faceup - oct. 2007

Eyebrows and eyelashes basically done. I did put a small amount of darker lines around the eye area after this photo, which you can see in the below ones.

I then did a base coat of blush on the lips before sealing. I talk more about blushing below, but for this faceup, I used human blush to get a warm pink tone, applied with the rounded end of the double-ended q-tips because Dee's lips are quite deep. I find it works better to build the color in stages, sealing in between, and this way I can minimize how much MSC I have to use.

|+| BLUSHING |+|

First stage of blushing - cheek color only. I use a separate color along the cheekbone (position varies depending on the sculpt and the look you want), basically the same way you put on your own blush (if you do XD).
I apply the color with a cottonball; get some on it, then tap it lightly on paper so that you don't have too much loose powder. Then you can apply it to the head in gentle circles. If the color comes out too strong, you can remove it with a damp cottonball; just remember that you'll have to pretty much remove all the color to avoid getting ugly uneven areas (and make sure it's not even a little damp when you try again or the same problem will occur).

Chalk pastels ground on sandpaper onto a paper towel. I used some Volks pastels, and some of my own. I mix colors together to get the look I want. You can go surprisingly pink for the cheek color, since it's balanced by the yellow tone of the resin (on normal skin dolls, anyway). I also use this color for the area around the tear ducts and the inner eye.

I use cottonballs again for the main blushing, along the jawline and curve of the head. I switch to q-tips for the eye area.
Once the "general" blushing is done, I seal again with 1-2 light coats before doing what Volks sometimes refers to as "point" makeup; additional lip color, and any eyeshadow. When you're coating blushing, be extra careful about keeping the coats light; if they get too heavy, the dampness will affect the evenness of the blushing. Coating will always darken blushing slightly, something to keep in mind when determining if you have as much as you want. It's better to err on the light side and then add to it; if it comes out too heavy or uneven, you can only fix it by starting the faceup over.

For this layer I've only done the base coat of blushing on the lips. I do a darker color closer to the crease of the mouth, and also in the center of the lip.

Nearly final faceup, all the blushing done and the final sealing completed.

|+| FINISHING AND GLOSSING |+|

Final finishing steps - I didn't get a photo of doing the lip line, which I do before the final sealing. Everything else comes after. The lip line color is a matter of taste - Gideon has a strong personality so I wanted a fairly dark color; I used a reddish brown. It works best if you only do a lip line at the corners and partway in, not all the way across the lip.
I do the lip and eye highlights after the final sealing. If I seal over the eye highlight, it makes it look too dull. I now do the lip highlight AFTER glossing - I had problems with it getting distorted by the glossing stage, and it looks fine over the top (and doesn't really need protection).

When I gloss the lips, I sometimes like to mix something into the gloss to get a pearl finish. You can use pearl powders (Volks sells them as "Shine Pearl); personally, I've found that mixing a VERY small amount of silver acrylic in gives me the effect I like. I find the pink Shine Pearl too girly. If you're doing a faceup that you want to be very natural or masculine, you should use either straight gloss (or a satin finish, if you like), or you can mix in some pastel dust to get a faint tint.

Finished faceup, everything done but putting the lashes in. Then I can put in eyes and re-unite the head with its body.

|+| SETTING LASHES |+|

I use the wide end of a toothpick to apply some Elmer's along the top edge of the eye. I find it's easier to let this start to dry just a little, so that it's tacky without being liquid so the lashes won't slide around.

I start placing the lashes from the outside of the head so that I don't get glue where I don't want it on the lashes. This is where you figure out how you want them side-to-side.

And from below, I then work the lashes backwards into the head and use either the tweezers or a clean toothpick to push them into the glue. After letting it dry a little, you can put a little bit more glue on just to make sure they won't get dislodged.

back

	First stage of blushing - cheek color only. I use a separate color along the cheekbone (position varies depending on the sculpt and the look you want), basically the same way you put on your own blush (if you do XD). I apply the color with a cottonball; get some on it, then tap it lightly on paper so that you don't have too much loose powder. Then you can apply it to the head in gentle circles. If the color comes out too strong, you can remove it with a damp cottonball; just remember that you'll have to pretty much remove all the color to avoid getting ugly uneven areas (and make sure it's not even a little damp when you try again or the same problem will occur).
	Chalk pastels ground on sandpaper onto a paper towel. I used some Volks pastels, and some of my own. I mix colors together to get the look I want. You can go surprisingly pink for the cheek color, since it's balanced by the yellow tone of the resin (on normal skin dolls, anyway). I also use this color for the area around the tear ducts and the inner eye.
	I use cottonballs again for the main blushing, along the jawline and curve of the head. I switch to q-tips for the eye area. Once the "general" blushing is done, I seal again with 1-2 light coats before doing what Volks sometimes refers to as "point" makeup; additional lip color, and any eyeshadow. When you're coating blushing, be extra careful about keeping the coats light; if they get too heavy, the dampness will affect the evenness of the blushing. Coating will always darken blushing slightly, something to keep in mind when determining if you have as much as you want. It's better to err on the light side and then add to it; if it comes out too heavy or uneven, you can only fix it by starting the faceup over.
	For this layer I've only done the base coat of blushing on the lips. I do a darker color closer to the crease of the mouth, and also in the center of the lip.
	Nearly final faceup, all the blushing done and the final sealing completed.

	Final finishing steps - I didn't get a photo of doing the lip line, which I do before the final sealing. Everything else comes after. The lip line color is a matter of taste - Gideon has a strong personality so I wanted a fairly dark color; I used a reddish brown. It works best if you only do a lip line at the corners and partway in, not all the way across the lip. I do the lip and eye highlights after the final sealing. If I seal over the eye highlight, it makes it look too dull. I now do the lip highlight AFTER glossing - I had problems with it getting distorted by the glossing stage, and it looks fine over the top (and doesn't really need protection).
	When I gloss the lips, I sometimes like to mix something into the gloss to get a pearl finish. You can use pearl powders (Volks sells them as "Shine Pearl); personally, I've found that mixing a VERY small amount of silver acrylic in gives me the effect I like. I find the pink Shine Pearl too girly. If you're doing a faceup that you want to be very natural or masculine, you should use either straight gloss (or a satin finish, if you like), or you can mix in some pastel dust to get a faint tint.
	Finished faceup, everything done but putting the lashes in. Then I can put in eyes and re-unite the head with its body.

	I use the wide end of a toothpick to apply some Elmer's along the top edge of the eye. I find it's easier to let this start to dry just a little, so that it's tacky without being liquid so the lashes won't slide around.
	I start placing the lashes from the outside of the head so that I don't get glue where I don't want it on the lashes. This is where you figure out how you want them side-to-side.
	And from below, I then work the lashes backwards into the head and use either the tweezers or a clean toothpick to push them into the glue. After letting it dry a little, you can put a little bit more glue on just to make sure they won't get dislodged.