#Umamakeupchallenge

A couple of weeks ago there were reports blasting all over the news that actress Uma Thurman had “Renee Zellwegered” her face. Translation=everyone thought that she went out and had a boatload of plastic surgery done, and now she was barely recognizable.  When I saw this photo of Uma on the red carpet I immediately thought, ‘Its just her makeup!“  Its really sad that people feel a need to face-shame Hollywood actresses. My Facebook news feed was mixed, with half of my friends adamant she had gone under the knife and the other half chalking it up to a poor choice of makeup.  I realized that it was mainly the fellow makeup artists on my friend list who felt it was just the way her makeup was applied, and that’s probably because we know a few key tricks of the trade. This is what prompted me to do the #Umamakeupchallenge.  I wanted to educate people on the power of makeup and how it can really transform someone (for better or for worse). I did 2 makeup looks on myself – first mimicking one of Uma’s more traditional red carpet looks, and then one that resembles her recently criticized look.  I executed both looks on the same day and took the photos in the exact same lighting and location. Let’s break down these looks and what makes them different

As you can see I do look quite different in each look but it was just makeup that transformed me, no scalpels were used here!  Not wearing mascara and eyeliner is the main difference.

Troy Surratt-Uma’s makeup artist – wanted to put these plastic surgery rumors to rest so he explained what he did:

Uma and Troy decided to create a makeup look that was “more editorial than it was celebrity.  We did a much stronger brow and a bold lip for a French sort of feel,” Surratt told Refinery 29. “I applied a creamy foundation for all-over glow, and then contoured the hairline and her cheekbones, adding warmth. I applied the lip color and then we just kept the eyes really, really light.  Then, I finished with a shimmering, silky-beige shadow on her lids, and went with no mascara at all…sort of a reaction against all the fake lashes we’ve been seeing on the red carpet.”

So there was a deliberate attempt to try something different and maybe even to spark up some dialogue with that last comment about fake lashes.  Unfortunately for Uma, Troy’s attempt to shake things up just didn’t come together in reality the way that he imagined it and she ended up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.  That “all-over glow” caught the blinding red carpet flashes in all the wrong ways, and the lack of definition around the eyes takes all of the excitement out of the look and made everyone speculate that Uma had had work done.

I hope my #Umamakeupchallenge demonstrates the power of makeup, and more importantly that just because someone tries to push the boundaries and mix things up with their makeup doesn’t mean we should face-shame them into oblivion and kick the rumour mill into high gear!  Sure, this time the risk didn’t really pay off, but if anything that should put the spotlight on Troy!  Uma is still just as beautiful as ever!

And besides, if an actor DOES get plastic surgery it’s really nobody’s business but their own.  But why bother with face-lifts, Botox and fillers when your friendly neighborhood makeup artist can transform you with a flick of a brush?   And its an added bonus that our work can easily be washed off if you don’t like it!

XO J9

#teamUma