What Cheer Makeup Do You Prefer?

Cheer makeup ranges from dramatic to natural and every variety in between.  When speaking with my clients, I find that each team has their own unique ideas on how to wear their cheer makeup for competition season. Cheer makeup and hair completes a teams stage appearance and draws the audience in.  Every team wants their own signature look.  I have coaches and cheerleaders ask for makeup looks by team name now.  The real uniqueness comes from the senior level teams in the industry.  The older girls have had years of experience preparing for competition and have created signature team makeup looks using their team colors.   If you have never been to an all star cheer competition then you might not understand the detail that can go into getting ready to compete at an all star cheer competition, many of this girls go to eyelash extensions in Cary to enhance their looks.

First let’s look at the kinds of make-up that you might see on stage and the pros and cons to each of them.

GLITTER

For a long time, one of the most popular kinds of makeup you would see at a cheer competition was glitter eye makeup. It  really gave you the “bling effect” and it is definitely not your average every day makeup.  To apply glitter, you would first apply the glitter glue to the eyelid, using a brush you would then apply the loose glitter by tapping it onto the eye lid, and VOILA… you would have an amazing sparkle when you went on stage.  The only major problem I see with this type of make-up is that during the application, the glitter would fall off and  there would be glitter all over the uniform, and face. There are many teams that still use this type of make-up, however, there are also a lot of teams that have started moving away from it as well.  The key to using glitter is in the application and products you choose.  You can get a great bling look when you find out the tricks to applying glitter right the first time.

EYE SHADOW STICKERS

The second type of make-up that I have seen with a lot of the gyms such as Fame All Stars would be the eye shadow stickers. They apply a light to moderate amount of make-up to the lid and then they add the jeweled eye shadow sticker above it. This also has positives and negatives. One of the biggest positives is this is a no-mess form of make-up and it takes seconds to apply. The stickers are reusable which also helps with cost. The down side is that stickers can be uncomfortable and if they are not taken care of and stored appropriately the become unusable and require replacement.  Beware….this makeup is highly dramatic!

THE SMOKEY EYE

The third type of make-up this is widely being used now is the cream make-up with a mild, moderate, or extreme smokey eye. This is a make-up that when looking at it, it looks like your everyday eye makeup. Gyms such as Elite Cheer Sensation out of Virginia, Sonic Cheers All Stars out of Texas, and many others across the country are using this style of makeup.

This is probably my favorite type of make-up that I have encountered, however after reading some reviews on “Makeup” on the Fierce Boards I have noticed that the “smokey eye” can be overdone and some parents and/or judges are turned off by it. Again, if this makeup is not applied properly the girls will look like they have black eyes.  There are makeup companies that try to sell cheer teams a look that only can be achieved if you are a professional makeup artist.  Do not let your makeup company try to sell you overpriced products that will not achieve a consistent look. A positive to this type of makeup is that if you need to replace items in your kit, there’s a good chance you could go to a retail store and find something pretty similar. With the other types of make-up, it definitely be more difficult to match.

SHIMMER EYE SHADOWS

Loose shimmer eye shadows are by far one of my favorites.  The products are pure minerals, free of fragrances, fillers and chemicals.  They are perfect for all ages, from the tiny’s to the seniors.  Applying a high quality waterproof eye primer under the shimmers will keep your makeup in place without creasing, wearing or flaking.  There are a wide range of colors and they come in both shimmer and matte finishes.  I absolutely love these products, and my clients rave about them as well.  I have not had one customer complain about look they have achieved with these easy to use products.  The products are loose powders, so again, application is key.  Dipping the makeup brush into the shimmer, and then tapping off the excess reduces the fall out onto the face during application.  The draw backs are minimal and the finished look is insanely pigmented and long lasting.

PRESS ON EYE SHADOWS

Press on eye shadows are by far my most popular new item this year.  With the makeup companies trying to sell over priced makeup kits and expecting parents who have limited makeup application knowledge to achieve a look only a makeup artist can achieve, press on eye shadows are by far the easiest application for a professional makeup look. My clients and parents LOVE them.  The best part about these products is that you can achieve a subtle natural look or a zebra stripe dramatic look in your team colors.  With one easy application, a professional makeup look can be achieved in minutes.  These products are made from pure minerals, are hypoallergenic and when using the setting powder, they are completely waterproof!  Not one negative issue other than my competition hating the fact that my customers love them!

Now that we have looked at the various types of make-up you might see at an all star cheer competition, the question is…. Do you agree with the girls wearing this makeup? There are critiques who think it’s just too much and they should be more natural when performing. I have heard someone say “I can’t believe you are OK with the girls wearing makeup.” The fact of the matter is that these people are not informed.  Cheer competitions are like dance recitals or the stage productions. I rarely hear anyone complain or disagree when a child is on stage in New York City wearing stage makeup, cheer makeup is really not any different.  I would love to hear what you think. What is your favorite stage makeup look?  Share you thoughts and comments below.

If you need a look designed for your team this season, contact me at info@prettygirlcosmetics.com or visit our website at www.prettygirlcosmetics.com.

Cheers,

Owner-Pretty Girl Cosmetics