How to Do Makeup for Theatre Night

Theatre makeup needs to be bold enough to read from the back row while still looking polished up close.

1. Prime for longevity. Start with a mattifying primer to control shine under stage lights. Theatre venues are warm and bright, so your makeup needs a solid foundation to last through intermission and beyond.
2. Build full coverage base. Use medium to full coverage foundation and set with powder. Stage lighting washes out color, so go one shade deeper than your usual match and blend down the neck.
3. Define features dramatically. Contour with a shade two tones deeper than your skin and highlight the high points of your face. Theatre lighting flattens features, so what feels overdone in your bathroom mirror will look perfect from the orchestra section.
4. Intensify the eyes. Use deeper, richer colors than usual and line both upper and lower lash lines. Add false lashes or multiple coats of mascara since your eyes need to communicate emotion from a distance.
5. Go bold with lips. Choose a statement lip color that complements your outfit and the theatre's grandeur. Line slightly outside your natural lip line and use a long-wearing formula that won't transfer to champagne flutes.