Cosmetics in the Hot Seat

I get loads of emails from people asking about costumes and performance issues and recently was asked about make-up, masks and other facial coverings while performing fire. I thought it was intriguing enough to bring to the board.About masks..I have in the past advised that they be half masks, either covering the side of the face or the top, so as to ensure healthy breathing. I also think they should have enlarged eye holes and no "accessories" that really protrude into an area where they will either mess with your site lines or catch fire, this is especially true for us breathers and eaters. I also think that leather, especially a soft and thin leather such as deer hide, would be the best type of mask to use as they are form fitting and not nearly as hot/flammable as the platic, paper mache, feather and other such masks available to make or buy out there. In my experience I have found they are also more durable.Someone suggested a scarf over the face as per one of the Cirque Du Soliel shows (Quidam I think), which would be an amaing effect, so long as it is very thin and tied loose enough around the head that it can be whipped off in case of an emergency. The tie ends would also come into question I think, and need to be tucked in or under or some such thing.Make-up....first of all, nail polish is flammable and will actually melt your nails if exposed to the flame...it has happened to me a couple of times, without injury. Along these lines I have had questions about the fake acrylic nails. Acrylic is the main ingrdient in the nail polish that is flammable so right there on the ends of fingertips are some melty wicks. Not a grand idea, methinks.As for other make-ups...mascara actually helps to slow down the singe, and yes, I have singed my eyelashes. I use the waterproof kind. It doesn't prevent the singe but it sure kept my eyes from getting an all new kind of twinkle in them!!!Any facial make-up, meaning base, blush, eye shadow, pressed colors, etc...water base will sweat right off your face. Sometimes when this happens it make a beeline for your eyes and gets kind of stingy. Also water based doesn't tend to be as heavy as oil and so doesn't show as well when on stage. This is the more everyday make-up. Water based mae-up is not at all flammable, if you use heavy amounts and brush over your entire face with powder (make-up setting powder) when you're done. This make-up is perfect for short shows, you should be good for two hours of off and on performing, before it starts to sweat off and will need to be re-dusted with powder, or have to reapply. Oil or greased based is heavier and thicker. It gives great dynamic to your face because it can be more bold without having to apply as much. It doesn't sweat off, in fact it can be damn hard to take off after the fact. Too much of this can actually clog your pores and hinder perspiration (which if it covers more than 40% of your body is a bad thing). This type of make-up is theatrical make-up. Depending on how thicklythis is applied, it can cause a heat burn. That is, if the flame gets too close the oil base for the make-up heats up and will burn you. However, this make-up is perfect for long sets and day long events because it doesn't sweat off and it holds a string theatrical dynamic, perfect for those very artsy and very theatrical flaming and pyrotechnic shows. Eye and lips pencils are both fine, great accents and in some cases can be used to "color" in parts of the face so that you don't have to worry about water vs. oil, however, these can sometimes stain your flesh.Lipstick, gloss and chapsticks. These are fat and petroleum based products. If you do fire eating, don't put these on until after you are done. They will heat up on your lips and can burn you. I am talking not only from experience personally (I didn't think about it and had some on for practice ones day, my lips got very warm and I stopped and took off the lipstuff before I got burned or continued on) but from others that I have talked with. If you want color on your lips then I recommend a pencil, if you want shine, lick your lips.Also remember that day shows require less make-up than night shows.As for topical things, perfumes and lotions. pj's suggestion of Avon's Silicone Glove or some other such lotion is a good one. Any moisturizer that is non-comudogenic (sp?), hypo-allergenic (that is non-pore clogging and won't cause an allergic reaction) is a great thing to smear on flesh before a show. It creates a barrier so that it helps to wash soot off easier afterwards. If you are a perfume cologne kind of person go for it. I was asked if since these things contained alcohol as a main ingredient wouldn't they serve to make the skin more flammable? Nope. The alcohol is in the scents to thin them down for easier aspiration as well as to make them adhere to the skin better, the alcohol evaporates so the scent is all that is left behind. Now whether or not the synthetic scents leave anything remotely flammable behind, I really don't know, though I doubt it.Anyway, whether you wanted it, cared for it or not, there you go. grin

Safe spinning all...------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK

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