Choosing Dance Makeup for Competitions

A lot of dancers complain about the amount of makeup they have to wear for performances. Caking on the dance makeup can be annoying and may induce acne breakouts. But without dance makeup, the bright lights will wash out your skin, making you look unhealthy. Dance makeup can also be used to highlight and add to your dance costume.

Most dance studios require that all dancers purchase makeup from the same vendor. This ensures uniformity. But other dance studios give students some freedom in purchasing and applying makeup, especially dancers performing in solos and duets. If your studio hasn't given you specific instructions on how to choose and apply dance makeup, the following tips will help you look your best on stage.

Use Makeup That Fits Your Dance Costume

If you're dressed in a demure ballet costume, it wouldn't make sense to wear hot pink lipstick. But if you're performing a wild jazz piece, extreme makeup will complement your dance costume. Dancers with frequent costume changes often prefer to stick to a basic look that works for multiple dances. For example you can wear fake eyelashes with neutral lipstick, eye shadow and blush for a wide variety of dances. You will also want to keep the color scheme of your dance costume in mind. If you are wearing a bright orange dance costume, avoid fuchsia lipstick at all costs.

Learn more about selecting the perfect dance costume.

Mascara vs. Fake Eyelashes

Studio preferences regarding mascara and fake eyelashes vary greatly. In my experience, competitive dancers stick to mascara until they are in high school, at which point they begin wearing fake eyelashes. Some people (myself included) HATE wearing fake eyelashes-they feel heavy and take forever to put on. But fake eyelashes really bring out your eyes on stage, making your face look much more expressive to the audience. So when choosing whether or not to use fake eyelashes, you'll need to abide by your studio's policies, and if given a choice in the matter, use your own discretion.

Glitter and Rhinestones

Some dancers like to accentuate their appearance by applying glittery makeup or small rhinestones to their faces. Personally, I've found applying glitter to be a waste of time. It gets everywhere, making a huge mess in the dressing room. And most of the time, glitter makeup isn't even noticeable from the audience. Rhinestones are also hard to spot from a distance, unless they are large and tacky-looking. Not to mention, they tend to fall off easily. If you do choose to use glitter, find a roll-on glitter stick and apply it around your eyes.