Beauty Beatdown: Adding Glam to Slam in the WWE
In the late 1980s, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, or GLOW, brought women’s pro wrestling to television for the very first time. Everything about it was over the top, with glamorous makeup, wild characters, comedy sketches and even musical numbers. It was pure camp, and though it was short-lived, it’s credited for really bringing women’s wrestling into the spotlight.
Women’s wrestling has continued to grow and evolve, with female superstars like Ronda Rousey and Natalya Neidhart claiming their place alongside their male counterparts. One of the most well-known organizations featuring women’s wrestling is the WWE, whose Divas are known for being both beautiful and badass.
Let’s take a peek behind the scenes of wrestling makeup and see how it helps performers portray their character and look great in the ring.
Getting to Know the Character
Creating a dynamic stage makeup look always starts with the character. It’s important to make sure the makeup captures the right energy and personality so the audience gets the right feel for who they are and what they’re about.
When designing a wrestling performance look, think about:
- Their personality and character type. Who are they? What are they like? What are their motivations? How should the audience feel about them? A sexy villainess might warrant a glam smokey eye, while an underdog heroine might have more of a “girl next door (who will kick your ass)” look.
- Their signature moves and iconic behaviors. Are they known for any particular moves or actions that can be tied in? A finishing maneuver with a morbid-sounding name, for example, could inspire a vampy goth look.
- The character’s overall style. The makeup should go well with a character’s usual hairstyles and wardrobe pieces for a consistent brand theme.
Key Products for Match-Ready Makeup
The first step toward perfect wrestling makeup is to make sure you have the right products for the job at hand.
- Long wear, full-coverage, waterproof foundation: Provides a base that shouldn’t budge with sweat or activity.
- Lightweight, translucent powder: Helps set face makeup without changing the color or looking cakey.
- Bronzer and highlighter: Can help create glamorous warmth and shimmer that’s perfect for that lush, vivacious WWE Diva look. Scott’s Sculpting and Contour N°1 is next level arena approved
- Waterproof eyeliner: Can add smudge-proof definition and intensity to the eye area.
- Lashes: Take the look to the next level and make the eye pop with ultra-glam feminine appeal.
- Glitter and shimmer: Add a sparkly touch of luxury and elegance to the overall look. Scott Barnes’ Body Bling is a perfect way to add shimmering full-body warmth and make the skin look lit from within. It’s also long-lasting and resilient, staying put even with long wear and intense activity.
Wrestling Makeup Tips and Techniques for Flawless Application
For gorgeous results with big impact and staying power, use these handy world wrestling makeup techniques and tips:
- Full coverage and strong contour is appropriate for stage lights and cameras. Lighting can wash out the face, so more intensity and definition will make the look more visible to fans and cameras.
- In his first beauty beatdown video, Scott Barnes surprises WWE’s Natalya by using unflavored milk of magnesia as a face primer. The magnesium prevents sweating, keeping makeup in place during intense performances.
- Make sure to buff out contour properly to eliminate unnaturally hard lines. Blend cheek and jawline contour downward like Scott does with Natalya to imitate how natural shadows would fall.
- Don’t fall into the trap of thinking a strong look has to make features appear hard or masculine. Women’s wrestling celebrates powerful, confident and diverse femininity.
- Even with long-wear, waterproof products, you still want to use a setting powder or spray at the end of the process to help seal the look and keep everything in place.
Own the Ring at Your Next Performance
You can create your own WWE Diva-inspired looks with gorgeous, professional-quality makeup products and tools from Scott Barnes. Shop the collections today to find everything you need to create a glamorous look for your next wrestling performance.
