So, This one is a bit weird - but here goes. One consistent critique I'm getting from my beta readers is that my female TV-journalist characters get their makeup on way too quickly. This makes sense given that I as a man do not have significant experience in this department. I was in theatre in high school, so in that sense I have had to apply makeup to myself in a clunky fashion, and I have actually been on TV news as a guest a few times and been through that makeup process...but it seems that they take significantly less time on guys. So, while I'm going to try to do some independent research on this, how much time does it actually take for a woman to get a full face of makeup on well? I can put on a full face of STAGE makeup reasonably quickly - but it will look like garbage close-up, so I assume it takes a good bit longer and more steps if you're putting on makeup that will actually look decent on the street. That, and all of my characters are broadcast journalism professionals, so I'm assuming that most of them probably have to wear full-face makeup on a daily basis and hence are very proficient at applying it. Also, would welcome thoughts on which specific pieces of that routine I cold actually use for descriptive purposes in terms of revealing character (trying to think of tics that might differentiate my tomboyish protag from her fashionista roommate - other than the fact that the fashionista has ten colors of eyeliner lined up on the counter. How do I differentiate that one of them is better at this than the other, even though they're both proficient?) That, and a secondary question would be whether anyone knows how TV makeup works for a female in studio guest. I know as a male in-studio guest you come in wearing zero makeup and they then apply foundation and whatever else is needed in very quick fashion. I'm no wondering whether a female in-studio guest is going to come in with her standard makeup already on, and then get a quick touchup (same as the men) - or whether there would need to be a stripping of what ever she's already wearing and then a stylist applies a whole new face of makeup?
I think part of why women take a while to do their makeup is because they aren't just putting on makeup. They've done it a thousand times so it's pretty much muscle memory, so her mind wanders to other things. While my wife is putting on makeup she is: texting her friends, calling her mother, smoking a cigarette, drinking her coffee, checking and responding to her work email, and having a snack. I'll ask my step mother about journalism for you, she was on espn for years. I'll get back to you on that.
From what I remember it took my ex-wife around 10 minutes to do makeup for work. Though IDK what the average time to put on makeup for something flashier than playing switchboard operator would take. Maybe 20 with no distraction?
I think I had one scene where someone was in the makeup chair getting taken care of by a stylist and was finished by the end of a conversation. Which would totally happen for a man getting TV makeup - I've done that once or twice - but we get quick foundation, maybe a few hits really neutral blush on the cheeks, and that's it. No eye or lip makeup.
My husband directs the morning newscast and the follow-up morning talk show for our local Fox affiliate, which is in in the 33rd largest market in the U.S. They do not have any makeup artists at all on set. All the anchors and in-studio guests are responsible for their own makeup, whether they show up with it on or apply it in the dressing room/green room after arriving. According to my husband, most of the female anchors come in with no makeup (which is no wonder, as for his shift they have to arrive by 4am) and he estimates it taked them about 15 minutes for their faces to be camera-ready.
That's actually really helpful! My plot involves a character moving from a local news station in Wisconsin to a national cable news channel. So the idea of not having makeup artists and then having to deal with them is something I can play up as part of the culture shock.
My everyday makeup takes less than three minutes. I do the whole thing during my commute while I'm stopped at traffic lights. Foundation, concealer, loose power, mascara/eyeliner, blush. News anchors tend to have eyeshadow which would add another couple of minutes. 3-5, depending on how much blending is needed.
This is going to have to become a scene - if only because my fashionista character is also a HORRIBLE aggressive driver.
Haha. If she's a horrible driver she could do most of it while actually driving rather than stationary. The only bit I need to look in the mirror for is mascara or eyeliner. You could have her gesticulating angrily at other drivers with a foundation brush
That would probably happen lol. It's set in the very near future so there's already a gag with her driving like a maniac while having Google Maps up on her smartglasses - then yelling at the glasses when they confuse her, then freaking out when the glasses (and hence the map) die. All to the horror of the terrified protagonist in the passenger seat.
I have a strong memory of it (driver performing makeup application whilst stationary and moving) happening years ago as well as a vague recollection of it happening recently, seen through my rear-vision mirror. Aeons ago in my youth, there was a joke which had a driver using the wind from the car movement to dry her nails by sticking her hand out of the window. Then I saw it happen! (Such an act if included in a story may challenge some people's suspension of disbelief though.)
It takes 20 minutes up to an hour to apply a full face of makeup, as in Lotion, Primer, Foundation, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Mascara, Blush, Highlighter, Contour and lipstick If you have someone who is very particular about their appearance such as a reporter, then I'm assuming they are applying a full face of makeup. As mentioned though, experience decreases time so maybe your reporter is used to applying her makeup very quickly and will take 20-3o minutes. Many women will not apply a full face of makeup everyday though, often times they may stick to a bit of powder foundation, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush and lipbalm. This will lower the time to 15-20 minutes of application time give or take. Personally I take about 10 minutes and that's considerate very quick, but I only wear eyeshadow, eyeliner and lipbalm. A tomboy I would say would wear less makeup and more convenient makeup : Powder foundation, pencil eyeliner (smudged on quickly), mascara, lip balm And a fashionista would have a very detailed and challenging makeup process: Liquid Foundation (using expensive makeup brushes), liquid eyeliner (drawn very precisely, which is difficult for the average woman), blush, contour kit, nude eyeshadow palette, assortment of makeup brushes, several types of lipstick (liquid, matte, glossy), and fake eyelashes Tomboy will most likely use cheaper brands like drugstore brands, Bare minerals (for the foundation), ect. Fashionista will most likely use high end brands like Urban Decay, Anastasia Beverly Hills, MAC, ect.
I once had to carefully explain to my mother that if she's rolling down the road and realizes that she has forgotten to put on her lipstick, she should choose to keep controlling the car, rather than putting on the lipstick. This was apparently really truly news to her; she seemed to regard it as a riddle without a clear answer.
Bare minerals is slightly more affordable than most high end brands, their powdered foundation costs $29 while the Urban Decay Foundation is $36(powder)-$40(liquid). My point wasn't really to price compare the brands product-to-product but to say that a tomboy is more likely to splurge on a $29 powder foundation and the fashionista is more likely to splurge on a $40 and up liquid foundation like Urban Decay or Anastasia. That's why I mentioned "for foundation" for Bare minerals, since this theoretical Tomboy would buy mostly drug store but might splurge on a Bare minerals foundation which is considered on the more affordable spectrum of high end products. MAC's prices is pretty on par with BM but that really wasn't my point, since the BM was supposed to be a one time thing. Sorry for the wordiness of my response, I spend too much time online shopping for makeup honestly.
Thanks. On revision (or at least in book 2) I'm probably going to nail down specific makeup routines for some of the characters, especially because they're probably going to change over time to reflect character change - especially for the MC (Who starts out as a tomboyish small-market local-news reporter who does her own makeup, then has culture shock suddenly having to deal with stylists at the national network, then starts consciously manipulating her on-air persona for career reasons, then loses track of the line between the person she pretends to be on-air and the person she actually is.) ...and as someone who does not know makeup brands, just seeing that list means I need to start making up hilarious future brand names. Actually, I do have a tendency to mash up current brand names into future product lines already (I already have Mountain Dew: Hot Pink). So if anyone wants to suggest a high-end brand that's particularly friendly to bright (or even garish) colors, I probably will skim the website for terminology. My fashionista is extremely bright - she has glow-in-the-dark blue highlights in her hair, and travels with ten different colors of lipstick (I think I've had her wearing both fire-engine red and neon green - lots of bold primary colors), as well as similarly crazy variants in eye-shadow and such (I really want to do lime green mascara at some point)...and all of this is out of style at the time since 2034 is all about baby pinks and pastels, so I need something that's high-end but also a bit countercultural (right now Urban Decay looks decent).
What's a full face of make-up? I think mine takes about 10 minutes? But that includes the hair... so probably less. I use foundation, powder, and mascara, and if I'm feeling industrious, I add eyeliner, eyeshadow and rouge. It can take longer for others, or in @Tenderiser's case virtually no time at all. If your complexion is spotty or zit-ty, your eyebrows unruly, or you can't go anywhere without lipstick because it's your thing, those'll add some extra time. That one time I used super red lipstick, it took me probably ten minutes to do just the lips because of the lipliner. Your fashionista could spend 30 minutes applying her warpaint, even longer, if she's going for something elaborate with eyeshadow, for example. Watch make-up tutorials on YouTube.
Basically, every part of your face will have makeup. As opposed to most women's daily makeup which might just be mascara and lipstick or something. A news anchor going on HD TV would probably have: Moisturiser Primer Foundation Concealer Powder Eyeshadow Eyeliner Mascara Blush Highlighter / bronzer contouring Lipliner Lipstick I still don't think it'd take anywhere like 40 minutes, considering it would be a daily thing, but you certainly couldn't get that done at traffic lights.
Honestly, I wouldn't have the presence of mind to apply even foundation at traffic lights. I'm staring at the red light unblinking, my foot primed to release the brakes like a sprinter waiting for the starting pistol to go off. I'm still in awe you do your daily make-up while driving to work.
