The Use of Makeup in The Film Industry

Makeup plays a vital role in the film industry and allows actors and actresses to be transformed into completely different people, animals, and monsters. It allows films to become much more realistic and it has a range of uses in many movies. Here are some of the best uses of makeup within the film industry.         

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The Fly

This movie actually won an award for the artist and his team for their work using makeup to transform the main character into a human-fly hybrid. Even though this film was before the days of CGI, makeup managed to create this spectacular movie and its effects. Whilst the makeup used in this film is not there to look pretty, it shows us just how makeup can transform a character and make us believe a storyline. The creators of this look started from the final cut and worked backward to make Brundle slowly transform into the character under the audiences watching eyes.

Tootsie

In this movie, Dustin Hoffman plays a regular old joe who can’t find a job. As he is getting frustrated tirelessly searching for one, he decides to dress up as a woman. This film uses makeup to totally transform his character and the effects are extremely realistic. The makeup team did an excellent job of portraying Hoffman as a woman. The film explores makeup in everyday life and how it can affect your feelings and confidence, as Hoffman become more noticeable and appreciated when he uses makeup, but he also begins to realize things he hadn’t known about his old self before, which he misses.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

This famous series has been made into both a movie and a television series. Jim Carrey stars in the famous role of Count Olaf and is made to look quite evil with the use of makeup. Carrey is almost unrecognizable in this role and makeup changed him into an evil and sinister old man. Makeup was used as a great tool to captivate the audience and truly have them believe his wicked ways. Daniel Handler is the brains behind Lemony Snicket, with a range of books under this persona.

The Lord of The Rings

These three movies are known to many as the greatest fantasy trilogy of all time. First starting as a novel, the LOTR books quickly became popular and the first movie was released. The special effects in the movies are unreal, as are the efforts in makeup. Everything from the orc’s faces to the hobbit’s feet was made better by the incredible makeup skills and time that went into them. Makeup was also used to make the elves seem like magical creatures, ensuring their faces would glow in each and every scene. Makeup was used throughout this trilogy to bring even more depth to the story.

Makeup is not just used to make us look good, often, it is used as an art form. In all of these movies, makeup is used to captivate an audience and make the film more believable.

Sharrie Williams, new book, "MAYBELLINE: OUT OF THE ASHES" coming soon.

MARILYN MONROE IN FASHION, A FABULOUS NEW BOOK.

Marilyn in Fashion: The Enduring Influence of Marilyn Monroe by Christopher Nickens and George Zeno (Jul 3, 2012

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The healing begins, as my family takes on a new make-up.

Getting on the right track, as our family heals from the aftermath of Arkansas.

Gene's mother, Evelyn Dorney, Gene, Sharrie, Baby Georgia, my sister Billee, Bill and Gloria at Georgia's second birthday at Disneyland.

Life took on a new slant, three years after Nana's death, and our war-torn family began to heal.  Bill calmed down with Gloria, and he took his role, as head of the family, more seriously.  He was a grandfather now, a father and soon to be a married man once again.  The best years of our lives waited for us in the 1980's.

Stay tuned for Bill and Gloria's Wedding in Montecito, New Years Eve, 1979.

It's still not to late to purchase tickets for my One Woman Show, Sept 7th, at The Beverly Hills Women's Club.  Hope to see some of you there as I make The Maybelline Story come alive.

"Miss Maybelline" is born, after Tom Lyle's death.

1977, Nana becomes Miss Maybelline, gets a divorce, has a face lift, at 76 and forever remains 45.

For the full details of Miss Maybelline's life and times in her 70's, ending in an unexpected tragedy, pick up your copy of The Maybelline Story today.

Mabelline ad in 1942 War Time

Maybelline Ad 1942

Experpt from The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.  Copyright, Bettie Youngs Books, 2010.

Noel phoned Tom Lyle. “We’ve got a production problem, T. L. The President issued a warning to the beauty industry that rationing of certain raw products would begin soon, especially petroleum jelly!” This was still Maybelline’s key ingredient.

“That’s all we need,” Tom Lyle said. “We’ve got to do something fast or we’ll sink along with the enemy battleships.”

Tom Lyle, Emory, and Arnold brainstormed. As in World War I, businesses tailored their ads to fit the war effort. Emory noticed a trucking ad that said, They’ll Never Bomb Us Out! . . . Trucks will always get through!  

“We need to get that kind of spirit into our ads,” he said, “creating a strong demand that will get through to Washington. Remember how well Patriotism Through Beauty worked in 1916?”

Arnold said, “The boys have got the inside of their Quonset huts covered with pinups—including most of our girls. They may say they’re fighting for flag, mom, and apple pie, but their wallpaper tells the truth.”

Tom Lyle agreed. “If we could just ask some of the military brass to consider how many of the girls in the pinups might be wearing make-up, and whether their pinup appeal would be as powerful if they were not wearing cosmetics.”

“That should get their attention,” Emory agreed.

Tom Lyle called Noel the next day and told him to buy up as much petroleum jelly as he could before the rationing went into effect. The first wartime ad to appear showed a housewife writing a letter to her husband at the front.  Naturally, her eyes were perfectly Maybellined, and the slogan read, They’re doing They’re doing their bit by keeping their femininity. That’s one of the reasons we are fighting. Another ad showed an elegant young woman as lovely as a pinup girl with an admiring military officer adoring her as he helped her with her white stole. The caption read, Just as he dreamed her eyes would be, reminding women to be as lovely as the pinups by using Maybelline. One ad simply said War, Women, and Maybelline.

In spring of 1942, the Pentagon warned the White House that the war should not create a glamour shortage. A memo to Roosevelt advised that such a loss of beauty  “might lower national morale.” Suddenly petroleum flowed like water into Maybelline’s vats. Tom Lyle’s campaign had virtually saved the entire cosmetic industry for the duration.