There's a very old tradition of theater actors doing their own makeup. It's like putting on your mask. There's an element of storytelling involved in it - you put on your character when you put on your makeup. At least, that's how I like to look at it.
Makeup does a lot for your confidence. When I put makeup on, I walk taller. I smile more. I feel good. I know I look prettier. Even if I just put day makeup on.
My idea of no makeup on actors is really no makeup. I mean, they can be wearing makeup. I don't care what they're wearing as long as it looks like they're not wearing makeup. But an actress will suddenly appear with some lipstick on. And that's makeup. Keener's character wears makeup. Her character would wear makeup. I try to stay true to whoever that person is. I hate that kind of thing where you're waking up in the morning with makeup on in a movie. I just think it pulls you out of the movie.
When you have a cute outfit on and your makeup looks amazing, the first thing people comment on is your image. When you don't wear makeup, you hear things like, 'Oh wow, you look tired,' or, 'You're so brave for not wearing makeup!'
To be honest with you, my mom never really wore makeup when I was growing up. She wasn't really my makeup muse. It was my grandma. The biggest thing that she taught me is that it doesn't matter how your makeup comes out, it's really just how you wear it. If you carry it like you killed your makeup, then that's all that matters.
I love makeup so much, but I'm very bad at doing my own makeup. Italian girls don't wear very much, so when I do put on makeup it's just very, very natural.
After doing STAR TREK for so many years, to do just regular makeup is such a treat. Just put some makeup on and "thank you very much," you're on your way.
I grew up learning from numerous makeup artists how to put on makeup, different ways you can put on makeup, what type of makeup to use, what type of makeup not to use.
You'd come in in the morning and put your contact lenses in and they'd put your makeup on. I tried to stay out of the sun, because the more color you had, the more makeup you had to wear, to cover your color.
Back in 2006, when I started in the industry, there was a very old-school beauty mentality. We had to take headshots, and the makeup artists put on so much makeup - I swear I looked like a 48-year-old woman, and I was 22.
When you put your costume on and you get your hair and your makeup done [for a role] and you stare in the mirror you feel like a different person.
Once the makeup is on, it's a collaborative process but it's pretty neat to have the makeup sort of speak to you when you look in the mirror and see how the face moves. For me, the personality comes through that makeup and that exploration of how it all looks and moves. You try to make it more unique than just a human with a mask on.
Inside of all the makeup and the character and makeup, it's you, and I think that's what the audience is really interested in... you, how you're going to cope with the situation, the obstacles, the troubles that the writer put in front of you.
Once, a makeup artist put a little gold highlighter on my Cupid's bow, and it accentuated the lip colour and brought the whole makeup look together. It was just a little thing, but I loved it. I do it myself now, but I have to double check myself. I'm like, 'Is this too much?' You don't want to be leaving home with a big glob of gold on your face.
Sometimes I'll do a mask if I had a lot of makeup on that day or was out in the sun. I like a hydrogen mask. It's an easy one, and it's supposed to soothe and relax your skin.
When you look cakey, or you have too much on, and you actually see the makeup, the makeup isn't doing its job. When you use the makeup in a way where the people aren't thinking about the makeup, and they're looking at you, that's what we want.
Makeup looks better if your skin is not dry. And sometimes, if my skin peels, then it's all just bad. Basically, take care of your skin to make your makeup look nice.