Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star (2019–…): Season 3, Episode 2 - TV Makeup: POSE - full transcript

[Maya Jama] It's time to Glow Up.

[funky music playing]

This week,
the MUAs are gonna need their passports

as they come and meet me here
in New York City!

[horns honking]

Not really. Joking. This is South London.

But today, Glow Up is going global

as we shimmy our way into the legendary
underground New York ballroom scene.

It's time to strike a pose.

[disco music playing]

[Maya] Set in New York
in the late '80s and early '90s,



the smash TV series Pose explores

the competitive world
of voguing and ballroom.

The category is Femme Queen Vogue!

[Maya] A performance art that blazed
a trail for the LGBTQ community,

the series showcases
fierce costumes and makeup to match.

-Hello, judges!
-Morning!

[Maya] Resident judges
Val Garland and Dominic Skinner

are joined by voguing pioneer Les Child,

who'll be checking the looks
for authenticity.

Hi, guys. I'm the ambassador of voguing.

I learned my craft in the '80s
when I was over in New York.

Today, you'll be working
on a TV show that depicts that world.

Pose.

[gasps]



Oh, my goodness.

-Oh, my God.
-[Maya] And that's not all.

Beaming in from New York
is Pose's makeup designer

and Emmy Award winner
Sherri Berman Laurence.

Today, I'm giving you the opportunity

to create a look to be featured
on the next season of Pose.

-[gasps]
-[Jack] Oh, my...

You'll be given costumes,
and I will be looking to see

how you take inspiration from them
to create your looks.

I want to see a lot of creativity,
so go big.

The winning look today,
I will use in Season 3 of Pose.

It's a lot.

[Sherri] I have high expectations,
so Les will be watching your every move.

-Amazing, right?
-[Samah] Oh, my God!

In two hours, we'll be asking
your performers to walk this runway

so that we can check your looks.

And let's see them swish-galish to finish.
Go, children!

I'm so excited.
It's just such a huge opportunity.

I love Pose, and I really want
my makeup look to be picked. [laughs]

-[Elliott] Hi. How are you?
-Hiya. Nice to meet you.

Working on Pose is a roller coaster.

It's a huge, huge show,
and it's super creative.

You never know
what's gonna be thrown at you.

[Maya] The MUAs have each been assigned
a vogue performer, costume, and theme.

-[Dolli] Okay.
-Wow, right.

[Maya] Xavi, Jack, Alex, and Sophie
have been assigned

"Old Hollywood Black and White Photo."

[spacey dance music plays]

It's a hard one. [laughs]

For the Old Hollywood
Black and White theme,

I will be looking at the way
the makeup artists create a look

that looks like a black-and-white photo
within a colorful world.

I'm gonna make it work.

I'm excited.

A little bit of confidence,

but I won't get that confidence
to overpower me too much.

[Maya] Across the hall, Ryley...

We can really experiment here.
This is exciting.

...Dolli, Samah, Craig, and Elliott
have been assigned the theme "Bizarre."

What I'm looking for
is vivid, bright, bold colors

that will stand out in the lighting.

It's very avant-garde.

I wanna see things
that I've never seen before.

I definitely wanna incorporate,
like, the gems

and the shape of the horns.

[Maya] Feeling confident
about today's assignment is Elliott.

[Elliott] I love to play
with color and shapes,

and having that little bit
of drag influence there.

So, I feel like
I do have a very good chance.

I'll take in the critiques I got
last time that it wasn't enough.

I'm hoping it is this time.

[Maya] Having been criticized
for playing it too safe last week,

Craig needs to go all out
to impress the judges.

[Craig] I've thought of the costume,
and the jester, kind of, joker vibe,

and they're always wearing masks.

So, I want it to look
kind of like two masks.

So we've got the true one,
and then a fake one.

[dramatic music playing]

[Alex] I'll get this base layer on.

There's no room for mistakes
with black and white.

[Maya] The MUAs will be working
with black, white, and shades of gray,

a technique known as "grayscale."

In the Black and White
Old Hollywood theme,

the makeup artists need to start
applying white as a foundation.

Next, they will need to build contours
and shadows with various shades of gray.

You need to use
the whole face as a canvas.

I wanna make sure
I'm not doing anything like the others.

[Maya] One MUA, Jack, is taking
a totally different approach.

[Jack] I'm currently using
a bit of foundation.

I wanna make sure
my model's skin still shows through.

Jack's not used white
all over the face like the rest of them.

It's not looking like
a black and white photograph to me.

For the Bizarre theme,

this is not about doing
a regular beauty makeup.

The look needs to be bold, theatrical,
and stand out in the lighting.

-[Maya] Hello.
-[Craig] Hello, I love it.

I'm in your character.

-[model] Hi.
-How you doing?

-Good.
-Good, yeah.

Love this. Talk me through the look.

Joker is, like, a bit, you know...
A bit naughty, a bit too fierce.

-Cheeky.
-[Craig] Cheeky!

So you don't really know what to expect.
That's what I wanted with the makeup.

-Right.
-So, that's the mask.

So, they can switch between characters.

Are we gonna get glittery,
or we keeping it...

-Follow your heart, Craig.
-Yeah.

-Whatever feels right... Pizzazz it.
-I love that. Yeah.

[house music plays]

It's going well.
I found some nice little gems

that really match nicely with the outfit,

but it'll probably change halfway through.

[Maya] Self-taught MUA Elliott
started experimenting with makeup

when he discovered drag at the age of 18.

[glamorous electronic music playing]

[Elliott] My makeup style is floating
in between special effects and beauty,

but if I could just live off my art,
I'd be happy.

Maybe throw in an Oscar, treat yourself.

That's the goal, but, you know,
that's quite a cocky goal. [laughs]

-So we're going in with the pink.
-Yeah-huh.

You know much about ballroom?

I was more in the drag scene,
but I did dabble in the ballroom.

Oh, interesting!
You didn't draw anything down.

A lot of looks, I don't plan,
and fluff them together.

So you are literally going
brain to face, no planning.

-Yes. [laughs]
-Right. Okay.

That's either going to be
a beautiful creation or a hot mess.

So, good luck, honey.

[Elliott and model laugh]

[mellow dance music plays]

[Dolli] I'm just going to incorporate
the shape of the horns into my look.

[Maya] While Dolli's taking inspiration
from her quirky outfit,

glam MUAs Ryley and Samah are going
with more conventional beauty looks.

[Samah] The whole outfit's a bit flirty,

so we want her eyes to be flirty and just

blow everyone away with the blues.

I'm focusing on the eyebrows and the eyes.

That's something that makes
the performer really beautiful.

[Maya] Last week,
Ryley struggled with color matching

and will need to deliver in today's brief
to stay out of the Face Off chairs.

I'm gonna stick to what I know
with the glam side,

but then I need to try and make it
as bizarre as I possibly can. [laughs]

[Les] She seems to love glam.

-Yeah.
-But the theme's Bizarre here, not beauty.

[dance music continues]

If I walk the runway...

-Let's have a look.
-...my go-to would probably... I'd do, like...

Something like that, and then very, "Ooh."

-Yeah. No?
-No. Too commercial.

-Help me.
-Just be yourself, Maya!

One hour... has gone.

Back in the Hollywood photo room,

the MUAs are building gray shading
on top of their white bases.

I'm just contouring the face.
I really wanna work in TV,

so I do want to impress today.

In the Black and White
Old Hollywood theme,

one of the pitfalls
is using too much black.

You can end up with a horrible, gray mess.

It looks crazy now, but, like,
hoping it's gonna be okay.

[suspenseful percussive music playing]

[Jack] I want it to be a bold statement,

so I wanted a backwards
contour vibe as well.

It's abstract, but it's a long way away
from where we want it to be,

which is this grayscale Hollywood look.

[Maya] Mmm.

[Alex] I'm doing the eye with glitter
so it's nice under light.

Pose is very big, it's ballroom.

If there's a time for glitter, it's now.
I'm nervous. I wanna get this right.

[Maya] Alex has been trying
to break into the makeup industry

for the last three years.

I think I'm a typical Scouse girl
in that there's a level of glamour

in everything I do.

I'm like Scouse glam with a queer twist.

I haven't had the easiest life.
I've been low.

But the thing that gets me
out of bed in the morning is makeup.

It's cheesy saying that, but... [chuckles]

...it's true. [laughs]

It is still just about making sure

that me whites are as white
as they can be.

Half an hour remaining, guys.

Oh, God, I'm kind of stressing.

[Dolli] I feel okay.
I'm happy I've got something down.

It's just more if the judges like it,
and if it fits the brief.

I don't think I'm playing it too safe.
I feel like I'm fulfilling the brief.

And what's this? Bizarre?

-Bizarre.
-Okay.

-We're working on it.
-It's looking very beautiful.

[Samah] Exactly.

Let's snipper that.

[Maya] What is happening?

Well, where's the bizarre?
Sherri wanted bizarre. It's a bit safe.

Have you thought of how
this is going to work on our runway?

I've definitely used
a lot of embellishments.

It's gonna catch the light nicely.

-It's not beauty, remember. It's bizarre.
-Should I take it up a notch?

You can take up ten notches,
why don't you?

Can I just say,
it's not weird enough for me.

Bizarre is weird,
and we're not seeing enough bizarre.

So crank it up a little bit, children.

[dramatic instrumental hip-hop plays]

I love me concept,
but my blacks and whites could be cleaner.

[Xavi] It's not coming out
how I wanted it to go,

but I'm just trying to finish it.

Five minutes remaining, guys!

I don't know what to do! [laughs]

It's stressful.

[Samah] We're trying
to get a bit more bizarre,

so I've added the gold feathers.

[driving electronic music plays]

Close your eyes for me.

[Craig] I'm hoping I've brought
something they haven't seen before.

Do you like it? Does it work? Ish?

Ish.

Black and white is really hard.

All right, time's up now.

I need your performers
to the runway, please.

Babes, I need you to work that runway
like you've never worked it in your life.

I'll give it a go.

[Maya] The looks will now be screen-tested
under the runway lights.

The footage will be sent
to Sherri to decide

whose work will feature
on the next season of Pose.

The category is

Bizarre.

[sweeping disco music playing]

The skin is gorgeous.
That contour is giving me life.

To me, it's Wizard of Oz.
Little flying devils.

[laughs]

-Oh, I am living!
-Yes!

This works in this context. No?

-Thank God for glitter.
-Thank God for glitter.

That's giving you realness.
That's not giving you theater.

That's so true.

Mmm, I'm not feeling the makeup, though.

Or their dripping sweat thing.

-Just not really very cool.
-It looks like a rash.

[glitchy electronic music playing]

Go, girl.

Ouch. So tall.

It looked better with the costume
than I thought.

Yes, girl.

I mean, the glitter made it,
but don't ever show me a feather lash.

-[all exclaim]
-[Les] Hello! Devilish!

[Dominic] Pose it. Work it.

I love this.
I think this is how you do ballroom.

It looked bizarre from the very beginning.

Ding, dong, she's done.

The category is
Old Hollywood Black and White.

[funky disco music playing]

-[Les] Go, child. Gorge, gorge.
-[Val and Dominic exclaim]

Really beautiful.

I just really like the way
it's a spotlight on the face.

-Clever.
-Really clever.

[Les] Oh! Go, girl!

Yes!

I see two white marks.

I don't see highlight.

[funky music continues]

I do love the kiss curls.
However, I think Alex has over-blended it,

and it needs more contrast.

It feels quite flat.

Everything just looks flawless.

It's okay. It's nothing exciting.

It's gorge, girl.

[ethereal electronic music plays]

[Maya] The next morning
at Glow Up Studios...

[Samah] Oh, my God.

[Maya] ...Sherri is beaming in from New York

to decide whose look
will feature in the next season of Pose,

and who will start today
in the Face Off chairs.

So, how is everyone feeling today?

[all murmur nervously and laugh]

[Maya] First to come under the microscope
is the Bizarre category.

Shall we start with Ryley?

[Sherri] It doesn't seem bizarre to me.

If you take away the diamonds on the lip,
then you just have a pretty makeup.

When it came out on the catwalk,
it did really pop, but was it enough?

[Dominic] This is the second time

that Ryley has not been able
to match the skin tone correctly.

That's not good enough.

Next, Dolli.

I like this look.

[Dominic] I think the skin is delicious.

I want to lick it.

It's a very creative look,
and it really ties in with the costume.

Samah.

[Sherri] I don't even know
what to say about this.

It's a regular makeup
with some blue lashes stuck on

and just feathers stuck to her forehead.

It's Midsummer Night's Dream
meets Friday the 13th. It is ugly.

Onto Craig.

I mean, I love this.

I think this is so close to 150%.

Yeah, I love it. I think there's
something really unexpected about it.

[Val] It was great that
he did not go for the sequins.

He did not go for the glitter.

Last week,
Craig was in our Face Off chairs,

so it's fantastic to see
that he felt confident enough to say,

"This is what I'm doing with my makeup."

What's your thoughts on Elliott's makeup?

It's definitely bizarre, but definitely
would not show up on the runway.

I don't know what he was thinking.

-[Val] It just went into a horrible mess.
-Oh, dear.

So, Sherri, Old Hollywood Black and White.

And we start with Xavi.

He actually nailed it.

Walking down the runway,
it looks like a black and white photo.

As a makeup using grayscale,
it's actually pretty good.

Alex.

[Sherri] Very messy on the neck.

It just doesn't really work for me.

I think it's a great effort,
but the finesse is just not there.

So, onto Jack.

I love this because it's unpredictable.

It's gorgeous,

but it does not look like
a black and white photograph.

Sophie.

[Sherri] I do like how she's tied

the makeup into the costume
with the pearls,

but there is no shading,
there is no contouring.

She looks like a ghost.

But under the lights it was flawless.

I totally agree. It was brilliant.

All right, guys. You know how it goes.

Find your chair and stand by it.

[Maya] If an MUA's name
is on one of the two red chairs,

they're headed for the Face Off
elimination at the end of the day.

[screams] Yes!

-Sorry. [laughs]
-[Jack] Oh.

Oh!

-We got it.
-Oh, damn.

[gasps] Oh, my God.

Elliott and Samah, as you can see,
your names are on the Face Off chairs,

which means you'll have 15 minutes less
to complete your look today.

[Maya] There's only one way
to escape the Face Off...

Wow the judges in the creative brief

and prove that they deserve
to stay in the competition.

Thank you for all your work yesterday.

I'll hand you over to Sherri
to explain our thoughts.

Samah, your makeup was a regular makeup
and not bizarre enough.

And, Elliott, not only did your makeup

not show up on the runway,
you weren't confident in your makeup.

But the makeup artist
that really captured the theme best

and will be designing
a look with me on Pose is...

...Craig.

[all cheering]

[artists laughing]

[dreamy electronic music plays]

Craig, to see you bounce back
from last week has been amazing to see.

And your look really does
deserve to be featured.

-Thank you so much. Thank you.
-[Dominic] Well done.

[all applaud]

The ballroom scene
was a liberating form of self-expression

for the queer community.

To express themselves, dance, and be free.

So, today, we want a look that shows us
what freedom means to you.

Your look could reflect
a personal journey,

a movement, or a feeling.

And we want to see your look embody this.

Are you ready?

-[artists] Yes!
-[Dominic] Right!

Bring in the models!

[mysterious electronic music playing]

-[Dolli] Oh, yes.
-[Samah] Hello.

Hi. Nice to meet you. Sit down.

Your hair! It's amazing!

-Oh, I am so happy.
-[laughs]

Are you nervous?

A little bit.
Just 'cause your chair's red and not blue.

Yes.

You have two and a half hours
to bring your look to life.

Elliott and Samah,

I'll let you know when your time starts,
but the rest of you, off you go!

[suspenseful music plays]

[Maya] The MUAs were able to prepare
in advance for today's creative brief.

If anything, the 15 minutes
will just calm me down.

Yeah.

To redeem myself this week,
it feels really good.

I feel I'm doing something right.

So, freedom for me...

In Northern Ireland,
I hid the fact that I was gay

till, like, the week
before I moved to London.

Growing up in Northern Ireland,
boys didn't wear makeup.

I didn't see boys wear makeup.
I did suppress a lot of who I was.

I wasn't 100% who I was meant to be.

Moving to London, it was a big jump,
but I think I'm a lot more free.

I'm the most confident
I've ever been in my whole entire life.

[Maya] Craig's telling
his freedom story with a look

featuring birds on a sunset backdrop.

[Craig] Growing up,
an escapism for me was painting,

so I'm gonna do a painting-styled makeup.

[Ryley] I hope I'm doing this right.

I've never blocked
someone else's full brow before.

[Maya] Ryley's also gone for a bird theme.

Her cage symbolizes how she felt at school

before leaving
and finding freedom in makeup.

[Ryley] I was preparing myself
for that Face Off chair, but,

to see my name
on a blue chair is just... [kisses]

I'm feeling so confident now.

I'm feeling okay.

It's okay. It's 15 minutes.

All I need to do is fight back,
just prove myself, why I should be here.

No pressure.

-Elliott, babe!
-Hi, hon.

Face Off chair. How did that
make you feel? Are you shocked?

I'm disappointed, 'cause I know
I could've done so much better.

Talk me through this look.

When we're born, we are automatically
classified in a race, a gender.

I wanna play on that idea that when we're
in the womb, we're probably the most free.

I'm doing a bald cap,
and that takes a bit of time.

The fact that I'm 15 minutes less,
that's gonna work behind me.

So, let's see what sizes we have.

Small, large, small.

[Maya] Jack is also embracing a bald cap.

Their look features tattoos
and facial scarring,

a form of body modification
illegal in the UK.

For them, freedom is
decorating the body without constraint.

My look today is gonna be
a huge part of self-expression.

The freedom of body modification.

I like your freckles. I'm gonna have
some of them showing through. [laughs]

[Maya] Dolli's look is also inspired
by tribal body modification.

I'm taking inspiration
from Polynesian people,

so they do a body art called "moko,"
and it's more Maori tattooings.

It is complex, 'cause there's
a lot of line work at the end.

The inspiration behind this look today is
how I freed meself from trauma and shame.

I've had bad things happen to me with men.
I got quite badly assaulted.

But I wanna show that you can get better.
You can be free.

[Maya] Alex's highly personal look

features blisters representing
repressed feelings bubbling to the surface

and a sewn-shut mouth
to portray the difficulty in speaking out.

The brief means such a lot to me.
I know that I can do this.

I've practiced it, and, like,
it's coming from me heart.

Warm it up. Are you okay with me
using my hands on you? That's fine.

[Maya] In her tribute
to the women's lib movement,

Sophie's creating a Celtic mask

decorated with the colors
of the suffragette flag.

-I just wanna get it on, to be honest.
-Mmm.

I don't wanna mess about with brushes.

Do you think...
It's really superhero at the minute.

[Sophie chuckles] That's good.

I wouldn't call myself
a religious person...

-Yeah, just exploring.
-...but I... Exploring.

[Maya] Xavi's look is based
on the Hindu goddess Kali,

a figure who inspired him

when he started
exploring his Indian heritage.

What's your look?

So, the look I'm doing is based on
the freedom to be proud of who you are,

where you come from,

but also the freedom
that women gave me in my life.

My best friends are women,
I'm such a mama's boy.

This is a love letter
to all the women in my life.

Xavi, you cutie.

Oh, thank you.

[suspenseful music playing]

All right, your 15 minutes is up.

-Samah, Elliott, off you go.
-[Elliott] Thank you.

[Maya] If Elliott and Samah can beat
the seat with their ambitious looks,

the judges must choose another MUA

to take their place
in the Face Off elimination.

-You're gonna be blind for a hot second.
-Yep.

I'm just starting off my bald cap.

Oh, scissors! Scissors!

Right on the nose!

It's so dangerous.

It's actually not gonna
make the client feel safe.

You don't need to cut that.
That would break down with acetone.

Is he done yet?

Almost done.

[Maya] Samah's mapping out
a heart and veins on her model.

As an asthma and celiac sufferer,

her version of freedom
is having a healthy body.

[Samah] Am I taking a risk? Absolutely.

Am I known for taking risks? Absolutely.

Will it pay off?
Time will tell. [chuckles]

A bit of nipple action.

Have I done ombré before? No.

But am I gonna give it a try? Hell, yeah.

[Maya] For self-taught influencer Ryley,

this is only the third time
she's worked with a model.

[Ryley] Oh, my gosh.

-Does it tickle?
-Kind of.

[both laugh]

It looks like there's three of them
doing horizon ombrés.

Look in the mirror for me.

Craig is looking interesting.

I'm using my model as a canvas.

I'm hoping it pays off.

[turbulent rhythmic music playing]

Um... Not this, not this.
They're falling off.

Oh, my God.

Me blisters started falling off.

I don't think she knows
how to work with this product.

This is a nightmare. This is really scary.

'Cause this is the one brief
I want to do good on.

She's using a scarring wax.
She needs to secure it with something,

otherwise it's gonna lift.

[sighs] I think
she's gonna run out of time.

It is crushing to think
that something I was so confident about

and so excited to do
is maybe not going well.

But this is a story
that I feel passionate about,

so I haven't got time to be upset.

[groovy music plays]

It looks good.

I'm just such a... Do you know what I mean?
I want it perfect. You know what I mean?

This is off balance.

I'm taking something off
because I just don't like how it looks,

and I don't know
if I can get it symmetrical in time.

I'm trying not to let
the pressure get to me.

Obviously, still a lot to do,
but if I'm not pushing myself,

then there's no point in me being here.

Samah's makeup started out
as a chicken in a butcher shop,

but I think she's got her stride.

It's definitely evolved.

I just need to cover his nipple,

'cause it looks like a chicken's bum now.

One hour gone. An hour and a half to go.

I don't want to be cocky, but...

this is the quickest
I've ever done a bald cap, so...

You've got it. You're smashing it.

We're doing it.
We're gonna bring this back.

And what is freedom?
Having no hair is freedom.

I save myself ten minutes
in bed every morning,

'cause I don't have to bother with this.

[Elliott] I'm just not ready to go home.
Do you know what I mean?

-[model] Mm-hmm.
-So, I'm going to turn this out.

Do you think he was inspired
by the mannequin head behind him?

[Dominic laughs]

[sighs]

[whistles nervously]

[laughing]

[mysterious instrumental hip-hop plays]

I'm trying to make sure
my technique's down.

I just don't wanna have anything
that, in the photo, irritates me.

I'd like to know the story.

Ugh. It's a bit Braveheart at the minute.

-Bend your head like this. Yeah.
-[neck cracks] Oh!

Are you okay?
Did you just break your neck?

-[laughs]
-Like, what the...

One hour to go, guys.

Having an hour left
makes me feel a little bit nervous.

Right now,
I'm just drawing on the third eye.

I hope it is symmetrical.

[Maya] Hey, Alex.

-Hello!
-What's this you're adding?

I'm making it look like
the mouth is sewn shut.

-Okay.
-It's spirit gum, lash glue, and string.

So, I'm gonna have me gorgeous model

pose with string in her hands
as if she ripped it off herself.

-What's the idea?
-It's a bit of a heavy one, soz, Maya.

But one in five women will be
sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

-Right.
-It can stop you from doing a lot.

-[Maya] Of course.
-I changed my whole life.

I didn't leave the house for a long time.
I was scared, honestly.

But I found me hope, and I'm strong.

-You are.
-I didn't wanna cry.

I was ashamed to talk, but when I did,
I took back control of me own life.

And now I'm here.

-Do you want a hug?
-Yeah.

Come here.

-Yeah. It's so brave of you.
-Thank you.

There'll be so many people
watching this that you're inspiring.

Makeup has obviously helped you
get out of some dark places in the past.

To talk about it and see
that you can free yourself from that.

-Like, it's not the end.
-No, of course.

That's what freedom is for me.
It's never the end.

-No.
-I've had a few setbacks, but you know me.

I cry, but I make it...

I put those tears on the floor,
and I make it work. [laughs]

I'm just really, really
worried about time.

I've only just got my base done.

And now I have to add in all this detail.

Ryley is setting it with face powder.

You need to use translucent powder
to keep the vibrancy.

It's going to be major dry.

She's literally covered in powder.

I feel awful, but it's the only way
I can set it. [laughs]

[tense music plays]

I'm just adding the tattoo elements now.

You've certainly woke up.

Look at that!

I love it.

[Jack] I'll make it look good.

Hopefully I'll be proud of it
when it gets to the end.

I'm gonna move on to the line work now.

I'm trying to make it look as elegant
and as polished as I possibly can.

I need it to look neat and not childish.

They love their little illustrations,
don't they? With the thin brush.

[sighs] Finally! It's coming together.

[Maya] With most of her makeup done,
Alex is having a second go

at her scar wax blisters.

[Alex] Me hands are greasy.

So, if my scar wax isn't sticking...

-Wait, what is it? What's wrong?
-[Alex] On the neck, they're falling off.

-Have you got moisturizer on?
-I put oil on the neck.

-No! Don't do that. Oh, my God.
-Okay.

[Sophie] Don't do that! No!

[Alex] No, I know now.

I'm just going in and deepening up

all the contours
I kind of want to accentuate.

What's she done?

It's like a Jelly Baby.

Yeah, I'm feeling really good about it.

[dark electronic music playing]

I wish I had time to do a bit more,
but I spent a long time on the bald cap.

I am really impressed
with Jack's bald cap.

It is seamless.

What's this got to do with liberation?

So, I've always been judged by how I look.

It kind of destroyed me for a long time.

-I used to get bullied.
-Big ol' thing like you?

I know. 'Cause I'm actually a big softie.

I kind of found the freedom
of the alternative lifestyle.

-[Les] Just being who you are.
-Just being me.

-And then just loving who I am.
-How fantastic, child!

Thank you, thank you.

Bless you.

[lively music playing]

-Oh, my God, it's working now.
-Yeah.

-Thank God!
-Uh-huh.

Oh, my God, 100%, I need to get this done.

So, we're working at speed.

That does not need to fall out. [laughs]

It's not Tinky Winky, it's Pinky Winky.

All right, everybody! Ten minutes left!

[cheerful ethereal music playing]

I'm a lot happier
than what I was last week.

Hope the judges are, too.

[Ryley] Look at me.

And I'm gonna add some more tears.
Um, I've got no time.

Thank you so much.

Got a lot done in a little bit of time.

You can see the journey.

Okay, time's up! Brushes down.

Please take your models next door
to get photographed.

[Ryley sighs]

Done.

[photographer] And chin up a little bit.

[groovy percussive music playing]

Jack. Please come forward.

I feel like I've always been judged by
who I was before they got to know me.

So, I wanted freedom within
to show outside.

This is one of the most
professional-looking bald caps I've seen,

and I am living for the eyeliner.

[Val] It's exquisite.

Just so fresh and easy.

To me, that's what freedom is.

Thank you.

Samah.

I suffer with asthma and celiac but if
you're healthy, that's freedom to me.

[Val] I'm not sure
if that looks like a heart,

because I see Mother Hubbard spider.

You blocked the eyebrows out.

And yet, the finished result, it's black.

-That's a little disappointing.
-Yeah.

I think you bit off
more than you could chew. Okay?

I understand.

Alex, please step forward.

My story's about how one in five women
will be victims of sexual violence,

and whether it's shame or guilt,

that you feel like you can't speak.

So, I wanted to show the darkness,
kind of coming up and bubbling up.

This is about, you know,
ripping off that shame,

and taking back your life
and living again.

What I love about this story
is the string tied into the lips,

but the fact that the lips are open
means you have come through this.

Poetic, beautiful. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

It's brilliant, and you know
exactly what you're expressing.

-Thank you. Beautiful. Thank you.
-Thank you so much.

[artists applauding]

[Craig] Well done.

[sobs]

[Alex] Thank you.

[Craig] No, you've got it.

[sniffles]

Dolli.

I was thinking about the taboo subject,
body modification.

So I wanted to give a message, just be you
and express yourself how you want to.

-This is clumsy.
-Yeah.

[Val] I'm expecting a lot more from you.

For me, it was all about the graphic,
and you just didn't bring it this week.

I like your story, Dolli, but, to me,
it looks like an ad for a tattoo parlor.

Last week, you just nailed it.

Dolli from week two feels
a little lackluster. The difficulty is,

we wanna see that great makeup artist
each and every week.

-Okay.
-Craig!

[Craig] When a bird feels trapped,

it wants to fly away,
and for the longest time,

growing up, I felt similar.

[Dominic] There is
a... a real painterly quality to it.

Gorgeous brush strokes.

Really lovely blending.
I am really happy with this look.

The story's interpretation
speaks for itself,

and it's great draftsmanship.
So, well done.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Ryley, please come forward.

[Ryley] When I was in school,
I felt very boxed in.

So I made the bold decision to drop out,

and ever since, I've found my freedom.

This makeup would work
really well in the theater,

because there's
a lot of product on the skin.

You put a flesh-toned powder
on top of the makeup,

and that flattened the whole thing out.

[Dominic] Your makeup is
very nice and pretty.

Start thinking beyond the norms.

This is where you can experiment.

Yeah.

Xavi, please come forward.

[Xavi] I chose a look
inspired by the goddess Kali.

This look is a love letter
to all the women in my life.

I love this image.

I love the graduation of colors.

I would like to have seen
a more seamless blend from the pink

through to the yellow
and taking it under the chin.

It's lovely, and it's well executed.
It's beautiful.

Thank you.

Elliott, it's your turn.

[Elliott] I wanted to do a piece
that looks at when we are in the womb,

before we're fit into a social construct
that we have no control over.

I am disappointed.

The bald cap has been cut
too low in the forehead,

and we're going right by those eyes.
And I was like...

I just think it went
a little bit too Teletubby.

Sophie.

My mom always taught me that freedom
is, like, centered around feminism,

and I wanted
to incorporate Celtic war paint

and the colors of the suffragette flag.

I do see your story in here.

Beyond that, it's slightly disappointing,
'cause it is quite a simple makeup.

I'm totally going to disagree with Dom.

I think this makeup is flawless.

Girl, you know how to lay down color,
and that really impresses me.

[Les] I love her.

Gothic, Celtic, suffragette woman.

Go, girl.

[all laughing]

Thanks, everyone.
If you'd like to go next door,

myself, Val, and Les will be deciding

which of you
will be in the Face Off elimination.

[suspenseful music playing]

Well, let's start with Elliott.

You've got a bald cap
that's not brilliantly done,

and then just a pink face.

It's giving me a little bit
of shellfish, allergic reaction,

and I say, "Pass me the EpiPen."

I just don't think
he's done enough to beat the seat.

But I think we should also discuss Samah.

[Val] This is
an accomplished makeup artist.

However, it's just sloppy,
and sometimes you can think,

"Big is gonna get me out of the seat."

But it's still gotta be good.

This was meant to be a heart.

So, at least create
a technically detailed heart.

-[Les] In the right place.
-And put it in the right place.

[Val] Dolli is a great artist.

I liked the skin.

I just think this is a little bit simple.

I know that she's got
so much more to give.

[tense music playing]

[Val sighs]

Elliott and Samah, you started
the day off in the Face Off chairs.

Elliott, your look just didn't tell
a story, and it lacked dimension.

It just fell flat.

Unfortunately,
you didn't do enough to beat the seat.

So, therefore, you will be the first MUA
going into the Face Off elimination.

Samah, although you did bring us
a big makeup look,

the technical attention to detail
was missing, and it ended up messy.

So, therefore, you will be joining Elliott
in the Face Off elimination.

-I'll bring them through. Thanks.
-Thank you.

Elliott, Samah, say your goodbyes now,
as one of you won't be returning.

You've got it.
You're an incredible artist.

I just have to do what I need to do.

Just hope my brain works.

[Ryley exhales heavily]

[Elliott] I know I'm an amazing artist.
I still believe I can produce good work.

I'm just not hitting it every time.

[dramatic music playing]

[Maya] To level the playing field,

the MUAs will face off
over identical twins.

Now, this week
was all about expressing yourself,

and one way to stand out
and make a statement

is with a jeweled lip.

It's an intricate yet exciting look
to have in your portfolio.

A jeweled lip is a lip
that's encrusted with jewels.

First of all, I would lay down my base,

and then apply adhesive
all over the entire lip,

wait for the glue to get tacky,

and then it's all about
mapping out your design.

I don't wanna see our MUAs
with a rogue crystal just out of place,

because that's exactly
what your eye is gonna go to.

This is all about precision, balance,

but most importantly, symmetry.

[Val] Don't hold back.

Show us why you should stay
in this competition.

All right, guys. You have 20 minutes.

Your time starts now. Off you go.

[suspenseful music playing]

-[Val] One of the MUAs...
-[Dominic] Yeah.

...banged on the color straight away,
the other MUA worked with the pencil.

But both of them took
quite a considerable amount of time

getting that red coloration onto the lip.

[Dominic] Mmm.

[whispers] It's too sticky.

Open your mouth a little bit.

The interesting thing is Samah applied
the glue to the back of the jewel,

and then when she stuck it to the lip,
it didn't stick.

Absolutely.

That's because
she should have done what Elliott did,

which is apply the glue
directly to the lip. It's quicker.

All right. Ten minutes is gone.
Halfway through.

[Dominic] But Samah started
in the middle of the lip

and will be able to marry up
each side to create symmetry,

whereas Elliott has started on the left.

You've got two different approaches,

potentially creating
two very different lips.

It could go either way.

Three minutes now, guys.

[Elliott] Oh, damn.

Okay, five, four, three, two, one.

Brushes down.

[Elliott sighs heavily]

[ethereal music playing]

-I think we need another conflab.
-Yeah.

[sighs] Oh, my God.

[Dominic] I am so struggling.

There is one lip that is far more
symmetrical than the other lip.

But I kind of like the other one.

Well, then you shouldn't have asked
for precision, balance, and symmetry.

-You should have asked for creativity.
-I know... Shirty.

But, no, it's true.

[Dominic] But it's...
Doesn't have any magic.

[Val] If you let that lip win,

then you make a mockery of the rule

of precision, balance, and symmetry.

You're right.

[tense music playing]

Samah, you worked efficiently,

and we liked how you started
in the center and built out.

That was clever,
because it created balance.

Elliott, we loved your technique

of applying the glue
straight onto the lip,

then applying the gems after.

That was very clever.

Now, we asked
for balance, precision, and symmetry.

Elliott, you didn't hit all three.

You'll be packing your kit and going home.

[Samah gasps]

Mm-hmm. Well done, girl.

[Samah sobs softly] I'm sorry.

No, don't be sorry.

This competition is really tough.

The talent gets better and better,
so the stakes get higher and higher.

-[Val] I think we can hug. Oh, darling.
-No, this makes it so much...

Yeah, it's tough.
It's tough to get to the top.

[all gasp]

[Samah] Oh, my God. It was intense.

I never wanna do that again,
but you know what? I said that last week,

and look where I am today.
[inhales sharply]

I can't even tell you lot
how intense it is.

Me staying here will better my artistry
and what I produce.

So, I take on board what they said.

You have to rise
from the ashes like a phoenix.

[Samah laughs]

[percussive music playing]