Since I'm asking parents and coaches (and judges) what they think of makeup on their skaters I assume this goes in Parents/Coaches.

Is makeup really necessary for competitions? I can see younger kids not wearing makeup at all, but what about low-level teenagers? I personally think that judges shouldn't care if they can see your eyes or not, they are mostly watching your legs and arms, right?

I once saw a kid about nine or ten years old. Her parent had whole bottles of glitter in her hair, so much hairspray that accidentally brushing against the girl's head left a small scratch on my arm, brightly colored eyeshadow, fake eyelashes, little sticky-back crystals next to her eyes, bright red/pink lipstick, and blush. To top it off, a high twisty bun with a sparkly tiara clipped to it. She looked like a Vegas showgirl. I don't know what her level was. What goes through other parent's and her coach's minds when they see her?

I must say that I'm concerned about being out of place. I like makeup, but I'm not good at putting it on, and neither is my mother. When I absolutely must have makeup on (formal dinner, formal portrait pictures) I brush on a bit of mascara and just barely line my lower lids with silver eyeshadow. And maybe a bit of clear lip gloss. I don't want to show up at my competition with no makeup and be told to put makeup on (though my coach doesn't seem to be the dolling-up-skaters-with-fake-crystals-on-their-faces type.) I also don't want the judges to think badly of my appearance or think I'm not serious or think I don't look put-together or grumble about not being able to see my face.

So what's the average coach's, judge's and parent's take on putting makeup on for competitions? Must-have or optional? Only for ice shows, or for everything, including tests?

__________________
Right Brain: In the distant future, I will land all of the doubles.
Left Brain: HAHAHAHAHA
Left Brain: You can't even do a backspin.
Right Brain: ...

figurekb on YouTube.

The problem is that, from a distance, a skater not wearing makeup under rink lights will usually look excessively pale. I always suggest to the parents of skaters 10 and up that it's a good idea to wear a little blush and a little lipstick to counteract the effects of the lights.

__________________
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

In competitions, judges not only look at arms and legs in elements, but there are also marks for how you present yourself - both artistically to the music, and in general. Facial expressions are one of these things that can help you as far as feeling the music and presentation - if you are washed out and pale looking, you may appear more nervous than you are, and facial expressions may not have the same effect.

The lights can make you look ghastly pale without a touch of makeup. If you put a bit of blush, lipstick and mascara, you will look more "put together" and may make a better overall impression. You certainly don't have to go overboard and have loads of glitter, sparkles, heavy makeup, etc. But some basic makeup is a necessity.

I would use the same makeup, though maybe toned down a notch, for testing as well. It shows you took the time to put yourself together and take it seriously, as well as looking better under the harsh lighting.

Its simply reality that how you look (as in, how you present yourself) has an impact on those around you.

__________________
"Without a struggle, there can be no progress" ~ Frederick Douglass

I agree a little make up is a good thing. If you're not sure how to apply it, go to a cosmetic counter at your local drugstore or department store. They are usually happy to show you what to do and then you can purchase the one or two things you need.

Rhinestones and glitter, IMHO, have no place on the face!

Go with at least a little make-up, as much as you hate it. A nice black liquid liner on the top and bottom and black mascara will make your eyes stand out, and go with a shadow shade that compliments your skin tone and/or matches your costume without looking hideous (i.e. no blue--browns/coppers, grays/silvers, purples work well).

I actually think having neat hair is actually more important than make-up. There is nothing that makes a skater look more sloppy and that is more distracting when someone is skating than messy hair all over the place. (You can never go wrong with gelling your hair back and if it's really long, put it in a bun at the back of your head so you don't have an annoying ponytail whipping all over when you spin and stick a nice sparkly clip next to the bun or a coordinating scrunchie around it. Or french braids.)

I think make-up and neat hair are important not just because it helps your overall look on the ice, but the act of doing your hair and make-up for a competition can be part of the routine that helps a skater get in the "zone". I know I start focusing on what I need to do out on the ice (visualizing, thinking about all the reminders my coach always gives) when I start doing the hair/makeup routine before I head to the rink. It's like putting your game face on. There have been times where I haven't really bothered with the hair/make-up routine and I quickly throw my hair back and maybe slap on a little make-up (smaller local competitions where I'm in a group with just 1 other skater or my last event in a larger competition lasting a few days and by that point I'm tired and sick of skating) and I find it's just like any other thing that can mess up your usual routine and it makes it harder to really get where I need to be mentally, and just really throws everything off.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

My question to you is this: she might have looked like a Vegas showgirl when seen up close, but what did she look like when she skating?

It's well known in theatrical circles: if it looks okay up close, it probably isn't even noticeable when you're on the stage. Everything has to be bigger in a performance; arm movements, facial expressions and yes, makeup.

Of course they are 'mostly' watching legs & arms, judging the elements. But they are also judging presentation, interpretation of music.

Imagine you are the judge sitting rinkside, comparing faces you see in the distance: one with no definition (none - little makeup) & therefore little dramatic/artistic impact, with a face that has clearly defined eyes, lips & therefore facial expressions (moderate to OTT makeup). Even if the skaters were giving similar facials, I suspect the judges aren't seeing them as similar. I have some experience as a judge in competitions (the equivalent of LTS, I suspect), and it does make a difference even on our tiny rink.

In short, it isn't how it looks close up, you have to consider how it looks out there under bright lights, from a distance, when the person is moving fast.

Yes, it's optional it isn't a requirement, and a lot depends on the importance of the event. Personally though, I wouldn't be taking to the ice for a comp or show without some fairly heavy-duty makeup. Tests I would tone it down to 'street day' makeup.

And that's my 2c worth

__________________
Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

Does everybody really look so god-awful on ice? What about people with dark-brown-nearly-black eyes and dark lashes?

Rhinestones and glitter should only be on the dress!
Thing is- I only have two eyeshadow palettes, mascara, a few random lip glosses, and I cannot buy any more. Whatever I do, I have to use what I already have. I cannot afford anything right now. Maybe I'll watch some makeup tutorials on YouTube
I have an eyeliner pencil, but I could never get it to work. Am I supposed to wet it or something? I'd like to get some of that liquid eyeliner (for free.).

No.. putting makeup on just makes me excessively nervous, wondering what people are thinking..! Putting makeup on around my coach and rink peers is quite a bit different than putting it on around family who will tell me I look pretty anyway. I'm being too self-centered, but I never wear makeup to practice and didn't wear it for my last two Basic Skills competitions, so I know it'll surprise people.
I will have to gel my hair back, it badly frizzes. When my hair has to be completely flat, I use cupfuls of gel to make it completely flat. Looks not so good when you're two inches away but looks much better from a distance. The bun thing I'll have to look up how to do, but I'll figure it out.

She would look like a Vegas showgirl from any distance. Other people around her had OTT makeup that I knew would look fine on the ice, but she had about 10x the amount of makeup as anyone else. Garish eyeshadow color. I'm sure the only thing judges were seeing was sparkly orange spots in place of her eyes. And the tiara- really! I hate seeing fake eyelashes on little kids, too. The kind of fake eyelash that is so very obvious that it's fake because your eyelids can barely hold the monstrous thing up.

__________________
Right Brain: In the distant future, I will land all of the doubles.
Left Brain: HAHAHAHAHA
Left Brain: You can't even do a backspin.
Right Brain: ...

figurekb on YouTube.

Glitter also belongs in hair. I wouldn't skate a competition or show without it.

As for makeup- just wear some mascara, light eyeshadow, a bit of blush, and some lipstick or gloss, if you don't want to go for "show" make up. But 99.9% of people really do need something to not look washed out.

If you don't know how to put on makeup (me! me! I never wear it in real life) go to a Clinique counter or something and they will teach you. You don't have to buy anything from them either, though I always think it's nice just to pick up the blush or something somewhat inexpensive to "pay" for the lesson, then just say "you'll think about" the rest.


My thought on little girls like this is sometimes they skate so they CAN be princesses. They aren't in it to get to the Olympics, they are in it to play dress up!

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Yup.

I did dancing comps so I was used to wearing lots of makeup and at one point I put that same make up for a dancing competition. My then-boyfriend was horrified since I looked... well beyond cheap, I know how I look with that much make-up on close-up. However, after the comp he said from the tribunes the make-up looked very good.

It's not just the lighting, it's also the distance. The reason vegas show girls (and theatre actresses, and dancers, etc) wear so much make up is that the perception from 30+ feet is very different to the perception from 3 feet. Blush is a must, as are eyebrow/eye pencils/powders and some form of lip covering.

Better than gel in some ways: use hair lacquer or use a combination: gell can be too wet looking, can leave comb tracks if you're not careful, plus, it's sticky. Do it wet, pull it back, spray hair lacquer over it; think of the stuff they sell for "guaranteed to hold your hair for two nights clubbing" or, the stuff that your grandmother used to hold things intact.

Makeup is standard but different from age to age; if you don't wear it, you don't fit in. Little girls - NO makeup IMHO - except for some blush, maybe some pretty sparkly stuff in hair, light lipgloss or that (think pretty young ladies/fairies, not party girls). Teenagers - yes, it's the norm, and you don't want to stand out for not wearing it, or look ill under the lights. Fortunately, because you're at a distance, no-one will notice if the eyeliner is a bit crooked

If you're using hair glitter, spray it on with your costume covered and your neck/shoulders so that it doesn't go everywhere. Be careful which one you use: there are some cheap ones that make you look like you've been sprayed with solid silver paint instead of looking glittery; some of them are also too big on the glitter particles and again it detracts instead of enhances.

You'd still need blush. Which will run you about $1-2 for the cheapest kind and will work fine.

Warm the pencil up in an inner pocket of your jeans for about half an hour. Body warmth will melt the fats it'll work better, don't wet.

Don't use eye make up that anyone else has used unless you want an eye infection.

Plus, liquid eyeliner is very hard to apply.

If you really really can't buy more, depending on the colors the eye shadow can easily be used for blush. The lipstick can too, but that's a bit more difficult to master.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Unless you've got eyelashes that look fake and overdone in real life, mascara is needed for ice effect.

As for buns: you need two things to make it easy (barirng those weird things they sell on infomercials). Hair PINS not bobby pins - they are different - bobby pins by the nature of the construction are not designed to hold buns- and, the hairnets the ones I use go by the tradename of BUN HEADS and are available in a range of colours to match hair. Other hair nets also work. I can do a bun with waist length heavy hair in under 2 minutes that will hold up under any stresses.

Basically: Pull the hair to a ponytail at the back of the head and secure with a strong hairelastic; not the top of your head, unless you want to look a character from Dr. Seuss with a weird knob on top, and not a flimsy elastic that will slide or snap. Twist the hair into a long smooth coil; not too tight, just smooth and sleek. Coil the hair around the ponytail base evenly. Tuck the end under; secure with a hairpin. Pull the hairnet over the bun, wrapping the loose ends under the bun itself. Secure all around the bun with hairpins. If you're a bit lumpy, a scrunchie will hide it ... I also have a collection of rhinestone studded hairpins that I will tuck around a bun for a pretty and elegant effect. It just takes practice ...

I have used lipstick for that purpose.

I'm an adult. I never wear makeup in everyday life, and hardly ever for special occasions. When I used to perform on stage I wore stage makeup, and when I compete in skating (bronze level) I use minimal makeup, no more than I would be comfortable wearing off ice.

So I would agree that, depending on your complexion and facial structure, at least a minimum amount of makeup is probably appropriate for you to wear when competing, or testing if you feel like it, especially freestyle or artistic programs.

If you're concerned about using too much or too little, you might want to try it out on a practice session before the event and ask your coach or a family member to observe you from the boards and let you know how it looks.

I have no problem with a skater using blush, lipstick, hair glitter, mascara, and a neutral eye shadow/concealer. (I usually use blush as eye shadow, too.) It gives the skater's face a bit of color and is appealing to the audience/judges who are some distance away. Watching a 'faceless' skater is distracting.

A pretty clip or some rhinestones in the hair are fine. If it's an artistic program and the hair "goes with" the program theme, that's okay too. I saw a girl skate a beach-themed artistic program wearing a really glitzy swimming cap. It was a hit and completely appropriate.

The amount of glitz on the dress should increase with the level of skating, imo. For lower-levels, glitter is fine with a few rhinestones. As the level of skating increases, the skater can handle the weight of the rhinestones and use the designs to build the viewer's interest.

False eyelashes and hairpieces are pretty common, but I think the skating should outshine both of those items. In most cases, they're not needed unless they tie into the overall "theme" of the program. Case in point: the overdone (but always cute) "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" in full bling with false eyelashes, a Marilyn Monroe wig and (of course) lots of costume jewelry.

__________________

I refused to put make up on for a long time. My coaches told me I looked washed out, but I didn't care. Then I started putting a little on and my coach said I looked better. I saw photos of one competition where I was wearing a little, and still thought I looked like a ghost. I am naturally pale (my boyfriend tells me I'm transparent), so I now try to put much more on for competitions. I still probably look a little dead, but not quite as bad. If you think you'll look ridiculous and hope strangers don't think you're trashy when you go out in public afterwards without washing it off, you're probably on the right track.

As a coach, for low levels and little kids I wouldn't make a big deal about make up, but when they start getting more serious about it, it's time to put a face on for the ice.

I'll put makeup on and do hair and put dress on for program run-through sometime in August, then, and see what my coach's reaction is.

How do parents tell their kids that eyeshadow is only for skating? I have a cousin who asks her mom every birthday if she can wear eyeshadow yet (she's 8), I know she would want to wear eyeshadow all the time if she wore it for a skating competition (she doesn't skate, but just saying.)

'..skater can handle the weight of the rhinestones..'



So true! A low level skater could never possibly support so many rhinestones! They'd keel over!

"How to get fit for skating: Wear an elite's rhinestone-encrusted dress in place of weight vest."

__________________
Right Brain: In the distant future, I will land all of the doubles.
Left Brain: HAHAHAHAHA
Left Brain: You can't even do a backspin.
Right Brain: ...

figurekb on YouTube.

"Make up is only for skating competitions/shows."

Seems pretty easy to me. I know I wore make up in dance recitals when I was as young as 6. (Stage lights are worse than ice arenas.) My parents absolutely wouldn't allow it outside of that.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

I see the costume, hair, and make up as a package deal. It is all part of the presentation side of skating. Skating is a performance sport and how you look (not how pretty, cute etc., but how your package relates to the program) makes a difference. My dd has been wearing make up for competition since she was 6 years old. She also wears it for ballet performances (a lot more then!) She doesn't wear it any other time except perhaps when she is playing around with putting it on herself at home, but it never goes out the door. She is in grade 4 and will probably not wear make up for quite a while in her regular life because it really has no mystic left at all.

She does not look like a Vegas show girl when she skates, and up close and out of context, ie. at a restaurant after the competition, it doesn't look like everyday make up. It looks like performance make up. Just like tights with out holes, the clean warm up jacket and matching gloves, polished skates, and new skate laces, it is all part of the preparation. She has never known a competition to be any different. In fact, now that she is doing more of the getting ready herself, I notice that she seems to find comfort in the routine of getting ready for competition.

I will admit that it drives me nuts when I watch Nationals and I see kids, usually girls, who have obviously invested thousands and thousands of dollars and hours to get where they are and they arrive with holey tights and hair in a scrappy ponytail. For $50.00 a season you can have tights, a bun, and make up. The bun stuff and make up will last for a couple of seasons. Two new pairs of competition tights per year and you are good to go.

Sorry, I'll stop ranting now (none of this is related to the original poster lol) it just seems very strange to put in so much effort and money and present oneself as not really caring.

^^^^^ I validate and salute your rant. You are absolutely on the money.

My 8 year old has a bag of "performance makeup". It comes out for dance performances. It is not used at any other time. We have very direct discussions about "stage" vs. "real life" with our girls. With our eldest, now 16, the same rules; in our family, absolutely no makeup of any sort until age 13, no piereced ears until the same age, and we don't even allow coloured nailpolish until 12; so, we're very strict, but, the eyeliner, glitter eyeliner over it, mascara, blush and lipgloss with eyeshadow ... it's part of competing or showcasing. We also had a professional teach our eldest how to put on "day" makeup, and I have a background that lends itself well to putting on "stage" makeup (plus, an addiction to a line of cosmetics, Lise Watier, they have these amazing eyeliners that they call "confetti" - they are glittery, stay on beautifully, are wonderful colours, and are ultra-safe for sensitive skin)

In terms of the hair: my pet hatred: those metal or plastic clips on the top of the head holding back bangs and then a scraggy ponytail with a cheap hair elastic. It doesn't take much to neatly fasten bangs back (or grow them out!) and to at least put a ribbon or a nice hair tie on ... the cost would be minimal ... or at least ... BRUSH IT!!!!!

Way off topic ... but ... you brought back a memory ... my littlest is very petite, very fair skinned, and has unusually shaped eyes - they are very tilted, plus she has quite high cheekbones, and long long blonde hair (past her butt). When we put her performance makeup on, she looks quite - unique. A little boy came up to her after a performance and very carefully circled her ... peering at her, creeping up and back ... then ran back to his mum, excitedly telling her that there was "a fairy in the restaurant".

My daughter is 11 and "hates" the make-up thing!!! Only because she's been wearing performance make-up for 6 years. She has dance recitals and ice shows which require a TON of make-up and then competitions which require a much more scaled down form. The novelty has truely worn off and I don't think I'll have to worry about her begging me to wear make-up for a long long time. She does ask to wear mascara for formal school events (concerts and such) but that's it.

As for what kind of makeup.....very natural colored eyeshadows and blush depending on the color of her dress. (please, no pink blush if the dress is from the red hues). Also, powder, eyeliner and lipstick. She curls her own lashes and it really makes the eyes pop!

For the hair - if it's a classical piece we always do a bun with a hairnet and if it's a fun/jazzier piece of music we sometimes do a "messy" bun or a curled pony tail. The hair just needs to look "finished" in my opinion. Pony tails are just fine as long as the whispy's around the face are sprayed back the pony tail is either curled or straightened....NOT raggedy looking!

Do you NEED all of this to skate? No, absolutely not. However, there is truth to the more formal one looks, the better one performs!

I should clarify to say that I don't dislike ponytails. I just think that for most senior ladies, competing at Nationals, a bun for long hair is probably more appropriate. However, it the character of the program is better suited to a ponytail, or the child is young and the hair not too long, then by all means... just make sure, as mentioned above, it is neat and tidy and "finished."

We have a rule about ponytails. As long as the end of the ponytail cannot be pulled around to touch an eye it is okay. As soon as it can touch an eye the hair goes in a bun - even for practice.

Heh, I was babysitting for my school-age (nonskating) niece and nephew one afternoon. Niece was playing with eyeshadow and blush. She applied it very neatly and subtly, so I said it looked good and she could even go out like that. She knew she wasn't allowed and said she would wash it off before she went out. I guess I'm just so used to seeing girls younger than her with much heavier makeup at skating competitions that it looked like no big deal to me.

Inexpensive make up:
Go to the dollar store. They always have a display. You can probably get everything you need for a few bucks.

Kay

__________________
Visit my figure skating journal
http://www.skatejournal.com/