We all see the glowing skin and voluminous hair that every TV host flaunts, no matter early morning or late night, they’re flawless! It all starts in the green room…here we’ve got the scoop from Nicolae Rita, TV Pro Makeup Artist for the hosts of Better TV and many of their celebrity guests. Before television makeup, he was an instructor at the internationally known Christine Valmy esthetics school for basic and advanced techniques. His work can also be seen on TV shows like Talk Stoop, The Real Housewives of New York, Watch What Happens Live! and Next Great Family Ban. Here, Nicolae dishes on behind the scenes beauty tricks, TV dont’s, and the toughest technique for his makeup students to learn!
On-air camera beauty tricks: Is it true that a camera adds 10 pounds? If so, do you apply makeup according to face shapes?
“I don’t think the camera necessarily adds weight to your face but it definitely makes it look flat! For that reason, I recommend contouring and highlighting in order to bring out cheekbones and define the nose, jaw line etc. I also contour the hairline and sides of the face for most clients. I personally prefer using a darker pressed powder to contour and a lighter one to highlight!”
Are there any colors that do not show well on camera or any major “don’ts” for anyone with a TV appearance?
“From my experience frosty and shimmery eyeshadows don’t look good on camera, especially if they’re not paired with a matte shadow! Another common makeup don’t is using a shimmery bronzer or powder all over your face. It make you look shiny/greasy on camera! I would only use a shimmery powder to highlight cheekbones and brow bones (or a shimmery bronzer to highlight darker skin tones).”
Is there an unexpected product that can help with a beauty emergency that we need to know about?
“If after your makeup is done you feel like you look dry and powdery you can place a tissue paper over your face and spray a fine mist of water, this is going to set your makeup and get rid of that powdery look. You can also press a tissue over oily looking areas throughout the day, it absorbs the oil and leaves you looking fresh!”
Could you share the funniest green-room makeup experience you’ve ever had with a celebrity or personality?
“One of my clients was removing her makeup and her individual false lashes, her husband’s reaction was priceless seeing that he thought her real lashes were falling out!” (Good one!)
You were once an instructor at a makeup school, what was the hardest technique for students to learn?
“I found that the hardest technique for the students to learn was contouring…”
“As a makeup instructor I found that the hardest technique for the students to learn was contouring , it always took them a while to get it right and understand the concept. It would always be too low on the cheeks, too wide on the nose or overall too dark in the beginning. [Contouring was] Not placed where it should be, it can do just the opposite (for example it can make a nose too wide rather than slim when placed too far apart on the sides of the nose).”
There you have it, pro tips on how to look your best on TV! Remember to add definition to prevent a “flat” affect and stray away from shimmer eyeshadows! Contouring also a trouble area for you? Try practicing with face charts, where to contour and highlight according to different face shapes. Let me know in a comment below which of these tips were most helpful to you!
Stay connected with Nicolae at NicolaeRita.com, Facebook and Twitter!