Blue Sugar Skull Makeup

 This is a Sugar Skull makeup design I created for a Sugar Face & Body Art job during the Dia de los muertos season. I wanted to incorporate the teeth to give it a bit more of a realistic look. I also used dark browns and blacks to create some shading and more of an aged look.

Products used in this design:

Kryolan Face Paint

Cameleon Face Paint

Ben Ny Lumieres

Inglot Matte Shadows

Jouer Lip Creme

Sugar Face & Body Art Glitter

Sugar Face & Body Art Flower crown

 Below you'll find a quick video to showing the Sugar Crystals and Sugar Glitter I used to make this simple sugar skull sparkly and glamorous. If you try this design on yourself or someone else. Please tag me in it. I'd love to see it and share it.

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Green Sugar Skull makeup

 I taught this design all over the country this past summer. It was taught in a neutral tone, but here I show how it can be re-created in color and with a simple change of the eye you get a super impactful design that is fast and easy. I look forward to seeing all of the wonderful Sugar Skull makeup designs this season from all of you. Please feel free to tag me in your posts so I can share the love.

You can watch a quick video below to see just how sparkly Agave glitter is from Sugar Glitter.

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Birmingham Sugar Skull Workshop

WOW! This was a huge class. Typically face painting workshops are maxed out at 12 students due to the fact that our workshops are very hands on and we like to make sure each student is receiving enough of one on one attention from the instructor.

 We have made the exception with these Sugar Skull workshops since there are two of us teaching which means we have a second pair of eyes and hands to help but, wow we just did not expect such a huge response from our ladies in the south. This class was double our max. I'd say about 75% of students in this class had never taken a Makeup or Face painting workshop before this and I think they all did a great job. There is definitely some raw talent out there in the south and I'm really looking forward to watching the growth and artwork that comes from this class.

Thank you to everyone who made it to this workshop. You all worked very hard and we are so looking forward to seeing some awesome Sugar Skulls coming out of the southern states of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

If you would like to sign up for one of our workshops please go to my website and click on Classes and Workshops. https://www.shawnadmakeup.com/classes-and-workshops
Our next Sugar Skull Workshop is in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 18th.
 Hope to see you there!

Cultural Appropriation and Dia de los Muertos

Here we go again, Every year I am asked where I stand on this topic and every year I send messages to the individuals asking much like I am about to write right now.

Here is my personal stance on this. Growing up in a third generation Mexican American family who was not big on celebrating Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, I didn't really have a great understanding for what the holiday really was about until I hit my college years. It was then, that I became exposed to more people of my Chicano culture and began to embrace the beauty of my culture and traditions on my own.

I absolutely loved the idea of celebrating the life of my lost loved ones with so many others during this time of the year. It made me feel close to them again. I felt a sense of love and peace. I could mourn and be sad and in the same moment laugh at all of the wonderful times we've shared.

When you lose a loved one the sadness never really goes away, it just becomes easier to live with day by day. Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican tradition that embraces death, mocks death and laughs at it. It's a way to accept the inevitable and be good with it. It's a beautiful holiday that happens to fall around the same time as the U.S. holiday Halloween.

History-

Dia de Muertos originally was a holiday celebrated by the Aztecs over 3000 years ago. When the Catholic church moved in on their land they moved the original summer holiday to coincide with All Saints day and All Souls day. The first day is considered Dia de los inocentes (Little Angels day). It is believed that the gates are opened between the living and the dead on the 1st so that los inocentes or angelitos (departed children) can come back to visit us. November 2nd Dia de los Muertos the gates are opened again and everyone else can come back. Because everyone else can come back, los malos or bad souls can come back too, so we paint our faces as skulls so that the bad spirits will think we are dead and leave the living alone. Now, I'm going to stop right here for a second because to be honest with you I do not personally believe that souls of the departed can come back at all and this is why... in Genesis 3:19 God says this about death "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” and in John 11:25 Jesus says this about being born again "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and in John 14:2-4 Jesus says this about Heaven  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

La catrina-

Now back to the tradition of dressing up and painting our faces as Calaveras or Sugar Skulls. Dressing up as La Catrina became an important part of the Holiday in the early 1900's when Jose Posada created her image and called her La Calavera Garbancera, It described a person who was ashamed of his native indian origins and dressed imitating the French fashion of the day and wearing lot's of Makeup to make their skin whiter. Artist Diego Rivera soon after created a painting called Sunday evenings dream where he named her La Catrina. Thanks to Diego Rivera and Jose Posada the skeleton lady soon became an iconic image in Mexico's culture and tradition in Dia de los Muertos.

Dia de Los Muertos VS. Halloween-

Let's understand why the two holidays are different. Mexicans from Mexico and Mexican Americans who were born in America mostly agree that the two Holiday's should not be intermingled. In Mexico the traditions are very sacred and respected. Dia de los Muertos is a way to show respect for the loved ones we've lost. Altars are built in the homes with photos, food, drinks, papel picado, caveleritas de Azucar ( colorful, beautifully decorated happy skulls made from sugar), incense, Pan de Muerto and fruit. They are each decorated with love and care sometimes months in advance. Graves are decorated with candles and Marigold flowers because the scent of the flowers is believed to guide the spirits back home.

 If you know anything about the American Halloween you would understand that here it is about dressing up in scary costumes which include witches, spiders, webs Jack O' Lanterns and skulls to go trick or treating or at least that is how it's been adapted for the last 250 years or so in America (I'm only speaking for America, not other countries). This really has nothing to do with a night of remembrance and respect for the dead and this is where cultural appropriation starts.

The author of Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law, defined cultural appropriation as follows:

“Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It's most likely to be harmful when the source community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects.” (excerpt from Race Relations)

 If you are not Mexican and have decided to paint your face as Calavera or Sugar Skull, then you must understand what that means by showing respect for the tradition. Using it as a costume for Halloween is not necessarily being respectful and is seen as offensive to some (not all) who celebrate Dia de Muertos. You can't take an element from someone's culture held in such high regard and turn it into a costume without offending some people from that group. Take for example the indigenous people of America, It would be seen as offensive to some if you showed up in a feather headdress and said you were Tanto for Halloween. There are no webs, no spiders, no Jack O Lanterns, no pumpkins, no witches, nothing dark, scary, bloody or gorey in regards to Dia de Muertos. It is all beautiful and happy.  To incorporate any of these elements can be seen as offensive or disrespectful.  

 As an artist I am asked frequently to paint Sugar skulls for clients on Halloween. I don't say no, I take it as an opportunity to share the history and beauty of the Holiday with them. Because I come from a family who didn't really hold onto the tradition I understand wanting to learn about it and embrace it and so it has been my mission to help educate those who even show a mild interest in the holiday and tradition of such a beautiful culture. Why wouldn't you want to celebrate the lives of your loved ones through their departure? Accept death and not be afraid of it? 

 I ask you to consider showing respect for the Mexican culture this season by staying true to the beauty of the Holiday and learning about the history. It's not all about painting your face as a Sugar Skull as part of a costume for Halloween and instead it's about a celebration of life through death. I urge you to go to the grave sites or a Dia de los Muertos celebration and experience the reality and beauty that is Dia de los Muertos.

Sugar Skull Face painting at Hollywood Forever

Over the years as a working Makeup Artist nothing has excited me quite as much as being able to create beautiful Sugar Skulls during the Dia de Los Muertos season. This year I feel like my goals of creating a team of amazing face painters and Makeup artists who specialize in Sugar Skulls is coming true starting off with this group of talented people who will be at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. On November 1st, 2014.

 We are taking appointments for this event so you can skip the line and come right on in and be painted by one of the following Artists-

Shawna Del Real
 Monica Conde
 Judith Bautista
 Brenda Gonzalez
 Jamie Graden
Ronnie Mena

All you need to do to book your appointment with one of our star face painters and Makeup Artists is send us an email. We will take care of the rest.

See you on November 1st!
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Valentine Face Painting and Makeup designs

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching so I have begun my ode to Valentine's Day by Painting a few different designs to inspire. Please take a look at enjoy.

Be still my beating heart

 

Valentine Venetian Mask

 

Valentine Sugar Skull

Please feel free to share and link back here :)

FOTD Swirl Sugar Skull

  

About 2 months ago I painted this sugar skull on myself. The response from everyone was so awesome. I wasn't expecting it at all in fact, Heather Banks from Sillyfarm noticed it and asked if she could use it on the website for the month of October. Of course I said yes, what an honor it is for the CEO of the largest Face Paint supply website in the United States to notice your work.

 I love clicking over there and seeing my face there. When I'm feeling insecure about my work I will save this image and look back at it. I don't think I'll ever feel like my work is that great. I always feel as if there is so much more to learn. If I ever stop learning it will be time to leave this business.

 Anyway I do hope you enjoy this Sugar skull or Calavera. I used the Ben Nye lumieres palette, Wolfe White and Deep Raspberry, Starblend black and White and Mehron Celebre pro foundation.

  

  

  

  

  

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Dia De Los Muertos Makeup

 Today is Dia de Los Muertos. We celebrate the lives of those loved one's in our lives that have passed away. Today I celebrate the life of my beautiful Grandma Judy. She was the most beloved, amazing, funny, loving, caring, selfless woman I knew. My heart aches for her everyday but, I know she would not want me to hurt so today I will create and paint in her honor. She was always so supportive of my work and thought I was soo talented even when I didn't. She is only gone for a little while and one day we will be reunited in heaven and we will paint and create together. We will laugh and she will hug and kiss me like she always did.

Here are some of the Suagr skull faces I painted or did makeup for this year in honor of Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the dead....Please enjoy and celebrate with me!

This one was inspired by Diego Rivera's Nude with Calla Lilies painting...As most of you may know I love to paint anything related to flowers and nature. This is one of my favorites it is the first in a series of face and body painting Calacas or Sugar skulls in collaboration with Darling Images and Leanne Hare.

 

This is a couple that I painted to represent the Bride and Groom at the Dia de Los Muertos celebration.

 

Here is a close-up of the Brides Mask. This one had a ton of glitter and a few crystals added to the sides.

 

This one is more of a traditional skull or a more masculine version. I tried to keep the mouth more feminine.

and last but not least for sure, this is a more traditional Calaca. It is inspired by many paintings and tattoo art.

 I hope you enjoy and are inspired as I have been by so many in my life. I will continue to paint these beautiful images in remebrance of the beautiful people in life that have passed before us. Happy day of the Dead to you all!

Dia De Los Muertos Sugar skulls 2012

Two years ago I began face painting just before Halloween per my son's request to paint him like a Zombie. A friend of mine noticed me practicing and asked me to paint her like a Sugar Skull. Can I just tell you how nervous I was. She showed me a photo from a very famous face and body painter and I was shaking in my flip flops. Now 2 years later I have had much practice and am finding my own style. I love to paint my calaveras with bright, bold colors that just pop. I love painting pretty, it's hard for me to paint monsters because I want to make them pretty lol! Anyway here are a few of my recent Sugar Skulls or Calaveras I painted at a recent Sugar skull themed birthday party. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to get creative and have fun this Dia de Los Muertos.

Sugar skull or Dia de Los Muertos makeup

Last year my very first face painting job was a Sugar Skull or Calaca which I have to say although I knew I could do it, I still had butterflies in my stomach and was nervous to try something new. This year however, I am very comfortable and confident in my skills and was excited to paint a few for Sugar Skulls for Dia de Los Muertos. I belong to lovely community of makeup artists and face painters and have drawn inspiration from my colleagues and hope you will be able to take inspiration from these.
Here are a few of the Dia de Los Muertos makeup jobs I had including one self portrait or painting LOL.
Love & Sugar Skulls,
Shawna