Act II Elphaba Cosplay -- Makeup & Hair

 Makeup

    Because of my theatrical experience, I had a fairly good idea of what I would need going into this, but I combed through my Wicked Grimmerie for anything that might be of extra help. It does talk about the Greenifying process on pages 128 through 132, for those of you who have the Grimmerie. For those who don't, I will update with further information for you soon.

    For the base, makeup designer Joseph Dulude II chose to use the Landscape Green Chromacake from MAC cosmetics, diluted and buffed out to make it a lighter green, and applied with a wide Japanese art brush. However, it does cost a pretty penny and I'm on a budget. 

    So I looked around for something less expensive and settled on Paradise Makeup AG in light green from Mehron Makeup. It's a little lighter in color than the MAC Chromacake, but it looks just as good and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. I also got their Star Blend pressed powder cake in green for contouring and the makeup fixative spray. As for what I apply the base with, I use makeup wedge sponges. I already had these at home, but you can get them on Amazon for $5 to $10 depending on how many you're getting.

    For the eye makeup, I make do with what I already have. I have been using a combination of L'Oréal's Infallible eyeshadow in Golden Emerald, bareMinerals' loose eyeshadow in Purrfect (olive green), and a matte black shadow to give it a smokey eye effect. Then I go back and apply black pencil eyeliner and mascara. I use a separate black pencil on my brows.

Hair

    Lace front wigs are great for a natural looking hairline, but there are a few drawbacks:

1. Theatrical lace front wigs can be very expensive, upwards of $300. Especially if you have one custom made.

2. If you're like me and have a small head, the wig might not fit you properly and can create an extra poof on top which you might not want.

3. From a sensory perspective, if you don't like having things on top of your head---it can be a bit much. I myself am neurodivergent and can't stand wearing wigs anymore.

    My solution is to keep growing my hair out. It's already dark brown and I don't really need to dye it. But there are temporary dyes out there if you want to take that route. Just do your research beforehand and always read the reviews to make sure of what you are buying.

    If you would prefer to wear a wig but don't want to spend too much money on it, Etsy is a great place to look. I did a search for both 'black hair wigs' and 'dark brown wigs'. The more expensive ones popped up first, but keep scrolling toward the bottom. There are quite a few that look good and have a price range of $40 to $60.

    That's it for now, folx! I am planning on filming a wig application tutorial, so stay tuned. I will post it here when I have finished it.