Of monsters and men

MAKE-UP has long been a beautifying tool for men and women alike. Though it still is, there is now a growing number of Malaysians who are bucking this trend to create looks that are grim, ghastly and gory.
From vampire to goblin, severed fingers to bloody wounds, Special Effects Make-up (SFX) opens up a world of possibilities. It allows one to not only immerse in the wonders of these beauty tools, but to also use them as transformational wands.
According to make-up artist Nor Asmawati Abdullah, SFX is “an advanced make-up artistry that transforms one into characters, creatures or even change them from normal to abnormal”.
The 28-year-old’s opinion is shared by another fellow make-up artist, Neb Razif. She too believes that SFX is all about exploring the unconventional.
“There are various kinds of SFX, but it’s basically about going beyond normal make-up in order to alter your facial structure and to create realistic looks,” she opined.
Meanwhile, for Hammada Bamadhaj, it is a form of art. “Before I knew what SFX was, I always thought that it would be amazing if I could bring my drawings to life. And SFX, to an extent, is the answer because it lets me do so,” explained the enthusiast.
Painting the theatrics
As different as night and day, SFX offers a glimpse into the dark side of make-up. Much like an alter ego to the normal make-up that most of us know, it presents a grotesqueness that frightens, repels and fascinates many in equal measures.
Although both types of make-up do overlap in certain aspects – such as theory, techniques, and tools – no one will confuse them since their appearances generally set them apart.
“It is vastly different from normal make-up because your goal is to look beautiful. SFX, on the other hand, is where you show the other side of things by creating looks that are hideous. In fact, the uglier it is the better,” added Neb.
Moreover, SFX looks are difficult to produce as well. Hammada elaborated that many prep works are involved, especially if prosthetics are used since that means preparing those parts in advance. Asmawati agreed as much,
“SFX make-up is much harder due to the details needed. Hence, you need patience to complete it. I found it hard to understand the process and the tools at first, but with time and effort, it got easier.”
To develop as realistic a guise as possible, an extensive amount of details is needed and as such, the three aficionados disclosed that it takes them an average of two-hour to finish a look. Furthermore, a lot of tools are required and they are priced at the steep end.
While SFX also needs normal beauty products such as foundation, eyeshadow palette, and pencil liners, it requires other uncommon materials too. For example, liquid latex, polymorph plastic, wax, silicone, fake blood, and more.
“Plenty of items are either expensive or difficult to get in Malaysia. Hence, I usually DIY because there are creative alternatives. Say, instead of using polymorph plastic to make fake teeth, I use cotton, aluminium foil and a hot glue gun,” divulged Hammada.
Similarly, Neb makes fake blood using mouthwash, food colouring and cocoa powder. Due to its affordability and ease, the three of them strongly advocates for one to DIY.
Eclipsing normality
Besides their love for SFX, Asmawati, Neb and Hammada also share another similarity: they are all self-taught SFX artists. Through the wonders of technology, they learnt their skills via YouTube then improved through trials and errors.
Despite the incredible SFX looks that Hammada has created thus far, he is actually a novice. The 22-year-old only dived into this niche market four months ago.
“Thanks to Tim Burton’s movies, I have always been interested in SFX. The idea that you can transform into someone or something else fascinates me. And since I was free during the last Halloween, I gave it a try. Surprisingly, it garnered tonnes of positive feedback, which kept me going until now,” he said.
On the other hand, Asmawati and Neb took on make-up for part-time jobs before it flourished into their passion and, subsequently, career. Their venture into SFX came much later and was ignited by a desire to take on something more challenging.
“Body painting wasn’t realistic enough for me and it left me wanting for more. When people started asking me to do more normal make-up stuffs, I knew I wanted to show others a different side to make-up and that was how I experimented with SFX,” explained 27-year-old Neb.
Even though her parents were initially against this, she eventually won them over when her works landed her projects with the variety television show 8TV Quickie, GrabCar The Walking Dead promo in Malaysia, and Anugerah Juara Lagu 2017. In fact, they now encourage her to get a certification to teach SFX, which she will later this year.
Additionally, she’d like to bring her SFX game to another level by doing it professionally – as is the case with Asmawati and Hammada. Asmawati is even reaching for the stars by aiming for Hollywood. While it may sound grandiose, no dream is too big when you set your mind and heart on it.
For a trio who can easily morph into creatures, characters, celebrities and concepts, achievement is definitely within reach. After all, success is just another “face” of life.
Follow them on Instagram for more updates (@hammadart, @fx.cat, @makeupbyasmawati).
TIPS AND TRICKS
>>Study and understand the human anatomy.
>>Form a group to share, teach and learn.
>>Don’t be ashamed to ask for guidance.
>> Make sure you’re not allergic to anything.
>> Always ensure that the materials are safe to use.
>> Never place sharp objects on your face.
>> Get creative with DIY.
>> Be patient and never give up.