Black & White Makeup Inspired by Holmes to Sherlock

jancynbindman
Jan 6, 2023
2 min read

After reading From Holmes to Sherlock by Mattias Bostrom I was so struck by the lock of this fictional character from people around the world I knew I had to do a different kind of makeup tutorial. Edith Meiser was one of the first women to get her Sherlock Holmes ideas an OK from the family and she was able to keep the detective stories alive through radio. Thanks to her, millions of Americans were able to enjoy radio plays of the British detective from the comfort of their own homes. I was also struck by her elegance in the photograph int he book. I originally wanted to recreate the look in color, but then I thought that doing something in black and white would be more interesting. So we're taking a step back from beauty makeup this week, and we're diving into the world of black and white makeup. Here are a few tips from the tutorial:

TIPS:

If are attempting this kind of makeup it is very important that you get rid of any discoloration in your skin BEFORE whiting it out. Putting a lighter shade on your skin will only enhance any redness, etc. in the skin.

Don't forget about your neck and ears, especially if this is for film or a live performance. It is very important to continue the illusion with any skin that will be showing. I only wanted to recreate the photograph in black and white so I took some liberties with where I stopped blending the lighter shade. In the photograph above you can see a section of my neck that didn't get completely covered in the white shade. Be sure to check all angles before sending your client or yourself out of the makeup chair.

If you can use creams. I had to use powders because that was what I had. However, I've done a similar look before using creams and it was so much faster and easier. With powders you really have to hydrate the skin and break down your powders. You can end up using an entire pan of shadow for one face as well. Eyeshadow stick do work really well for the contour part as well. Think outside of the box with your products

Last tip, once you start, you have to keep going. It is going to look crazy for a while. It just is. Don't be afraid. Commit and in the end it will turn out. If you know how to contour the face forget about the black and white part. It's the same as using your foundation, concealer and highlighter. Instead of peach, nude, and brown tones you're using black, grey, and white. Be brave.