get her make-up finished off. Kristina is actually one of my favourites. She's always so glamourous, like a tiny Marilyn Monroe with huge eyes and a figure to die for. When we got there she'd already put her own eyelashes and eyeliner on. This is unusual for the dancers as usually the make-up artists take full control, but Kristina prefers to do her own. She actually took part in Heat Magazine's No Make-Up shoot earlier this year, and is quoted as saying the following "I got eyeliner and lipliner tattooed on about eight years ago in Russia. I was young and it was really popular, a new thing to try, so I did it! I actually forget I have it, and I don’t think it makes that much difference."
The make-up process for the show can begin as early as 9.30am on the morning of a show. By the time we got there, most of the celebrities and dancers were walking around with a full face. It's imperative that the schedule runs like clockwork. Their are five make-up artists and five hair stylists working along with a director (Lisa Armstrong, wife of TV's Ant McPartlin) overseeing the action. The team gets smaller as less and less as female celebrities leave the show. With dance practice, rehearsals and prerecording to fit in, the day is busy and the atmosphere in the dressing rooms is strange - one minute overflowing with sequin clad dancers, the next empty - allowing the team a chance to scoff an egg and cress baguette for lunch.
The Kit:
Our first stop was the make-up room. It was surprisingly small with about 6 tables with mirrors around the edges of the room, and every surface covered in glorious wonders from the beauty world, including MAC palettes that dreams are made of, false eyelashes galore, and jars of brushes to make any beauty blogger's mouth water. Looking around there is literally every shade of eyeshadow you could think of, not only MAC, though there are enough 15 pan palettes spread across the surfaces to make my knees weak. MAC glitter pots are also used frequently, and Lisa had a big bag of these which almost made my eyes pop out on stalks.
MAC fluid line and Bobbi Brown eyeliners are favourites, applied with a thin brush. Chanel bases are popular, as they give a good coverage, and come in a wide range of colours. However, like with us normal people, even celebrities and professional dancers get break outs from certain products and that has to be catered to. Katya, Phil Tuffnel's partner was kind enough to have a chat with us about what she likes to use. She said that her skin doesn't like the Chanel base but much prefers the Armani base they use on the weekday program It Takes Two. She also swears by bareMinerals for day-to-day use and also for use during the filming during training. Kristina was also a fan of mineral products and swears by Glo Minerals. Katya also told us that for her, its important to not only have a good base, but to make sure the eyes really pop. For this, she uses a Bobbi Brown Eye Brightener.
The make-up team get through 16ish pairs of eyelashes a week at the start of the season. That's 250 pairs per season. I spotted lots of Girls Aloud for Eyelure boxes around and the make-up team confirmed that they love them. There are also rhinestones and twinkles galore for that extra bit of razza-mattaz.
As for nails, Lisa showed us her case full of Zola nail colours. So many to choose from! The shoes for ballroom are all designed to be close toed so toe polish isn't something the team have to worry about too much. The finger nails, however, often have to be done in a rush and Lisa uses a quick drying spray to make sure there are no dress rehearsal smudges! Its important that the nails are not too long, and most of the time they're natural. If a celeb or dancer does wear falsies, they're always quite short.
Preparation:
Each female contestant and dancer has their own plastic file, where the make-up artists create the look for saturday night. They often take pictures from magazine for inspiration and the file usually contains a mascara and a set of lashes. Each look that's created is only started after the costumes are received and the make-up artist knows the type of dance, as the theme of the make-up is always centred around these two things. The make-up team also need to get to know each contestant so as to know what suits them and what doesn't.
Each celebrity is asked before the first show if they are allergic to anything so no booboos are made. Each lady gets an hour in the make-up chair. Eye make-up, strangely, is always done first. This looks a little strange, and extremely over the top, but once the eye make-up is on, it allows time for it to settle. If the eyes are done after the face, often the under-eye area has to be redone with the fall out from colours and glitters etc. We were told that Loose glitter or pigment must always be mixed with something to help it stick, as on its own it can get messy. I plan on applying this technique to my Barry M Dazzle Dusts.
Once the eyes are finished, a natural water toner is used to clean the area beneath the eyes. Lisa told us that products with Rosewater in are used to combat any redness, as Jenny pointed out, most of us tend to turn tomato-esque once our pulse is raised. Rosewater also combats sweat, which is the biggest opposition the make-up artists face. A base is added after the eyes, then attention is given to the undereye area, followed by the rest of the face: blush, lips and any extras. Lips are usually kept quite minimal. Gloss has to work in conjunction with hair, and as we all know, if we turn our head too quickly, a lot lot of hair can get stuck, especially when its loose.
The Working Relationship:
Each celebrity reacts differently to the make-up and hair experience. For actresses and singers, having their make-up done is a regular thing, but even for those who are used to wearing make-up for work, Strictly definitely picks it up a few notches! For sports men or women, like Jade who danced with Ian this season, the whole process can be difficult to get used to. Lisa told us that sometimes it can take a bit of getting used to for the celeb. The show is, after all, about the performance, and if the contestants don't go out confident that can be a problem. The Team usually finds that throughout the season, they face less opposition from the contestants.
Some contestants, like this season's Ali Bastion, put themselves in the team's hands without much worry at all. Lisa's favourite look of the season is from Week 7 when Ali and Brian danced the Paso Doble:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf
Ali has three lines of eyeliner flicked out from the corners of her eye, and false lashes on the bottom corner, to add real drama. Ali's make-up on the day we visited was in keeping with her dance: the cha cha. This look is proof the trust Ali had built up with the make-up team - her eye make-up comprised of yellow, green AND pink, along with some crystals for va-va-voom!
The dancers are much more accustomed to the make-up and know what they want. We talked to Aliona is all about the sparkles! She is well know to ask the artists for more more more every week!
Live Broadcast Approaches:
Lisa watches the dress rehearsal and works through all the looks with a fine-toothed comb. Anything that doesn't look right can be rectified before the show goes live. In preparation, the artists work a lot with the mirror, which creates the same sort of effect as the camera. Things can often look different through a lens. The show is also broadcast in HD, so there is no room whatsoever for error. Each flick of liner, each false lash, each stick on rhinestone has to be perfect.
Powder is often not applied too heavily, or even at all, before dress rehearsal. After the final run through, celebs can become flushed or sweaty and its important not to keep piling on the powder for fear of looking too cakey. The powder is applied with a sponge just before they go on, and the artists are on hand at the top of the stairs to do any last minute touch ups.
Make-up for Men and the Body:
There is not actually as much body shimmer on used on Strictly as one might think. The shimmer often contains too much colour and can depreciate for the costume. Make-up is often applied to legs if a short skirt or dress is worn. Training can be tough and contestants are often covered in bruises which must be covered up for the camera. As for that famous Strictly fake tan, the make-up team use Model Co "Tan in a Can" (their own words!) to give a healthy glow! Some of the dancers and celebs also get spray tans which can be topped up come showtime.
As for the boys, that depends on the dance. If ballroom, it is important they're clean shaven. For latin dances, they can be a little freer with facial hair. Mostly, products are just used to combat sweat. Antishine is used and powder is liberally applied. Make-up is also often applied to that little bit of man cleavage we sometimes get a peek at!
And to finish, a tip:
For false eyelashes, apply glue to the actual line of the lash, careful not to get it on the actual lashes. Try to push them as far onto your natural lash line as possible, as when applied slightly above - on the eyelid, they can become loose, due to the eyelid's oily nature. To get them more secure, wiggle it in a bit further.. After they're in the right position, fan them with your hand for 10-20 seconds, before opening the eye, pulling the lower lid down and pushing the false lash up from the eye. When they're on right you shouldn't be able to even feel them. Be aware they might need a little trim before you wiggle them on in there. Everyone's eyes are different!
So, all done with make-up! What a mammoth this one's been. Words can't express how valuable this experience was and I feel so lucky to have been given it, and the chance to have a bit of banter with Ricky Groves while numerous dancers had their rollers put it. Thanks again to Headstream PR.
You can check out all the action at bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing and follow the show on twitter.
You can also, of course, catch the show every saturday, and if you still need more It Takes Two is on every weeknight at 18:30, with the hilarious Ms Claudia Winkleman.
Please let me know if you read and enjoyed this post. You can ask any questions too and I'll try my best to answer. Another post on hair is coming soon!
All I have left to say now is... Chris and Ola FTW!
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