# Tactile contact in the work of a makeup artist 👈👉



## Chajleen (Oct 23, 2022)

I often hear makeup artists apply some cream textures with their hands, arguing that the product "warms up" and applies better.

I think using hands (even with gloves) to apply products to a client's face is incorrect. The only assumption is applying a glare with a finger to the center of the eyelid (having previously disinfected the hands)

First, it's not hygienic. You can touch the client's table/chair/clothes and forget to disinfect after the hand - this is already a possibility of infecting the client.

Second: personal boundaries. Not all clients are comfortable with the feeling of someone else's hands on their faces. Not sure if they will tell you about it. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to do without hands, do not ignore it.

This post is solely my opinion, if you think otherwise, why not participate in the discussion?


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## makeupbyomar (Oct 25, 2022)

Chajleen said:


> I often hear makeup artists apply some cream textures with their hands, arguing that the product "warms up" and applies better.
> 
> I think using hands (even with gloves) to apply products to a client's face is incorrect. The only assumption is applying a glare with a finger to the center of the eyelid (having previously disinfected the hands)
> 
> ...



I totally agree with your post on this! And contributing to it without taking over your post.

I used to hear the same thing in your first sentence, especially from Fashion Editorial MuA's. That's an old school myth.  It's not the "heat" or the "warms up" or the "oils in your finger tips" or whatever they pitch. For one thing it's totally unhygienic which you've already mentioned. 

It's the _friction_ that warms up the cream / liquid based foundations, concealers, blushes, lip colours et cetera, when you mix them with a metal spatula on a metal or palette. _NOT _body heat to "prep" the make-up before application. There are layering and sheering out techniques that we MuA's use with tools that prep the make-up before application.

A few years ago, we were shooting exteriors in -15C weather, I had to do a quick on-set touch up to reduce the redness on the nose and ear lobes on our Actor due to the cold. Her foundation shade was frozen, but I scraped a bit onto a metal palette, and mixed until it became workable and sheered out to match the consistancy of her make-up continuity notes / photos, which was in about 30 seconds or so, applied it to our Actor, and viola...






Just to add to your post...

Thirdly: No Professional Union MuA uses their hands or fingers to mix, apply, tweak, the make-up on an actor. Been like this since the mid 90's.

The one exception is the after skin care process on an Actor.

Even then, we use brushes to apply their after skin care products on them. And that is discussed through consultations when the Actor is being hired for production during the negotiation process. And not done suddenly or on a whim in the make-up trailer last minute. Again due to personal space and boundries of the Actor and the MuA or Nail Technician. This step is thoroughly discussed at length weeks before principal photography even begins.

Anyways I am rambling... I totally agree with you on this Chajleen.


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