Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Semi-Final - full transcript

[Stacey] It's time to Glow Up.

[Ellis] Can I have the mirror
to do my hair?

Don't look in that mirror, Ellis.

-Why?
-Shows you the truth.

And what's the truth saying
this morning, Nikki?

-That you're a semi-finalist?
-Whoo-hoo!

Yeah, that's true.

-[knocking]
-[Belinda] Was that the door?

Ellis, get it.

I'm scared!

-Surprise!
-Morning.



Morning!

-Can we come in?
-Absolutely not.

-Guys...
-[laughter]

-Surprise!
-Morning!

-[laughter]
-Morning!

-[Stacey] Morning.
-[all] Morning.

Congratulations,
you're in the semi-finals.

So, today, we're gonna be looking
at all the elements of makeup

that we've been looking for
for the last six weeks.

We are asking to see your total A game.

To influence the future of makeup,

you have to reference the past.

In the '70s,

-I was a disco diva.
-[laughs]



In the '80s,

I was full-on New Romantic.

You would have liked me.

[laughter]

Then in the '90s, I was into club culture.

So, every decade has a makeup tribe.

Today, we're going to Carnaby Street,

which has heavily influenced
makeup, fashion

and music for over 60 years.

You will each be given a decade.

You will need to recreate
that makeup look,

and it will need to wow the public.

You will have two models

that you have to get ready.

-[laughs]
-[Leigh and Belinda] What?

It's a big ask, but
you each will get an assistant.

It's always nice to see
a familiar face, right?

Bring in the assistants!

-Oh, no.
-Oh, my God.

[screaming]

Oh, my God!

-Hi!
-Hi!

-Oh, my God!
-Hi, sweetie!

We're back again!

Welcome back!

The previously eliminated MUAs
have been paired at random,

so Ellis will be assisted by Paige,

Nikki by Tiffany,

Leigh by Brandon,

and Belinda by Steph.

Of course, there's a twist.

-Oh...
-Here we go.

Whoever impresses the most today,

receives immunity from
the elimination tomorrow.

So that means that's you
straight to the final.

Guys, this is the semi-final, so
we're gonna be scrutinizing everything.

Because what's up for grabs
is a ticket to the final.

MUAs, you have to make sure
you're at Carnaby Street in an hour.

[kisses] We'll see you there.

-[all] Bye!
-See you later.

For over 50 years, Carnaby Street
has been a hub for London's pop culture,

from Mods, Rockers, to Ravers.

Today, the MUAs will each have
to create a look inspired

by a different decade
from this street's musical past.

In order to be a successful makeup artist,

not only do you have to know
how to do makeup today,

you have to have a knowledge
of makeup past.

The importance of knowing your references

is because, really, in makeup,
there is nothing new.

But what there is, is a new hand
and a new eye.

For this brief, the decades
have been allocated at random.

Ellis, you're over in the corner,
you've got '90s.

Leigh, you're in this corner here,
you've got '80s.

Nikki, you are right at the back,
you've got '70s,

and Belinda, you've got '60s over here.

Okay, MUAs, what we're looking for
is something bold, big and brazen.

You can do anything.
You can make it authentic,

or you can just take a modern twist on it.

But, whatever it is,
it has to represent your decade clearly.

You have two hours to complete your look.

So, let's get a wiggle on!
Your time starts now!

-Okay...
-The MUAs each have two models...

-Hello. Nice to meet you.
-...and just two hours...

Hi, guys, my name's Leigh.

-This is Brandon.
-I'm Brandon.

...before their work will be paraded
in front of the public on Carnaby Street.

I'm so over the moon that I got the '60s.

Soon as we heard we were getting eras
I was like, "I want '60s."

I love the female makeup at the time.

So, Twiggy,

um, Bridget Bardot, that sort of look.

I don't want to just replicate a Twiggy
look, I want to take it to the next level.

Dom has mentioned that he
wants something big and bold.

I really wanna deliver that.

[Steph] Belinda, what are your thoughts?

-Love that.
-Yep?

Love, love, love.

In my head, Bowie went
paler with his makeup?

-Yeah, he did.
-He did, didn't he?

Mm-hm.

But not all the MUAs are feeling confident
in their knowledge of iconic makeup eras.

I don't know much about the '70s,
but Tiff's helping me out a lot.

I'm doing two looks today
to show that I can be versatile.

My male model's going to be
my rock and roll model.

I'm thinking, like, Bowie.
My female model's gonna be my disco model.

We're gonna just to try diamantes.
That's right, right, Tiff?

-Mm-hm.
-[chuckles]

Nikki's plan is an ambitious one,

completing two very distinct looks,

a Bowie-esque glam rocker

and a diamanté-clad disco queen,
in just two hours.

-Nikki.
-So. Nikki.

Open.

[Val] Her male model,
he's sat there with no makeup on.

So far, she's in danger of yet again

-not finishing on time.
-[Dominic] Yeah.

I don't want the black
to be really far down.

-Yeah.
-To about there.

[Brandon] Yeah.

I really want to
put my twist on '80s punk.

So I want to make sure the look
is really, really strong and dramatic.

Leigh has taken inspiration
from the 1980s London punk scene.

Dramatic, smoky eyes
and richly colored lips.

Would you rather do the smoky
or the precision stuff?

It needs to be really symmetrical.

-Do you wanna swap, then? Yeah?
-Yeah, that's fine.

We're just gonna try and split as much as
possible, to make sure it's done in time.

Boss, Boss Ellis, this is the color
that is coming out.

Start to blend it down a little bit.

Ellis and assistant Paige
have settled on a mash-up

of '90s supermodel chic,
with a Day-Glo inspired raver twist.

Ugh. Kimono.

[Paige laughs]

Ellis, tell me about the style.
What have you gone for?

What's the look you're going for?

I'm trying to channel
'90s supermodel meets the rave.

-Okay.
-Um, she's got, like, the runway makeup on

that the '90s models had.

And then this is her boyfriend,
who's kind of, in the scene.

We wanted to go louder with his look,
like, Boy George.

What era would you say Boy George is?2

Erm... Boy George. I'd say,
is more the '80s-ish.

-Yeah.
-But he had the song out,

I can't remember the name,
which came out in, like, the late '90s,

beginning with a W.

I can't remember the name.

Erm... It...

Oh, I can't think of the name.

Okay. I'm questioning
whether it's rave enough.

Okay.

Because at raves,

-it was more hot sweaty mess...
-Okay.

-...than it was runway ready.
-Yeah.

So, you may wanna think about that.

Right, we'll have to take it to the rave.

I've brought glitters for texture.
Keep going more intense,

-pack it on, get everything laid up.

-Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Mm-hm.

MUAs, you have one hour left.
Get a move on.

[Steph] Ooh.

Come on, step it up,
step it up, step it up.

I get the impression
she might want us to step it up.

[laughter]

I'm loving what Belinda's doing
at the minute.

I think it is very '60s.

Well, so far, it's not really exciting me.

I'm not sure if it's telling of the loud
statement that I was hoping to see.

With a place in the final at stake,

Belinda is keen to prove
there's more to her than meets the eye.

I think I give that look where
I'm quite sweet, but,

I'm also a redhead, so,
quite feisty, like, actually.

People do underestimate me,
I get a lot of, like,

"Oh, um, you look too young to be a mum."

But I'm here to win this
to change the lives of my family,

it would change my little boy's life.

I want Alfie to be able to look back
at this and say, like,

"That's my mum and she's incredible."

And that's really what drives me
through the whole thing.

-I think I'm gonna do a flower.
-On our lady?

-Ooh!
-I'm gonna put a flower on her.

Let's do it.

The precision on this
is stressing me out.

I'm ready whenever you are.

-Yeah
-To switch, yep.

-Okay.
-Thank you.

Leigh is utilizing his assistant's
best qualities for his makeup.

-[Val] Clever move.
-[Dominic] Yes.

I'm happy with the way
both models look.

I think, because me and Brandon
have switched between models,

there's equal work on both,
which is what I really wanted from today.

[Nikki] Tiff, do you think
he looks too feminine?

With less than 30 minutes remaining,

Nikki has finally moved on
to her rock and roll male model.

[Tiffany] No, Bowie was very feminine.

Okay.

[Nikki] A bit on edge, because
the rock's the one that I struggle with,

and the judges asked
for it to be big and bold.

So, my biggest concern right now is,
is it enough?

Deep breath. Huh...

Today's assignment is
testing Nikki's spontaneity,

which is a struggle for someone
who loves to plan.

[Nikki] Because I'm such a perfectionist,
I can be quite emotional.

But that's just because I care.

But makeup is a passion of mine,
and it's something that I need

to feel at ease in life.

I wouldn't say it's a mask that I hide
behind, but it's escapism for me.

It allows me to let out my emotion,
so it's almost like therapy.

That's what it is, yeah.

I'm gonna add a bit of blusher on him.

I wanna add the same blusher, babe,
what did you use?

Close your eyes for me.

Questioning his '90s rave looks,
Ellis spots a sparkly solution.

Feel like we should get glitter on her.

What we're kind of going with now,

is they've stepped off the runway,
chucked on more slap, gone to the rave.

-You good with that?
-Yeah.

-MUAs, you have ten minutes left.
-Oh.

Uh... Finding some clothes for her.

I'm just using wet-look hair gel
to make him look sweaty.

-Do you want more?
-Yeah, more.

-She looks more Spice Girls.
-Yeah.

-Which one's...
-[sighs]

It just depends on what you wanna do.
Tell me. Tell me, come on.

I'm just worried that
it's not enough, Tiff.

[Tiffany] Don't panic.

-[Leigh] Blend her lips more.
-[Brandon] Yeah.

I want it to look like these guys are a
couple and that they've been kissing.

I'm getting nervous, because this week,
like, there's so much riding on it.

-Yep.
-That's two minutes left.

[Ellis] He was just not looking
dirty enough, he's too, like, pristine.

-We need to get rid of this.
-Yeah, that's...

[Stacey] Concerned his look still
isn't '90s rave enough,

Ellis decides on some last-minute changes.

No, need more hair gel.
Where's the hair gel gone?

I need more on her, she's not enough.

-These, I feel like it's a bit too black.
-Make sure you're quick.

-No, no, no, no.
-No.

I think I could add one more diamanté.

Okay, that's it, time's up.

Okay, you're done.

Thank you.

-Amazing.
-Yeah.

[sighs] Feel like I might pass out.

[sighs]

Okay, guys, we're gonna need
to see all your models.

Let's have a look.

With a pass to the final at stake,

the judges want to inspect every detail

before allowing the models
to hit the street.

Always concerned whenever
they're looking and critiquing.

Are they gonna like it?
Are they gonna hate it?

You can never really tell.

We did well, especially as a team.
Wait, you're gonna leave me hanging?

Leave me hanging?
Leave me hanging? Leave me hanging?

[Val] I think we're ready.

In celebration of the street's history,

the models catwalk Carnaby
to bring the eras back to life.

-It's really striking.
-And the lips, love the lips.

Reminds me, kind of, like, a Joker vibe,

-but in a good way. [laughs]
-Yeah.

-High fashion Joker.
-Yeah.

I feel nervous, because everyone's gone a
bit bigger and a bit brighter than I have.

[woman] The makeup looks pretty wild.

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's matching
the... fluoro hoodie that's...

It's pretty interesting.
Yeah, you don't see that every day.

I'm not getting all the way here
and not making it to the finals.

I'll do whatever I've got to, that's that.

-I think they look sick.
-You feel a little sick? Why?

-No, I said they look sick.
-Oh, they look sick? Okay.

One thing you have to give them
credit for is hitting that time mark.

We gave them two hours
and they delivered it in two hours.

I think, probably, I scared them to death.

I scared them with that E-Val eye.

[chuckles]

Is there a possibility
that I might win immunity? Maybe?

I'd love that, that'd be amazing.

Someone has that immunity
to look forward to.

-Mm.
-But who is it?

They've left us with a lot to discuss.

The MUAs will need to wait
to find out who's won immunity.

All they can do for now is prepare
for tomorrow's creative brief.

The next morning at Glow Up HQ,

the judges have the difficult job
of deciding

which makeup artists did the worst,

meaning they'll find themselves
in the Face Off chairs.

And which one did the best,
granting them immunity

and a place in the final.

-So first up we have...
-Belinda.

Okay, I like this.

What's really clever about this
is that she's taken that flower motif

from the late '60s,
with the Twiggy references of the lashes

and the socket from the early '60s.

She's really captured
the essence of a decade.

I don't like it at all.

I can see a sort of childlike

reference to a '60s moment,

but I don't think it really works.

So next up, we have Nikki.

The thing about Nikki is

she just doesn't know
how to plan her time.

She panics. It's not thought out.

There is nothing glam rock about him,

barely disco with her.

It's a real shame.

They spent most of their time
on their female model.

She hasn't gone big enough.

If you're gonna get sequins on there,
load them on.

Okay, so, Leigh.

Leigh had the '80s.

I think it's very powerful.

They were, like, we're a couple,
and they had a snog fest.

He pushed it, he went there,

he... he made that black really black
and really big.

There's something quite sexy about it.

I think with her,
he kind of missed the mark.

And this does feel a bit soft.

Having been there myself,

I find this look very believable.

We were flashing color across our eyes,

and we did do a lot of snogging.

[chuckles]

[Dominic] Ellis.

The '90s.

How do you feel about it?

That started off looking good.

But that was before the glitter.

Yes, if in doubt, chuck on glitter,
and I think this is what he's done.

-I don't know where they spent two hours.
-Mm.

I don't feel that they've done
their models justice.

Mm-hm.

It's a big smoky eye
and some glitter on her,

and on him it's a bit of blush.

It's just flat.

-So close and yet so far.
-Yeah.

Well, I think it's clear, we have two MUAs
that are gonna be in the Face Off chairs.

Absolutely.

Now, we come to the tricky part.

Who gets immunity that will
take them through to the final?

Good luck today, guys.

If an MUA's name is
on one of the two red chairs...

Find your chairs, please.

...they not only risk going into
the elimination Face Off,

but they have missed out
on the chance of immunity.

[Belinda] I want that immunity spot
more than anything.

It would be so nice today
just to have that relief.

Now I've got this far,
I really don't wanna go home.

I really, really want to be in that final.

[Ellis] Made week five, week six,

made week seven,

so I'm just praying that
whatever I've been doing so far,

it will just keep me going
into week eight.

I just don't wanna be
in that red chair again today,

for the fourth week running.

Oh, you're joking.

-[Belinda] Nikki.
-[Ellis] Oh, baby.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Ellis, unfortunately it was neither
strong enough or '90s enough for us.

Nikki.

We asked for bold and big,

but you just played it too safe.

As you both know,
these chairs come with a time penalty.

So you will start 15 minutes after
the other two MUAs.

As you know, someone has a fast pass
to the final.

And that person is...

Leigh.

-[gasps]
-[applause]

-OMG!
-He's like, "What?"

Girl!

-You're going as red as my chair.
-[laughter]

Congratulations.

Thank you. [laughs]

But, remember, don't put your feet up.

Because in the final, we'll be looking at
all the images from the creative briefs.

Use this opportunity to take risks.

For today's brief,

we want to see a look inspired
by your favorite song.

You'll have two and a half hours
to complete your looks.

So, are you ready?

Bring in the models!

Your time starts now.

This is a whole new experience.

[laughs] I'm not used to this.

I'm so happy that I've got the immunity.

But I'm absolutely not gonna coast,

because the worst thing
that I can think of would be

the judges turn round and go,
"It's a good job you've got immunity."

The only way to escape the Face Off chairs

is to amaze the judges and hope
another MUA fails to impress.

I've just realized that if Nikki or Ellis
do enough to get swapped out today,

I'm the only other option, because Leigh's
got immunity, so I've got to go 100% here,

and I need to make this really bold.

I'm really not gonna hold back today.

Today's brief is music, and I'm gonna base
my look on my absolute favorite song,

Toploader's "Dancing in the Moonlight."

It makes me feel happy,
and I want to get that across in my look.

So I'm just gonna try
and really have fun with it and let go.

I'm gonna be creating,
like, a moonlight scene,

and I want it to all look very, like,
mysterious and flowing.

So I'm gonna be very, like,
painterly with my strokes,

and it's a lot of makeup
gonna be on the face.

I feel really deflated, you know,
'cause I think week after week, it's hard.

Like, what do I keep on doing wrong?

So today I'm just gonna go
for whatever feels right,

and that's... that's literally my plan.

I've got nothing else to lose now.

Ellis, Nikki, away you go.

Next week, the finalists will be judged
on their portfolio of work

across all eight weeks.

So despite immunity, today's look
is still important for Leigh.

I can really just jump in and take a risk.

So I'm... I'm looking at a song called
"Praying," by Kesha.

Love the way that song starts off with...

how battered and bruised she feels,
but it ends on such a high.

So the song itself is about rebirth,

so I'm gonna attempt to
paint the butterfly to symbolize that

across here.

I'm really intrigued by Belinda,
it looks beautiful.

It's very simplistic.

It's the moon, the ocean, and a wave.

[Ellis] The song that I'm doing
is by Christina Aguilera,

and it's called "Fighter."

When bad things have happened in my life,
it's kind of just been

a song that would always, like,
relate to the situation.

So my look is gonna be quite expressive
with regards to how the song makes me feel

and the emotions I feel
whilst listening to the song.

It is very toned down
for what I normally do.

I find comfort in just adding
as much as I can to a look.

So to kind of strip it really back is odd.

Yeah! [laughs]

You look like the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Ellis is determined.

He never expected to be in that chair,

so he will be doing
everything in his power

to get the hell out of there
as fast as possible.

But that's what worries me, though,
because all he's drawing is a square lip.

Is that enough for the semi-finals?
He really disappointed me yesterday,

so, today he really has to deliver.

This isn't my favorite song,
it's just a song that I look to dearly,

because it means a lot to me.

It's, um, Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven."

'Cause it helped me through a hard time
in my life

where I felt like I lost myself.

And it's just gonna be quite
an expressive piece.

So...

My idea for today's piece
is to create a line drawing.

Use a thread for texture
to create a 3-D effect.

It's also... I associate thread
with the unraveling of thread,

and that's how I sort of feel,
and that's why I've gone with that.

Right now I'm just creating lines
using face paint.

Then I wanna go over that with thread.

The thread will be
not completely on the lines.

I want it to kind of get that
unfinished look.

MUAs, you have one hour left.

I've decided to splatter the paint on.

I think it will give the effect of water,
almost like water splatters.

Wow.

Well, that's a bit of a statement.

That moon, it looks so real.

It looks like it's projected
onto his face.

I just hope she doesn't get carried away.

What was the song?

-I'm doing Christina Aguilera, "Fighter."
-Oh, I love that song.

And in the song, at the end,

there's, like, this white look

and it's as if to represent
that she's come to peace with herself.

So, that's what the white's for,
but the red...

is like the danger
that I still feel being,

-like, openly gay and out in public.
-Really?

Yeah, because when I'm, like,
walking down the street,

if there's a group of guys
that are coming towards me,

I kind of just put my headphones in
and put this song on,

and I don't hear anything
if anyone says anything.

And every time I've had, like,
an emotional issue in my life,

this song's always there.

-Oh, bless.
-[sighs]

[Dominic] This is for
a place in the final,

so I'm gonna be scrutinizing
his symmetry and precision.

He's faffing around with this white face.

-He's got time.
-Yeah, but... He's got time,

but he should be using that time
to sort the eyes out.

The right eye is a lot more rounded
than the left eye.

And that lip needs cleaner lines,
it needs straighter lines.

Come on, MUAs, you have 30 minutes left.

-How you doing?
-Feeling a bit better now.

Yeah. Tell me your story.

What I'm trying to create is almost,
kind of like a line drawing...

-Okay.
-...that needs a lot of depth to it.

The song that I'm going with
is Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven."

And the reason why I'm going
with that one is

because that's a song that I listened
to a lot when my partner passed away.

How long ago was that?

-Two years ago.
-Okay.

And, um...
I guess I'm just trying to emulate the f...

what I felt, and how I sort of feel now
is kind of unfinished,

a bit frage.

I can really feel the emotion
in that mood board,

and so what I think is important today

-is that you get that information...
-Yeah.

-That we feel the emotion here.
-Yeah.

-You just gotta breathe.
-I know.

-Breathe and do it.
-I will do.

-Is it a butterfly?
-Is it a butterfly, is it a moth?

Don't like under the eye.

It's emphasizing a dark circle.

-It's not even symmetrical here.
-No.

-But...
-You know what?

I'm happy to let him have a bit of a play
this week, because he has got immunity.

And if he uses this to try something out,
I'm happy with that.

With the moon,
I didn't want a flat circle,

so, I've tried to create a bit
of depth with the face paint.

So I've just pushed black face paint
into the white,

and just pushed it in to blend it.

I wanted it to look quite realistic,
and a moon isn't just perfectly white.

I need to go 100% here and I need
to make this really bold,

because I don't wanna risk getting
into the Face Off

and potentially going home.

MUAs, you've got ten minutes left.

Look to the right.

[Val] I think Nikki's story's
a beautiful story.

I love the fact that
she's not using makeup.

I love that too.

-I mean, that's a bold statement.
-Yeah.

I love the fact that it
looks like a line drawing.

I'm a little concerned
that some of the pieces...

have gotten thicker.

I really loved it when
it was quite veiny-looking.

I hope she doesn't go too far

and I hope she doesn't run out of time.

That is unbelievably ticklish.

What? My no... Your nose?

I'm not gonna add any more elements,

other than the glossy lip, but that'll
have to be done in, like, the last minute,

because it's gonna be quite glossy,

almost like it looks like it's wet
and it's gonna drip.

So, I need to make sure it's, like,
on at the last minute,

take my model through, photographed,

and then it can drip everywhere then.

You have two minutes remaining.

Brushes down.

MUAs, thank you so much.

Please take your models next door
to get photographed.

[sighs]

-How are we gonna do this?
-I dunno. I don't know.

-How are we gonna do this?
-I don't know.

I do see a weaker link
with one of our artists.

But we can't touch him.

And that was our fault.

[Ellis] Here we go. Good luck.

I don't like this.

I don't like being so close.

Leigh, would you like to come forward?

[Val] It's powerful, it's emotive.

But I would have liked to have seen

a bit more detail in the butterfly,

because I feel that the butterfly
is a bit flat.

Technically, there's some issues.

I can see there's a skull, but I feel like
if you made it more defined

along the forehead,
you would get more definition

of this being a skull.

There's a lack of impact with it.

-[judges] Thank you.
-Thank you.

He's lucky that he's got immunity.

I think I have to agree.

Belinda, please step forward.

My look is inspired by the song
"Dancing in the Moonlight."

[Dominic] I love it, honestly.
I absolutely love it.

I dunno where this is coming from, but,

you just keep doing it,
you keep delivering incredible makeup.

We zoom in to the... the lip.

Sea foam erupting from that wave,
and there's a crash.

If we look at the sky,
it's almost like an aurora borealis.

You're just killing it.

It's incredible.

I think it looks great from a distance,

because it's a very big makeup.

But, close up, it just feels a little bit
too heavy handed for me.

I mean, if somebody came up to me at,

say, a Westwood show with that makeup,

I'd probably say, "Take something away."

It's a beautiful painting,
but it's just not my cup of tea.

-Thank you.
-Thank you. Thank you.

[Dominic] Nikki.

[Val] Well, Nikki,
you finally made it on time.

[Nikki laughs]

You actually finished when we said,
"Put down brushes," so, well done to you.

I love the fact that
you have been so ballsy

to actually do makeup with hair.

I like the fact that
she looks like a line drawing.

-Yeah,
-I think that's really interesting.

What I like about you is you're a fighter.

You had a story to tell that was
really close to your heart,

and you were going to tell it
by hook or by crook.

There was a moment where
you just went too far.

The jawbone and the cheek,

I worry maybe that's a little bit more,
hairy as opposed to sketchy,

and the nostril.

I mean, I don't know
if everyone likes a hairy nostril.

I don't really like a hairy nostril.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

-[Val] Ellis, please step forward.
-Gosh.

Ellis] The song, um, is called "Fighter,"
by Christina Aguilera.

Every time I have a rough spot in my life,
the song is...

it always manages to be
the first song I hear.

[sighs]

I'm gonna give you a hug, babes.
I think you need a hug, don't you?

Come on, let's have a hug, eh? It's okay.

It's okay.

Okay.

-Do you want a tissue?
-No.

You all right? Okay, come on.

You got this.

So...

Well, you've certainly risen
to the challenge.

I think you've created
an incredible image.

So, from my point of view,
you've fulfilled the brief.

This is so stunning.

There's something really...
quite sexy about this.

But when you paint something white,

you're making a rod for your own back
if it's not perfect.

And when we look at the lip,
there's an issue there with roundness.

It has to be perfect.

Saying that, this is an incredible image.

-Well done. Thank you.
-Thank you.

MUAs, I just want to say to all of you,

that the power and talent in this room,

that I've seen today,
is absolutely outstanding.

-[Stacey] Queen Val!
-Thank you. Thank you.

Please head next door.

Val and myself are going to deliberate
who will be in the Face Off.

It's so scary.

Leigh,

this is not the best work
that he's presented.

[Dominic] I think with this makeup,
he would've been in the Face Off.

Without a doubt.

Nikki.

-I like the edginess of this.
-It's creative.

On a catwalk,
is that gonna look like a beard?

Yeah.

-Ellis.
-It's very hard for me to pick this apart,

because it's an outstanding image.

But I do have to talk about technicality.

I have to talk about symmetry,
preciseness, balance.

[Val] And then we come to Belinda's.

God, I love it! I love it, honestly.

It's an incredible makeup, but don't you
think it's a little bit on the thick side?

That's paint, and you can't see
where there might have been a mistake.

I still love it.

-That's what we have to deliberate.
-[groans]

Darling.

It's so hard.

[Val] Nikki, you started the day off
in the Face Off chair.

You did not beat the seat.
You will be in the Face Off.

[Dominic] Ellis, you also started off
today in the Face Off chairs.

But Belinda, you'll be fighting it out
in the Face Off.

This means Nikki will be competing
in the Face Off for the fourth time,

against Belinda,
who will be competing for her first.

-Don't worry about that, it's fine.
-[sighs]

I just don't want to go against you,
the Face Off assassin.

Leigh, Ellis, congratulations.
You're through to the final.

Girls, I'm so, so sorry.

Can I ask you to say goodbye to the boys?
'Cause I need to bring you through.

-Come on, cloud lips.
-One of you won't be coming back.

Love you.

Boys, well done. Good luck, both of you.

It is tough, 'cause Belinda
and I are close.

But at the end of the day,
the harsh reality is,

it's still a competition, so I'll fight
for my position in the final today.

This isn't just a competition to me.

This could change my life,
and not only my life,

it could change my family's life
and my little boy's life,

so it means the world to me.

Two identical faces.

Our MUAs will be tested
on their knowledge of makeup history,

and whether they can deliver
the skills required under pressure.

[Dominic] Eyebrows.

They're a hot topic today,
but it's nothing new.

Brows have been consistently changing
and shaping history for decades.

Statement brows can be used to pinpoint
a decade depending on their shape.

So we would like you

to emulate a thin-arched 1930s brow.

We'll be looking for that smooth,
clean blocking of your model's brows,

as well as my three fundamentals,

precision, balance
and, most importantly, symmetry.

You've got 15 minutes.

And your time starts now.

To achieve that 1930s brow,

firstly, you should brush up your brow.

Follow this by applying the glue stick

in an upwards direction
towards your forehead.

Our MUAs should then set it with powder,

and pack on some full coverage concealer.

Then, our MUAs have to draw on
a perfectly arched thin brow.

The key things I'm looking for
is smooth skin-like texture

and a perfectly symmetrical brow.

You're halfway through.

[whispers] This is a hard, hard challenge.

It is a hard challenge.

But it is for a place in the final,
so it's gotta be hard, right?

I thought that Nikki was off
to a slow start,

but now that she's laid down her powder,

-it's looking really flat.
-Yeah.

[Val] Belinda started off really good.

Now she seems to have flummoxed a little.

-Yeah.
-Her brow has gotten a little dry.

She's then going over it again
to try and add more product.

You've got two minutes left.

30 seconds.

Five,

four, three,

two, one.

Judges, I'm sure you want
to have a closer look?

[Val] We do.

Judges, can I ask you to go
and have a quick chat,

and then come back to us
as soon as you've made your decision?

Okay.

-It's how you work under pressure.
-Mm.

That's very important.

[Dominic] I mean, the thing about a Face
Off is that it leaves no stone unturned.

We see everything.

I think we know which MUA
has delivered today.

[Dominic] Yeah.

Okay, can you tell us
who you've decided...

to give that last space to in the finals?

So, the MUA that is going through

to the finals is...

Nikki.

Well done.

-I'm so sorry.
-I'm so proud of you.

I'm so sad, but don't be sorry,
I'm so proud of you. Honestly.

Belinda, you were so close,
you were so there,

-but, under pressure...
-Yeah.

...things just went a little awry.

But you're an incredible makeup artist,

and you've had an incredible journey too,
and I know that you're gonna go on

and have an even better one.

Don;t be sorry.

Belinda, can I just say, woman-to-woman,

to watch you grow,
it's been a complete privilege.

-Thank you so much.
-Best of luck with everything.

-I really mean that.
-[Val] Thank you, Belinda.

Oh, girl. Just not this time.

[Belinda] I'm just disappointed
that when the pressure was on,

I couldn't pull it out of the bag.

I feel like I'm leaving, like,
a completely different person.

Like, I feel so much more confident
in myself and my work,

and I've never had that before.

So, yeah,
it's been the best experience ever.

[laughs]

Don't go in the face elimination with her.

Jesus Christ.

-[both laughing]
-Oh!

I don't even know how...
I don't actually know how I'm here.

I've done the Face Off four times,
and survived four times.

You've crushed four people's dreams.

[laughing]

[Stacey] We started with ten

and I'm now sat here
with our three finalists.

It's make or break next week.
Now it feels like a real competition.

Now it feels...

like a final.