Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star (2019–…): Season 3, Episode 3 - Period Makeup: The Crown - full transcript

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

[sweeping music plays]

Girlies, I have a message
from Maya Jama.

[all exclaim]

[Maya] I, Queen Jama the First,
hereby cordially invite you

to the set of one of the biggest
TV drama series in all of the land...

-[all gasp]
-Ooh!

The Crown.

-[all exclaim]
-[Jack] Yeah!

This week,
you'll be applying period makeup.

So, I hope you're ready
for a trip back in time.



-Are we going to Buckingham Palace?
-[Sophie and Samah] No!

[Sophie] The Crown is one
of my favorite shows,

and I really wanna work in TV and film,

so, like,
this is exactly what I want to do.

-We have to kill it.
-[Sophie squeals] Oh, my God.

[Samah] I'm so excited.

[dramatic instrumental hip-hop playing]

The MUAs will be meeting me here

at one of The Crown's
most stunning locations

in the Hertfordshire countryside.

We want a look fit for a queen.

-Fire!
-[cannon fires]

[cameras flashing]

[Maya] With a multi-million-pound budget,



award-winning drama The Crown
features incredible period looks.

The Crown's hair and makeup team
transforms the star-studded cast

into some of the most
famous people in the world,

from Princess Diana to Margaret Thatcher,

and of course, Queen Elizabeth II.

Hello, sweethearts!

[artists greeting]

Welcome to my humble abode.

[all laugh]

Just for weekends. Come on in.

[Alex] Oh, my God.
It's thrilling to be in such a big house.

It feels like
you're stepping back in time.

It's so crazy to be on the set
of The Crown. [mimics explosion]

[Maya] Joining Glow Up's resident judges
Val Garland and Dominic Skinner

is The Crown's lead hair
and makeup designer, Cate Hall.

[mouthing] Oh, my God.

Welcome, everybody.
Today, you'll be designing period looks

from the series for a screen test.

And we need you to create looks
that deliver an authentic

and recognizable character from the show.

But this is not about copying an image.

We need you to look
at your briefs you've been given

to create your own interpretation
of a character from The Crown.

You need to go
beyond a generic beauty makeup,

focusing on subtlety and storytelling,
and most importantly,

to recognize the period
in which your character lives.

Wow.

[Maya] Whoever most impresses today,

there's a life-changing
opportunity in store.

The MUA that delivers the best look

is going to get to work
on The Crown with Cate.

-Ding, dong.
-[all applaud]

It's a really good opportunity.

[Val] Good luck, everybody.

It's literally just so unbelievable.
I don't know, it's crazy.

[intriguing music plays]

Hello.

[Maya] With two hours
until their screen test...

I'm just gonna read my brief.

[Maya] ...each MUA has been assigned
an actor and a character brief

straight from some of
The Crown's most iconic scenes.

"This look is for the scene
in which Queen Elizabeth II

attends Churchill's funeral
to say a painful goodbye."

"Margaret Thatcher was known
for traditional beauty makeup

and a muted red lip."

[Maya] Dolli and Sophie have been assigned
Margaret Thatcher from two different eras,

with Dolli tackling the 1940s.

Do you have any experience
of period makeup?

Do you know the '40s?

I know it's around, like, the war era,

so I know a lot of women
were doing men's jobs.

[Maya] ...while Crown super-fan Sophie
must transform her actor

into a 65-year-old Thatcher from 1991.

-What do you think of this assignment?
-I've done period makeup...

-Okay.
-...in my first year at uni.

I really like the idea of being able
to transform someone into someone else.

What techniques
are you getting in to get the job done?

Having everything ready to go
is really helpful for me.

-This is our organized queen.
-Yeah. Organization is key.

[energetic music plays]

[Sophie] I would describe my makeup style

as very detailed
and symmetrical a lot of the time.

I'm definitely a perfectionist,

like, to the point where it's a problem.

I was diagnosed with autism
when I was, like, 17.

On a bad day, giving someone
eye contact is, like, physically painful,

but my autism affects
my makeup in a positive way.

I see makeup as, like, a process,

and I visualize it
in my head as, like, a line.

Once it's set in stone,
that is law, so it will get done.

[suspenseful music plays]

[Maya] Ryley has been assigned
a 19-year-old Princess Diana...

"This look is for a scene
in which a young Diana returns

from a walk in the cold
in autumn of 1980."

[Maya] ...while Craig must recreate
Diana from the late 1980s.

She's definitely got some fun elements
with the blue liner and things,

so I wanna make sure they definitely pop.

[Maya] Choosing products that reflect
the period they've been given is key

to succeeding in today's assignment.

[Xavi] You want the powder.

Our MUAs are gonna need to keep in mind
that the makeup is authentic

to the makeup of the day.

Diana wouldn't have used
a lot of foundation.

It's more like the blush
and maybe a little bit of concealer.

Thirty minutes gone, guys.

[Samah] How quick did that go?

[Maya] Working on two quintessential
Princess Margaret looks are Alex...

[Alex] Could you look up for me, please?

In my brief, Princess Margaret
just came back from holiday.

So I imagine her skin
would be a bit drier.

[Maya] ...and Xavi.

When I heard "pastel colors,"

I saw this pastel blue dress,
I was very excited.

[Cate] Hi, Xavi.

-Nice to meet you, Cate.
-How you doing?

I read the brief, and she's going
through a rocky road with her husband,

so I wanna incorporate maybe some, like...
Still glam, but she's a bit tired.

What about in terms of her features?
Anything you're accentuating particularly?

Yes. So, my actress has really nice lips,
so I wanna accentuate those,

but not be too modern and over-line them.

-Just a nice sheen.
-Lovely.

Anything you're worried
about, particularly?

-I just hope that you like it.
-[all laugh]

[Maya] Twenty-three-year-old
freelance journalist Xavi

fell in love with makeup
when he was a teenager.

[Xavi] I used to buy makeup in secret

and I would do my makeup
in the dead of night,

and I would, like,
take a photo, rub it off.

Oh, I thought I was sickening.
Oh, I thought I was so good.

I looked so busted, but I realized
how therapeutic it was for me.

In school, I was bullied recklessly
and I would have such a wall up.

When I first started dabbling in makeup,
I was able to put my feelings

into a picture and put it onto my face

and actually realize
I am good at something

and I am, like, worth something.

So, I think that's why
I really gravitated towards makeup.

I've done the eyes
and I just have the foundation to do now.

[Maya] What about Xavi,
who's doing Princess Margaret?

He seems very, very aware of the palette.

I think potentially
the brows have gone over the top.

They're really solid
and really big and overly defined,

which is a real thing
to look for with this generation.

[gentle music plays]

And now I'm just checking the brows

to see what kind of product
could have possibly been used.

One thing I don't want to see today

is the makeup artists being trapped
by their own 2021 idea of fashion.

You can close your eyes if you want.

I'm trying to change
the shape of her brows

to match Thatcher's
without being too bold.

So, I'm brushing her brow hairs down.

And then I'm just using a brow pencil to

lightly shade it in.

[Cate] I need to see them recognizing
the shapes and textures from this era

and then objectively get rid of those

and employ the right shapes
from the era they're recreating.

She's got thicker eyebrows,
so we'll probably thicken them.

[Maya] Samah has been tasked
with recreating

a Queen Elizabeth II look from 1965.

Can you talk me through
what you find difficult?

Obviously, my model has really thin brows.
So, I've kind of thickened them up

and pushed the hairs downwards
to fill the gap.

Look down for me.

[Cate] She's gone crazy
on the eyebrow shape.

It's about making a decision
about what looks good on camera.

Where do you use those techniques,
and where is it best not to?

[tense percussive music playing]

Okay, everyone, I need your actors
in one hour for their screen test.

[Sophie inhales sharply] Ooh!

I'm just gonna sculpt
a little bit of that cheek.

[Maya] Jack has been assigned
Queen Elizabeth II

on a state visit to China in 1986.

-Hi, Jack. How you doing?
-Hi, there. Not too bad.

You know,
I took inspiration from the images.

I love the images, and the Queen
has kind of a very light under-eye.

I really wanted to show that,
and bringing that lightness,

that bright color under the eye.

And then I'm gonna go in with my powders
and I'm really gonna powder her out.

[suspenseful music plays]

Jack is choosing
to literally interpret the picture,

and there's a particular photograph
of Queen Elizabeth

when she has very, very pale foundation.

-[Maya] Right.
-[Cate] And loads of powder.

There's a balance between
literally copying those details

and translating them for film
in a way that isn't distracting.

-[Jack] They better get you some corgis.
-[model laughs]

I think I am gonna do a little bit
of smudge mascara 'cause it's windy.

[Maya] So Ryley, she's doing
Princess Diana from the 1980s.

So far, I like her style
and I like the base.

I'm excited to see
where the eye makeup goes.

And hopefully it'll be
the right shape for Diana.

Is there any special tips
you have for Diana?

Yes, in the early '80s,
we kept her eye shape very round,

doe-eyed, so she'd look out
from under her fringe and look...

Yes, naïve and innocent.

[Ryley] Look forward, please.

Okay, just relax your mouth,
shut your mouth for me.

[Maya] So, how about Sophie?

She's chosen some lovely
toned blusher and eyeshadow

that feel quite appropriate to Thatcher.

They're a bit broadly applied.

So I'm hoping we get
a bit more of a distinct shape.

My model's lip shape
is more of a pointed cupid's bow,

whereas Margaret Thatcher's
is much more drooped,

and so I'm trying to alter her lip shape.

[suspenseful music playing]

I need your actors in 30 minutes.

I'm trying not to make
the color too bold on her lips

so it looks like the era it actually is.

Could you look all the way up for me?

Princess Margaret will have
just got off a very long flight.

So I'm showing that
when you get off the plane, you're dry.

[Cate] I'm a bit concerned

because Alex has chosen to emphasize
the fact that she's recently back

from holiday so her skin might be dry
and cloggy from the airplane.

When actually,
that's not gonna look great on film.

-Five minutes, everyone.
-Oh, my God.

[dramatic instrumental hip-hop playing]

Shut your eye for me.

There we go.

Okay, time's up, everybody.

Actors, I'm gonna be calling you through
in your pairs for your screen tests.

[Jack] It was so good
meeting you as well today.

[Maya] Once the actors' transformations
are complete

with period costumes and wigs,

the judges must decide which MUA has
achieved the most authentic period makeup,

and who has underperformed.

Okay. So, if our 1964 Queen Elizabeth
wants to step forward.

This is Samah's actor.

She's playing Queen Elizabeth II
at Churchill's funeral.

I'd like to have seen
an individual hair application technique.

She made some good decisions
with the eye makeup.

She used some quite soft,
matte, neutral tones,

which I think is correct for the time.

If I'm honest,
I see more Maggie Thatcher,

and I think
it's probably because of the brows.

[Cate] Mm-hmm.

So, this is Jack's actor,

and she's playing Queen Elizabeth
in 1986 on a state visit to China.

Such an intense amount of powder
is just really distracting.

[Val] And also the blush.

It's a very modern placement,
you know, it's on the diagonal.

Yeah. If this makeup came out
on the set of The Crown,

it would... It would have to go back.

This is Craig's actress,
who is playing Princess Diana in 1989.

You can see from the color palette,
it's the 1980s.

And I actually think
Craig's done a really good job.

The skin, quality, texture,

it all feels right.

[Cate] It feels authentic.

You can forget about the makeup
and let her perform.

So this is Ryley's actress,
who is playing Princess Diana in 1980.

It doesn't scream 1980s to me.

I would have liked to have seen her
be confident about leaving skin bare

and conceal where necessary.

There's just a little too much
of everything. Makeup is a spectrum.

There is no-makeup makeup,
and then there is a full beat.

I don't think Ryley knows
where to put the pendulum.

So, this is Dolli's actress,
who's playing Margaret Thatcher in 1947.

There's no modern trappings there.

I don't feel like she's been tripped up
by her own sense of style and aesthetic.

[Dominic] This is telling me
it's post-war.

I don't see any foundation,
I see a little ruddiness in the cheek.

This is an excellent interpretation
of period makeup.

I just wish that it wasn't shining.

I would say, imagining she'd had a dust
of powder before she went on camera,

that this really is good enough
to be on set on The Crown.

This is Sophie's actress.

She is playing Margaret Thatcher

in the early '90s
at the end of her reign as prime minister.

I think she's gone
into the water line with some red,

which is a really lovely sign
that someone's not sleeping,

that they're distressed.

One thing I would say is

if you look at the definition
in Thatcher's makeup in the period,

I think she's had
a slightly more defined top eye line.

[Dominic] I think we need
more definition on the eye.

If that came up on the telly,
I would go, "There's Maggie Thatcher."

[Cate] So this is Xavi's actress.
She's playing Princess Margaret in 1963.

This has just gone too far.

[Val] That kind of blue on the eyes
did not exist then.

It was much more of a denim blue.

I kind of like this makeup,
but in an editorial way.

It's magazine-worthy.

I don't know if it is TV-worthy.

For the drama in the scene, we're only
hoping to enhance her performance,

not to deliver
the performance on her behalf,

and I think that's what's happening here.

Wow, that's a big makeup, isn't it?

This is Alex's actress.

She's playing Princess Margaret
in the late 1970s.

She's been on holiday with her lover,
and she's on the point of a breakdown.

-Speechless.
-[sighs] Yeah.

There is just too much makeup.

[Cate] The eyebrow shape
is very distinctive of 2021.

She mentioned something about
Margaret having returned on an airplane,

so giving her sort of dry,
air-conditioned skin.

A little bit of tan on the face

would have been enough
to explain coming back from a holiday.

Well, MUAs, one has been very impressed
by some of the looks achieved today.

I was really blown away by the way
some of you paid attention to detail

and created authentic period looks.

Dolli, I was really impressed by the way
you used history to underpin your choices.

Sophie, I was really impressed

by the way you used an '80s color palette
to create a 3D character.

For this reason, both of you
will be coming to assist me.

-[all applaud]
-[Sophie squeals]

I'm so overwhelmed
and I'm so proud of myself.

And Sophie. [laughs]

It's just a weird one. [sniffles]
Yeah, it just means a lot.

[chuckles softly] So...

I watch that show all the time. [laughs]

I just never thought
I'd get that opportunity. So...

I'm just really, like, thankful
and I'm very lucky.

So... yeah. [laughs] Yeah.

[Maya] The MUAs must now wait
until tomorrow morning to discover

who will start the creative brief
in the Face Off chairs

and at risk of elimination.

Jack just made
a sort of foolish decision to push it

so far it has become
an out-and-out caricature.

I do feel that it's gone to pantomime.

The brows just ruined it for Samah
because it's such a modern brow.

The brows are sort of unforgivable,
and they scream 2021.

And someone we also
need to discuss is Xavi.

It's just way too much, and if it came out
on the set of The Crown,

it would be sent back immediately.

So, should we talk about Alex,
who was doing Princess Margaret?

I mean, there's just so much
tan-fastic tan going on there.

It's an inch thick.

Anyone watching the TV series
would be massively distracted by the look.

It's nerve-wracking to think
that it could be me in the bottom.

[laughs] Um, I hope I've done enough.

[intriguing electronic music plays]

[Maya] At Glow Up Studios,
the MUAs are about to find out

who will start the creative brief
in the Face Off chairs,

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

Yes!

Oh, in the red.

We can do it.

[groans]

Alex and Jack,
you guys are in the Face Off chairs,

which means you'll have 15 minutes less
to complete your creative brief.

Jack, you copied the image
rather than interpreted it,

and as a result, your character looked
like they were in the wrong period.

Alex, you chose to concentrate
on drying out your character's skin

rather than emphasizing the more
emotional aspects of the narrative.

As a result, all I can see is makeup.

[softly] Okay.

[Maya] The only way
for Jack or Alex to beat the seat

is to blow the judges' minds
with their creative brief.

Today, we want you to turn
your model into a living piece of art,

influenced by your favorite artist
or artistic movement.

Okay, MUAs. You have two and a half hours

to transform your models
from a blank canvas to a masterpiece.

[Dominic] Are you ready?

Bring in the models!

[energetic music playing]

[Xavi] You're my model.
Yes! Nice to meet you.

Hey there. Thank you.

You're beautiful. Wow.

Oh, you're perfect for this.

Jack and Alex, I'll let you know
when your 15 minutes are up.

The rest of you, your time starts now!

I'm gonna go get some stuff.

Let's get everything out first. Oh!

[Maya] For today's creative brief,

the MUAs have been allowed
to design their looks in advance.

String, string, string, string.

[Jack groans] All right.

The artist that I'm inspired by
is Leon Bakst.

He was a Russian costume designer.

So, these are
two of my favorite pieces by him.

[Samah] My look is based
on the artist Leonid Afremov.

He paints with spatulas and
he's known for, like, bright, bold colors.

Look towards me.

So, mine is based on the Cubist movement.

I've also then got inspired
by a British artist named Helen Beard,

and she looks at, you know,
gender roles and male gaze and eroticism,

and it depicts two people kissing.

-Hello, Jack.
-Hi, Maya.

-How're you feeling?
-Not bad, yeah.

As soon as that 15 minutes is up,
I know exactly where I'm gonna go.

So, did you expect this,
or is this, like, a shock?

I didn't expect it.
But as soon as I heard what they said,

as soon as I heard that critique,
I completely get it.

It was a bit more pantomime-y,
it was a little bit over-exaggerated.

I feel like I want
to bang it out with this one

and make sure I do something good.

-It's okay for me to spray it white?
-Yeah, go.

[Dolli] My favorite artist
is Iain Macarthur,

and he's a very famous illustrator,
and he does illustrations with pen and ink

and it looks like a psychedelic effect.

Okay, let's do the other side.

[tense percussive music playing]

If you just look at me. Thank you.

[Alex] Mmm! I love you.

Let's smash it. Yeah. We can do it.

Let's stay.
Send someone else home. [laughs]

Jack, Alex, your 15 minutes are over.

-You can start now.
-Thank you. I'll be back in a minute.

[Alex sighs heavily]

[dreamy music playing]

[Sophie] The time goes so quickly.

So, Sophie is matching
her model's neck to her jumper.

So I'm gonna use string
just to map out my model's face

just to make sure that
I know where I'm going, what I'm doing.

[Dominic] This is clever,

if they can get the lines straight.

The problem is, is that
you have a straight piece of string

and a round face.

So there comes a point where you have
to stop and actually do it by eye.

Gonna look
a bit like Hellraiser for a minute.

Cool.

Alex is blocking brows... again.

At the minute, I'm just gluing down
a brow. I know that first week,

me brow cover on meself was shambolic,

but look at my brows
and look at my gorgeous model's brows.

I've got the brows of a granddad.

She's got the brows of a supermodel,
so this will go well. [laughs]

[Xavi] Look up for me.
Thank you so much.

Hi, sorry to disturb, I'm looking
for a makeup artist from The Crown.

-Is that you? Yeah?
-[mock laughs]

[Maya mock laughs] I'm joking.
How are you? You doing good?

Yeah, I'm okay.

So talk me through your look.
Which artist were you inspired by?

-[Sophie] Francis Bacon. And like...
-Why?

[Sophie] 'Cause his faces are weird,
and he was just a bit chaotic.

He used to chuck paint on himself
and just be like, whatever.

And I'm like... [exclaims]

-Should we do that now?
-No.

-Okay.
-Absolutely not.

[suspenseful music playing]

Get in those ears, Samah.

Don't leave any skin.

-Oh, my God, it tickles.
-I know.

-It's like I'm making love to your ear.
-[both laugh]

Thirty minutes gone, guys!

[Dolli] Oh, my God.

-I can't believe that time went so quick.
-It went so quick.

I'm sort of freaking out now
because I haven't got a base on yet.

Dolli has got to get moving, 'cause I...

She's blocked out the brows,

and she's now sponging on white.

It looks quite chalky, which I quite like.

I'm just gonna do
the underneath of your eyes.

-[Alex] That's incredible, Ryley.
-Is it?

So good.

[Val] Ooh!

Tattooing.

So, my look is inspired by henna.

[Dominic] I like the look of that.

[Cate] I want to know what Xavi's doing.

Although I don't think
he got it right yesterday,

I thought he was
technically a very good artist.

Hello, hello, hello, everybody.
What's this about? Another mask?

I wouldn't call it a mask,
it's a fashion piece.

Talk me through it.

So, I've chosen to do a look

based on a Russian costume designer
in the art-deco period,

and these are two of
his most famous pieces of work.

So, I've decided to do
a half and half, kind of...

-Mask...
-Mask? Yeah.

I feel like that's your thing.
Don't go against it if...

You were right, yeah.

-If that's your bag.
-Yeah.

So, I'm gonna be using
a lot of pearled embellishments

to create the dimensions
of painting, but also clothing.

[tense music playing]

[Jack] Can you tilt that head
back for me? Thank you.

Looks all right.

[Alex] My look is based on Claude Cahun.

They were a non-binary, queer artist

that played with gender and image
and reclaiming the way you're perceived.

Talk me through it. What is this design?

[Jack] So, this design
is inspired by Clive Wilson.

[Maya] Who's that?

[Jack] He's a artist that I actually
cared for. A good friend of mine.

Passed away last year in October,
so I wanted to honor him in this look.

-Super personal story to you.
-Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

[gentle ethereal music plays]

I love the way Samah's using
her spatula to create texture.

No one else is using one.

-[Dominic] Yeah.
-[Val] Absolutely.

You know, it's not about makeup,
it's about art.

-Yeah.
-Creating art.

I'm actually really enjoying spatula work.
It's freeing. I feel like a bird.

-[Maya] One hour up, guys.
-[Craig] Oh, my God.

[Craig] This'll have to go on everything
with black, add the shading detail,

put on a wig, spray it
and make it look all one.

[Dominic] Two faces looking at each other.

[Val] Oh, wait, you can see the face.

-There's the face.
-[all] Yes.

I'm so stressed.

Oh, my God. Okay.

My arm is starting to ache. [laughs]

'Cause I'm having to be
so careful with the lines.

I'm actually holding my breath
when I'm working, I'm like...

You know? Then I stop,
I breathe, and then we go again.

[bouncy glitchy electronic music plays]

[Craig] I hope the shading and the black
outline's gonna bring it to life.

So, yeah, I'm kind of stressed over
the time but... Keep it going, you know.

It's definitely not
the image I had in my head.

[chuckles] But I'm just trying
to do my best.

[Xavi] I really hope these stay on.

Somewhere, someone's granny
is missing some brooches,

and she's gonna be really angry.

There we go. Yeah.

I've had a little walk around the room,
and Sophie's is phenomenal.

It's exquisite.

Yeah. You know, it's very...
It's Francis Bacon through and through.

It's just so arty.

[inhales] I keep forgetting to breathe.

[model laughs]

Thirty minutes left, guys.

[Samah] If you ever wanted to know
what stress feels like...

-[model] Mm?
-It's this. [laughs]

Let's try a leaf. Let's just try.

I've done this technique before
to do dots,

but I'm trying to bring in more elements
of what the judges liked in my first...

On the first week.

[Val] These dots, they feel...

They just feel too random.

It does really require absolute precision.

You can't have bleeding edges
and different-sized dots,

and it really needs to be graphic
and bold and crisp and precise.

[funky house music playing]

Right. Look straight.

Is she spraying it black?
She's spraying it black.

Here we go.

No guard on the face.

Want something
so it doesn't go on my face?

Yeah, I'll get you a little thing.

The model wants to cover her face.

I'll grab you something, babe.

She needs a guard.

"Oh, yeah, let's put a great, big,
heavy towel all over my makeup."

[Dominic laughs]

One minute left!

[cheerful ethereal music playing]

I feel it's quite fun.

[Samah] I'm praying I've done enough.

Time is up! Brushes down.

Please take your models
next door to be photographed.

[gentle music playing]

So, Craig, please come forward.

So, Craig, can you explain
your artist or movement?

Yes, of course. So, I was inspired
by a British artist called Helen Beard,

and she kind of focuses
on eroticism and plays on gender roles.

I think it's fantastic because
your model has become a piece of art.

I really love it.

However, I get the two people
looking at each other,

but I get the person on the left
more than I get the person on the right.

The reason why
it's difficult to see the faces

is because you drew it
as it's drawn on the painting,

but when you draw curved shapes
on a curved shape, it goes straight.

So you almost have
to over-exaggerate lines to create curves.

Otherwise, they look straight.

-Got you.
-Overall, I love it. I think it's great.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.
-[all applaud]

[Cate] Jack. Could you step forward?

[Jack] So, I have gone for Clive Wilson.

I cared for him
in the care home that I worked in.

So I wanted to kind of pay homage
to his work and kind of do something fun.

[Cate] I think
it's a really solid piece of work,

and I really like your use of color.

If I were being hypercritical,
I think there are some curved lines

where ideally
everything would be absolutely straight.

The only thing you can do

to get straight lines on a face
is to do it by eye.

Curved lines on a curved surface
create straight lines.

Straight lines. Opposite. [laughs]

-Opposite to what happened with Craig.
-Yep.

Saying that, you have got such...

Goosebumps. You have got
such amazing nuances within your colors.

It's like the most amazing
patchwork quilt.

It's genius.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.
-[all applaud]

Dolli. Would you like to come up?

[Dolli] So, my artist was Iain Macarthur,

an illustrator who works
with ballpoint pen.

You overbaked the cake with the base.

If you'd done a simple,
flawless skin-textured base,

it would have felt
more like an illustration.

-Yeah.
-I think it has potential.

I just don't think you've executed it,

as a design,
probably in the way you wanted to.

Yeah. Thank you, guys.

Alex. Would you step forward?

Oh. [chuckles nervously]

[Alex] My look is based
on the work of Claude Cahun,

a queer artist from the 1920s that messed
with the ideas of gender and femininity.

[Cate] I don't really see you
subverting any gender stereotypes.

The mustache feels a bit like
a, sort of, token masculine element

in what is otherwise
an ultra-feminine makeup.

I'd have liked to have seen
maybe some masculine shading.

[Dominic] As soon as you stuck
those lashes on,

it suddenly went a little bit showgirl.

We wanted to see something more artistic.

Thank you.

Ryley, please come forward.

[Ryley] My look is actually inspired
by henna.

I just have such a love for this art form
because of its fine details, the flowers,

and I think it's just so beautiful.

[Val] Precision, precision, precision.

I love the detail, I love the linework.

It is so poetic.

It truly is graphic.

It's amazing,

but you didn't need the gold leaves.

-I knew it! I knew it!
-[Val] You just didn't need it, girl!

I was thinking, and at the end,
I thought, "Meh, here we go."

No, that cheapens the look.

It was standing proud on its own.

[Dominic] I mean, this is a master class
in line work. Like, there is...

[in high-pitched voice] I mean,
that's the tiniest little line.

[in normal voice] How you did that,
I will never know. It is so detailed.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.
-[all applaud]

Xavi, please step forward.

[Xavi] I was heavily inspired
by Russian artist Leon Bakst.

His designs are quite haunting,

and I liked the fact that they come
from a costume design perspective.

This color, where it's
a bit yellow-y and it's a bit brown-y,

that's interesting.

And if we look at the blue,

there's this deeper blue and slightly
metallic blue, that's interesting.

But it's two different stories going on,
and there's no connection.

-It doesn't make sense.
-Okay.

[Val] When you got the braid out,

that felt like
Auntie Nora's needlework cushion.

It was just too literal.

At the beginning when you were
doing that shading, I was quite excited.

It felt quite iridescent,
it was texturally interesting,

it was sort of translucent.

But I don't think
it's really saying anything. Thank you.

[judges] Thank you.

Sophie, do you mind stepping forward?

[Sophie] The artist that inspired me today
was Francis Bacon.

I loved seeing you use watercolor,

mixing it on your hand so you could
get the fullness of the colors

to create this three-dimensional shading.

It's watercolor to mimic watercolor,
and I think that's wonderful.

I absolutely adore this.

For me, this is more than makeup,
this is a painting.

It's just incredible,

and for that, you get a ding, dong.

-That is amazing!
-[all applaud]

-[artists laughing]
-[Val] Amazing! I love it, I love it!

Samah.

[Samah] So, the artist that inspired me
was Leonid Afremov.

I fell in love with his story
because he paints with colors

that makes you feel
like there's a tree, there's an ocean,

there's happiness, there's sadness,
and I really resonate with that.

[Dominic] I got one question.

Where have you been hiding this?

[gasps, squeals, and laughs]

[Dominic] This is amazing. I'll be honest,
you've not been showing much to me.

It's been a little bit pedestrian.

And this is anything but pedestrian.

And then the addition of the string,
this finishes the look.

There's something
really crafty and freeing about it.

Oh, thank you so much.

[Val] You've really turned
your model into a work of art.

Love the fact
that you used a spatula only.

There wasn't a makeup brush in sight

because you don't need
a makeup brush to do makeup.

I think it is incredible,

and for that you get
a ding, dong, darling!

-[all applaud]
-Ding, dong!

-Absolutely.
-Oh, my God. Thank you!

-You brought it, girl. Thank you.
-[Samah] Thank you.

[whimpers] I'm gonna cry.

So, thank you, guys.

Please go next door
whilst Cate, Dom, and myself decide

who is going in
to the Face Off elimination.

[tense music plays]

-[Alex] You okay?
-Hmm? Oh. Oh, I'm good.

So, we have got Alex.

This makeup would look great
in a Vaudeville play.

It's just not
the right makeup for this brief.

Has she done enough to beat the seat?

-No.
-I don't think so.

To get out of that seat,
you've got to work really hard.

You've got to bring it.

The other MUA that started today
in the Face Off chair was Jack.

There's a lot of work in this.

Jack has mixed every single color on here.

That takes time.

[Cate] It photographs really well.

-I buy it.
-Has Jack done enough to beat the seat?

Absolutely. I mean, I think that's
ten out of ten for effort, don't you?

Yeah, I really agree.
That is not an easy thing to pull off.

Well, in that case, we need to find
someone to replace them.

I'd like to talk about Dolli.

It's well done.

That gap under the eye,
is that intentional?

It's bled out.

Oil and oil makes an oily mess.

There's no true colors in there.

It's 7:00 a.m. at the Mardi Gras.

But, was she the worst in the room today?
I think we need to look at Xavi.

It's not really an interpretation.
It's a very literal depiction

of some pattern and fabric.

Makeup can be so creative and so diverse.

You can do so much stuff with it.

And he's just almost
giving me two dimensions.

[Xavi] If I'm in the Face Off elimination,

I'm gonna fight
because I wanna show the judges

that I am capable of doing
what I came here to do.

[Val] So, Alex and Jack,

you started today's creative brief
in the Face Off chairs.

Alex, your look didn't have
any artistic texture,

and it lacked the technical skills
that we were looking for.

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

So Jack,
you really impressed us with your look.

We liked the way
you took your model from a model

and turned them into living art.

So for that reason, Jack,

you have beat the seat.

-[all applaud]
-Thank you.

So, we have a seat to fill.

One MUA didn't tell a story
of an artist through their look.

And we felt that
it was just underwhelming.

-Xavi...
-Mm-hmm.

Unfortunately, you are the second MUA

going into the Face Off elimination.

All right, thank you, judges.
Alex, Xavi, say your goodbyes.

One of you won't be returning.

[Xavi sighs]

[artists laugh]

I really wanna stay in this competition.
I don't think I've showed

everything I possibly could to the judges.

This competition means so much to me.
I wanna put me best foot forward

and I wanna show
the best work I possibly can.

[Xavi] Bye.

There's definitely fire in my belly.
I feel like this has given me

a little kick up the, uh, tush.

Flowers grow from dirt,
and I'm in the dirt right now.

So, I wanna be a flower.

[Maya] In order to decide
which MUA will be going home,

Xavi and Alex must pull off
a perfect version of a classic makeup look

on identical-twin models.

For today's Face Off elimination,

we want you to show us a timeless

blue smoky eye.

[Dominic] For this blue smoky eye,
I'd start off with a black eye pencil

deep into the water line
and wrap it round the lashes

and up into the crease of the eyelid,

smudging it out into the socket.

Then I would go in
with two shades of blue,

a darker color on the outside and inside,

and a lighter color right in the center
to give three-dimensionality.

Then I'll go back in
with the blending brush

to soften out all the edges
to give that perfect, smoky look.

The MUA that gives us seamless blending,

balance, and symmetry

will be the winner.

We are looking for finesse.

All right, my lovelies.

You'll have 15 minutes
to complete the look.

Your time starts now. Off you go.

[pulsing music plays]

[Alex sighs heavily] Look all the way
up for me, please.

[Val] I'm seeing blind...

-Panic.
-Panic.

They're making a rod for their own back
because they're using fluffy brushes.

And the problem with fluffy brushes

is it scatters the powder everywhere.

And so this classic, timeless, smoky eye

is getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

Five minutes gone, guys.

Five minutes down.

What I do like is how Alex has gone in,
first of all, with an eye pencil

in the water line and buffed it out.

But what she should have done
is done that on the upper lid,

and that would have gripped
any eyeshadow she used after that.

Ten minutes down.
You have five minutes left.

[Dominic] The problem that Xavi's got

is that he's gone in
with only matte powder.

So there's no grip, there's no depth,

and it's all looking a little bit washy.

[Val] Xavi also runs
the risk of over-blending

and blending all that color away.

[Dominic] Yeah.

[suspenseful music playing]

I don't think we can call it
at the moment. It's neck and neck.

One minute now.

It's the final minute.

Five, four, three, two,

one. Brushes down, please.

Judges, I'm sure you wanna go
and have a closer look now.

Absolutely.

[ethereal music playing]

-Conflab?
-Yep.

-Think we need one, don't you?
-Oh, yes.

We have to remove symmetry
out of this equation.

-Neither MUA has done it.
-Yeah.

[Val] We asked for seamless blending,
and Xavi has given us seamless blending.

However, it's not flawless.

Well, I would say,
it may be seamless blending,

but blending into what?

I can see one color.

That's not a smoke. That's an inferno.

I mean, it is just engulfing the eye.

[Val] Alex has given us
three shades of blue.

[Dominic] We asked for a minimum of two,
and it blends together.

There's no hard edges.

She has created a blend.

These two MUAs have so much potential,

and I hate to think that
we're gonna lose one of them.

But between the two of them,
I think we have a clear winner.

-Let's head back.
-Okay.

[dramatic piano music playing]

Neither of you gave us
symmetry or balance.

Alex, you gave us
three clear shades of blue,

but it did lack finesse.

Xavi, you certainly gave us blending,

but, because you over-blended,
we lost any clear definition of color.

Xavi...

please pack your kit. You're going home.

-I'm proud of you, baby.
-I'm proud of you.

-[Xavi] Oh, I love you.
-[Alex kissing]

[Xavi] I left this competition
earlier than I wanted to,

but I'm so proud of Alex.
She completely bossed it.

You do this, okay? I love you.

I'm so grateful that I have
friends for life now who love makeup

and love doing the same thing that I do.

So, that's something
I wanna cherish forever.

-I love you, too.
-[Val] Oh, darling.

[Xavi sighs]

-[Val] Oh, we're so sad to see you go.
-It's okay, don't worry.

-You're such a talented artist.
-Thank you.

-Can I give you a hug?
-[Dominic] Yes. Oh!

[artists applauding]

-[Alex] Girlies.
-[Jack] Girlies.

I feel invigorated.
I'm motivated to just do well now,

get out me head, and I've just showed
in there that I can do it.

-I'm going to win it for Xavi now.
-[Samah] Yeah.

I think I did need the Face Off
to be like, "Come on, get it together."

And I have. I've got it together
and I'm here and I'm ready to... kill it.

-Muah! Off you go!
-[clapping]

-Thank you.
-[Maya] See you!

I'm really excited to see
what next week brings.

Knock-knock.

[Dominic] Who's there?

[Val] Clock.

What?

Clock. Come on, I'm clocking off. Come on.

[whispers] I think she's lost her mind.

[groovy percussive music playing]