Oshiroi and other makeup....

[tamayori]

Has any figured out the formula for Oshiroi makeup? and what do you use to blacken your teeth?

I have watched videos of geisha and kabuki players putting on the stuff-and i know they apply some kind of oil or lotion to their face first before applying the white.

and what about the red and black eyeliner? I use a waterproof eyeliner by Maybelline but i always have problems doing the underside of my eyes-trying to get as close to the lashes without stabbing oneself in the eye is hard-and there is always the space above the lash and the eye itself that could be filled in with pencil- but then by the end of th day you always have "raccoon" eyes.

I have used one of those 8-hr lipsticks that you literally paint on and let dry-keepin it moist with the gloss end of the stick-which is nice cause you don't stain cups, etc.
but on the corners of my eyes? hmm...

Also some of the "halloween" cake makeup I've tried using in the past doesn't seem to cover well- giving one a "milk-wash" effect.

any suggestions?

[Nagamochi]

Big Sis could tell you more, but she and I both use stage make-up: a white cream foundation by Mehron, a powder to set it, and a tooth blackener often sold by the same people. As for eyeliner, I don't quite use it the way you do, I've never had to touch my lashes, in part due to my genetics. Though one must remember to color their natural brows white and do "thumbprint" eybrows. Load up each thumb with your eyeliner, or mascara (not sure if those are different products), cross your arms, and place your thumbs high on your forhead. That's the shortened, abridged version.

A guy giving a female make-up tips, whoda thunk?
Fujiwara no Dairo Nagamochi

[Saionji Shonagon]

Go here and try not to scream - all I did was the white for the test shot!
tousando.proboards18.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=garb&thread=1120413869&page=1

Here, this is better - taken after several hours of wear too:


This is what I use. It's not oshiroi because I don't know where one would get it. You can find these things through theatrical makeup suppliers:

Wash and dry your face and brush your teeth.

Mehron foundation:
www.mehron.com/retail/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=27

Setting powder (which I forgot to put on the last time!):
www.mehron.com/retail/category.cfm?Category=42

Tooth FX tooth black (tastes metallic, is messy to put on, and will need retouching after you eat your lunch, but it comes off with toothpaste and it's the best thing I've found so far.). Put it on FIRST. Scrub the grey drool off your lips and chin, then put the rest of your makeup on.
www.getspfx.com/Tooth%20FX.asp

Use the eyeliner, mascara and lip color of your choice. Do NOT put red lip color near your eyes. For one thing, I think it's a theatrical effect to give better contrast so the audience can see the actor's expressions from a distance. For another, a lot of red pigments will irritate your eyes and it's not freakin' worth it!

One onna-gata trick I did try and like the effect of is brushing a little pale pink eyeshadow above the eye over the white - so subtle nobody will notice, but it adds a little dimension.

Saionji

[tamayori]

Domo for your advice Makiwara-neian!

There is a theatrical supply store here that I will check first for the mehron products.

I have recently gone thru a bout with anemia and am still recuperating-hence it has made my skin tone more sallow and pale than normal-I have been experimenting with a tone neutralizing lavender cake makeup by Naris to emulate a paleness akin to using oshiroi.(just to give me an idea)(ya wanna see scary-try being lavender!)

I normally have not blackened my teeth in the past, due to people freaking out when you laugh or smile at them.
Modern japanese women still cover their mouths when they laugh, as a mark of courtesy-tho I personally think it is also due to the japanese having Horrible teeth!

for eyes-I have found that placing a lil bit of lavender either along the top, or at the sides of my eyes, adds a l bit of interest. Being japanese I have no double-lidded eyes-tho I notice that a hint of gold along the top lid also has an interesting effect-not much, just a lil. I use a gold eye shadow made by Shiseido.

Just a note: If you dig out lipstick from the case- melt it a lil to soften-then you can pour it into one side of a pair of clam shells-then let it set. When it is set, close the shell, then secure with ribbon or a thick rubber band-use a lip brush or your fingertips to apply.

Check chinese drugstores- sometimes they carry lil boxes of "powder" slips of paper(almost like tissue paper, coated with white or pink powder)

I thought of using a wig at one time,but then-what for?
Unfortunately, last year I had to cut my hair, (about a foot off the bottom) because it was causing me headaches. (it fell past my butt)I am thinking of making a "tail extension cover" so that I can still retain the length-even tho it makes me appear Muromachi. I am trying to figger out a way to make those two shorter tresses that fall on the breast. (sagegami no binsogi)

....perhaps make two seperate tresses from a fake fall, connected by a cord-which goes around my head under my hair...but then it would need to hang over my ears......unless i can make it attach somehow to my hair....

This would be easier than trying to crop my real hair, and setting it with gel, etc, and seperating it from the rest of my hair everytime i wanted to go japanese. (i've tried it that way before..wotta big hassle for a single person) (I really need a dresser!)

[tamayori]

Heheh Nagamochi-dono,

yes, mascara and eyeliner are different. If you used those to make the "thumbprints" you'd have two very dark dots on your head.

I tried doing some with blk eyeshadow-but i think my thumbs are too big for my face-heheh, so instead I ended up using my forefingers-touching it up with a brush.

sigh...yes men have the most lovely natural lashes...thhhppppt! ;D

[Saionji Shonagon]

I normally have not blackened my teeth in the past, due to people freaking out when you laugh or smile at them.

I know. I thought Alvar was going to keel over the first time he saw me in full kit and I grinned at him. On the other hand, white makeup makes any natural discoloration of your teeth more noticeable. If you're not going to darken them, they'd better be really white!

Besides, it's the right thing to do. Since the original "recipe" involved tea, oak galls and iron filings, the metallic taste of the modern stuff may be reminiscent of what our ancestresses had to deal with.

Modern japanese women still cover their mouths when they laugh, as a mark of courtesy-tho I personally think it is also due to the japanese having Horrible teeth!

It's all the mochi! There's a quotation in Sei Shonagon's pillow book in which she admires a child who already has "elegantly" dark teeth. High carb low calcium diet, maybe?

for eyes-I have found that placing a lil bit of lavender either along the top, or at the sides of my eyes, adds a l bit of interest. Being japanese I have no double-lidded eyes-tho I notice that a hint of gold along the top lid also has an interesting effect-not much, just a lil. I use a gold eye shadow made by Shiseido.

I am thinking of making a "tail extension cover" so that I can still retain the length-even tho it makes me appear Muromachi. I am trying to figger out a way to make those two shorter tresses that fall on the breast. (sagegami no binsogi)

Please share if you figure out a way to make either of these work. I'm sure somebody will benefit. With the popularity of extensions these days, it might be possible to come up with something you could discreetly bobbypin into place or anchor to your own hair with some dark thread. Let me think on this one a bit and see if I come up with any brainiac ideas.

Mine is at waist length, but I really need to get the ends trimmed. And, as you've probably noticed from the photos, it's brown, not black. Well, actually, it's heavy on the salt, light on the pepper when my roots show, but I'm not ready to admit defeat just yet!

I need to continue my search for the right kind of hair ribbon when I do put it back!

S.

[Inoue Tsukiko]

sigh...yes men have the most lovely natural lashes...thhhppppt!

It really isn't fair. Not fair at all.

I know a soft white wax is often used today under the white make-up. Rubbed into the skin. I have no clue what kind.

With my eyes and glasses I do need someone else to do my make-up. I can paint someone else's face in no time flat, and my own but for the eyes.

*sighs* My dance teacher wants me to go out there without my glasses on. Fine except for nearly clubbing somebody when snapping my fan open. So embarrassing that was. Its hard to outline the eyes when I need a mirror three inches in front of my face to see my face and maneuver the brush and my hand somewhere between the mirror and my face. ;D

....perhaps make two seperate tresses from a fake fall, connected by a cord-which goes around my head under my hair...but then it would need to hang over my ears......unless i can make it attach somehow to my hair....

Perhaps the fake fall can be attached to clips or combs under your hair. I've seen them about this past summer usually with braids or beads woven into the strands. That way they wouldn't require a cord. I wouldn't be able to test it with my own hair as its dandelion fluff, but thicker hair should pull it off.

[Suzume]

I recently did my face up like this...I was pretty happy with the products I used.

I used Ben Nye color cake foundation in Porcelain. I bought porcelain and white to experiment, and overall I liked the porcelain better than the white and will use it in the future. It is the next darker shade to white, and it looked white on, but was a more flattering color than dead white, and easier to apply. it went on much more evenly than the white. If you look at it, it's whitish lavender, so i think it would be really good to cover sallowness if you do have that problem. I'm sure they have the same color in a cream base, but I chose the cake because it works a lot like oshiroi.

I used Ben Nye magicolor cake in red around the eyes, with no problems(And the black eyeliner and mascara I use every day). However Makiwara is right bout the red pigment issue, it is generally not good to use it near the eye. I think Mac and some other comanies make red eyeshadows, if you want to try.

for a teensy bit of contouring above the eye I used ben nye cool pink blush. This was probably the product I was least satisfied with. it just didn't go on quite right, but worked OK.

I don't know if the makeup appropriate for pre 1600 is similar to geisha and maiko makeup, but if it stops short of the hairline like theirs does, it is appropriate to dust some pink color around the edge of the hairline( i think this is to improve/ soften) the apearance of the hairline.

I'm not a Ben Nye rep. it was all just so easy to get! I have found a site of a japanese company that sells oshiroi, I'll post a link when i find it again...you could order it through crescent shop or another japanese shopping service( I will sometime and I'll review it here when i do!) I don't think it's more than $25 or so.

Oh, i used maybelline forever lipcolor in flame for lips...was very happy with that. I had bought some kyo beni(In the little shell) that I wanted to use, but the color was very pale and I didn't have time to layer.

[tamayori]

Makiwara-neian,

as far as the hair extension-what I was thinking of was first to prep my "tail"(i kept it after i cut it) by either waxing, or sealing the cut end shut with resin. This way no hairs will pull out while I am combing it. I also would tie the fat end of the tail with waxed blk button thread.

Then I would make a sleeve of brocade, lined-and sew the cut end into the bottom half, closing it up,with braided cords sewn to the outside to "tie it up"

The top would also have a piece of braided cord sewn on th outside-and a small, curved comb hand-sewn on the inside-above where the braided cord is-

I would probably make loops to hold the comb in place-unless I decided to use those big bobbypins.

I would tie back my own hair with a blk elastic hair tie-(the "ouchless ones are nice- cause they have no metallic bands) slip the comb of pins into my ponytail-just above the elastic-then wrap the cover around the end-using the braided cord to tie it off.-the sides of the cover could have velcro dots sewn along the edge to keep the stray bits from poking out.

I will definitely need someone to help me put this on-no doubt.

tho my hair is blk-hehehe i have my share of white hairs-
Winter is brutal on my hair-it's so dry out here in the prairies. But i have my mom send me some Camellia Oil if I need it-but it makes my hair rather thick sometimes.

[Suzume]

one more...

for the moth eyebrow thing, ( I want to try this soon so I'll let you know) I think the best thing to use would be a charcoal or grey powder brow color, applied with the fingers or a small fluffy brush. You could even stick your thumb in it and do it like a thumbprint like they were supposed to do.

for the hair lappets, I have a couple of suggestions.

If you have a sally beauty supply near you, they sell wefted extension hair(it has a sewn track at the top and is easier to use than loose hair), and these clips called weave clips. They are like a tiny flat comb/clip thing. they clamp onto the hair lying flat and close to the scalp. You can buy the wefted extension hair in different lengths and colors. All you would need to do is buy the appropriate length/color, cut a 1 to 1 1/2 inch piece, and sew it to the clip. repeat for each side. Then clip it on each side at about temple level(of course hiding the clip under your own hair) that should work just fine. of course you can cut the lappets any way you like. If they don't have the color of extension hair you need, you can probably find it online.


here is a link to a site I have ordered from before that sells all these things, but you can probably get them at a local beauty supply.
drlocks.net/cart/accessories-misc-c-26_53.html (weave clips are on this page)

As for the band around the head thing, thats a good idea too! I think that is how some "fake" bangs/fringes are attatched. The biggest problem would be how to conceal the thread that ran through the center partof the hair. I would suggest maybe using a clear nylon thread for the front part of the "headband"(this would also make it so you could measure where you wanted your lappets to spring from and the length between them would be consistant) and attatching your wefted hair lappets to each end of the nylon string, then going around the back of the head with a clear elastic. After you nestled it into your own 'do . i don't think it would be that obvious. I don't think it would really have to be very tight either.

hope this helps! whew, my brain is tired!

[Suzume]

this company sells oshiroi, but not on their american version of the site.

www.mitsuyoshi-make.com/

[tamayori]

Thanks for the info about the hair clips Kasumi-san, went to that site you mentioned...bugger, They sell the actual oshiroi and the abura too....sigh

[chiaki]

oooo, makeup! I have the extention clips for the lappets. It's the wefts on the flat clip. They are awesome. I bought mine and some random hair kiosk in the Maul of America.
Morbid makeup makes a red eyeliner and eyeshadow. I use mine all the time and have had no problems with irritation.

Anyone have any suggestions for a hair de-frizzer product that softens without making hair greasy or heavy?

[tamayori]

I recently got some hair lappets from a kiosk in West Edmonton mall during the trip to Coronet last weekend. I got 2 sets: one is blk the other drk brown. I'll just mix the two-after all hair is not all one color.

As far as De-frizzing....have you tried any of the Frizz-ease stuff? I normally just use Infusium's leave in Conditioner-but japanese hair is different from western hair.

I normally use Pantene's winter formula shampoo and conditioner as i have a tendency to "spark" alot.(hate that!) or Pantene's smooth and sleek line.

Every once in awhile I use this shampoo from japan which has camellia oil in it-it gives my hair a whole lotta volume- but sometimes can get unruly.

I have to figger out some way to get some funds together to buy some theatrical makeup tho-the halloween crap just doesn't cut it. (but it is ok for experimenting)

[Suzume]

hee hee.. I was chuckling picturing the lappets you bought at the kiosk...

in my mind I'm picturing a cello wrapped set of lappets with a hang tag on the top that has a pic of a heian court lady..the label reads " Beautiful Heian Flower- "lappets" . ;D