Body Makeup, Spray Tans, and Other Secrets From the Dancing With the Stars Makeup Artist

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Anybody with access to cable TV in the last 15 years knows the following equation: mainstream celebrity + paso doble + glittery getup = Dancing With the Stars. For 29 seasons, it's been primetime's titular dancing show, with approximately 12 million eyeballs glued to the screen each episode. That's why, prior to 2020, there was no reason to change a thing. Then, the pandemic hit.

Like much else in the world, COVID-19 flipped everything upside down for the cast and crew of DWTS. For one thing, the network employed 70 percent more makeup artists than earlier seasons — an effort to avoid cross-contamination by giving each team their own glam point person, said the show's makeup department head, Zena Shteysel.

"This season has been quite different," she told POPSUGAR (and she would know — she's been working on the series since the very beginning). "Before, we used to create the looks the day of and then present it to the couple. We'd look at: what's the wardrobe? What's the dance? What's the story they're trying to convey? From there, we'd draw inspiration for a makeup look. Now, we have weekly meetings with our creative where they share the inspiration they've already discussed with the talent, and then each artist conveys that look one-on-one with their couple. It's a big collaboration, but safety precautions have us all in our own pods in the trailers."

In a close-contact industry that's been plagued by unemployment this year, the uptick in makeup artists was a bright spot. "Normally, my team is made up of eight artists and two body-makeup artists who just focus on the body, making sure any bruises or tattoos are covered if need be and do the body glow our show is famous for," she said. "But because of COVID and having to keep to our pods, we've employed 17 artists. It's really cool."

Even still, there is plenty of makeup magic to go around behind the scenes. Here, Shteysel is dishing on the show's biggest beauty secrets, from spray tans that take place every Sunday to drawn-on abs and more — because there are some things that will never change.

The Under-the-Radar Lipstick That Stays Put During Dances
luckychick.com

The Under-the-Radar Lipstick That Stays Put During Dances

"I know everybody loves a nudie-pink color, but you can't always see that on camera," she said. "I always like a little more pigment, one that's luminous but not shiny, so nobody looks even more sweaty, because that look isn't great for camera. You want to come across as purposeful."

"It was very important to keep everything separate so that there's no double-dipping or cross contamination."

One brand the entire Dancing With the Stars makeup team has been loving this season is Lucky Chick, an indie brand with a wide range of lip options — which comes in handy when following safety precautions. "Our whole goal in the beginning was to use makeup that we could just give to the talent when we're done. That way it never goes into my kit, where I could take it and use it on somebody else, while I'm on the show. It was very important to keep everything separate so that there's no double-dipping or cross contamination."

A big favorite of Shteysel's? The Lucky Chick Lip Lacquers ($20). "Cheryl [Burke] loved the colors when I've used them on her. She's always looking for something that's long-wearing but not sticky, because a lot of those long-wearing formulas can either be sticky or super drying."

Body Makeup Isn't Just For Covering Up — It's For Sculpting Abs, Too
ABC

Body Makeup Isn't Just For Covering Up — It's For Sculpting Abs, Too

Creating that shimmering "body glow" that's become synonymous with Dancing With the Stars is just as much of an undertaking as the face makeup. "We've got 15 couples, and the men like to get their body makeup done, too — they like to have sculpted abs drawn on and all that — so that's like 30 people," Shteysel said. "That's a lot for one or two people. Of course, it gets easier because after every week a couple is eliminated, but it's still a lot."

Luckily, there's a little prep work done by the makeup team to help offset the heavy load on Mondays.

A Note on "Spray Tan Sundays"
dermstore.com

A Note on "Spray Tan Sundays"

"We actually have what we call 'spray tan Sundays,' where Julie — the owner of South Seas Skin Care — blocks out time for all the talent to come in and get sprayed, if they choose to; sometimes they don't if they are covered up. But if they want a tan, depending on their wardrobes, Julie comes personally and spray tans our talent every Sunday."

She continued, "The spray tanning on Sunday helps create a nice base for the show on Monday. Then I've got the two body-makeup artists that do the finishing touches the day of — if they want another coat to look a bit darker, or they just maybe need a little shimmer, that's what they'll do."

To get that "glow" before go-time, Shteysel said the team uses the South Seas Skincare Island Glow Body Bronzer ($26) and South Seas Skincare Tan Mist ($28).

The Bins and Bins of False Lashes on Set
ulta.com

The Bins and Bins of False Lashes on Set

As Shteysel put it: "You need to go big with lashes, or they just disappear." That's probably why the makeup department is stocked with five or six bins of just false lashes, which contain "a variety of different styles of lashes that we can choose from."

She said the team uses a lot of Ardell lashes, like the Ardell Lash Double Up #113 ($4, originally $6), as well as KISS lashes. But really, the more options, the better.

"We have all different types and so many to choose from. We have ones with stones or glitter on them, like what we used for Kaitlyn [Bristowe] for her Britney Spears-inspired look. We have Halloween spooky lashes. I find that bigger, wispier-type lashes really work on our show. If you're going to go with a natural set, you would have to use a couple pairs to be able to see it on camera. So yeah, sometimes we double up, so you're using two on the top and maybe you want to do an under lash, so we have those, too."

How COVID-19 Has Impacted Midshow Makeup Touch-Ups
ABC

How COVID-19 Has Impacted Midshow Makeup Touch-Ups

If you've noticed a little more . . . glistening on a star postperformance (and not in the intentional way), there's a reason: "We deal with two different types of lighting on the show — there's the lighting for the dance, which is very dark and moody to go with the story and look of the dance, and then there's the lighting where they stand there and get their scores," Shteysel said. "It can be challenging, and we can't go in for touch-ups after they dance like we used to, so you kind of learn the lighting. We've had to go with the flow — if someone looks sweaty, that's normal. They just danced. That's what we're working with this season."

"Even if there's a commercial break, we have designated areas to do touch-ups because of COVID, so it makes it harder to jump in."

This, she added, is another difference the show is facing this season: "In the past, we've had times — if there was a commercial break right after they've danced, before they get their score — where we could pat down any sweat and fix if any hair got in the lip or anything like that. It's different now. Even if there's a commercial break, we have designated areas to do touch-ups because of COVID, so it makes it harder to jump in. You really have to prepare and try to do as much as you can to make sure the makeup looks 100 percent before. We always look at rehearsal and make any necessary changes from watching everything on camera before the live show. You just make it work."

The Secret to Sweat-Proof Face Makeup
ABC

The Secret to Sweat-Proof Face Makeup

While there is no such thing as entirely "sweat-proof" makeup, Shteysel has found that layering on cream formulas gives the best staying power. "I tend to veer toward cream foundations, not so much liquids, because I feel like as soon as they wipe their face, it blows right off," she said. "If you don't use creams and they go and rehearse, it's like starting the look from scratch. With cream formulas, I can really pack it on and set with powder on top, and it won't look too cakey or heavy."

It's not just foundation, either: "I like to contour with creams, too, and then put a powder on top, then contour then powder. That layer-after-layer-after-layer helps everything stay put throughout the sweating."