POWDER
Years ago, paint and powder were the standbys of
theatrical make-up, and in fact, early film make-up
used the same system of a shade of powder for every
shade of foundation color. With the advent of color
film and color television, it was found that the heavily
pigmented powders actually deepened the foundation
shade and changed the make-up color on the face dur-
ing the constant retouching required from early morn-
ing to late afternoon. For black-and-white film this
change was not important since such tonal variations
were not that apparent in the gray scale, but in color
mediums, the effect was quite noticeable and unde-
sirable. Therefore, a lightly pigmented neutral powder
was first devised, and then later, a translucent (less filler
and pigments) powder was recommended for all screen
make-ups.
RCMA introduced a new concept of a transparent
No-Color Powder for use with Color Process materials
that did not change color on the face whatsoever, as
it neither contained any pigments or fillers nor caked
with constant use. As such, No-Color RCMA Powder
Can be applied to any shade of foundation, from the
lightest to the darkest, with no color change or caking,
so that only one powder need be carried in the make-
up kit for general use. With RCMA Appliance Foun-
dations a more heavily filtered (but not pigmented)
powder called AF Powder provides a powder with more
absorption power for these more heavily oiled foun-
dations.
There are also some overpowders with gold and pearl
pigments added, which are used for special facial and
body shine effects (such as on the shoulders or cheeks).
William Tuttle makes an Extra Fine Translucent Pow-
der, while Ben Nye has Translucent, Coco Tan (for
dark skins), and Special White (for clowns).