PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

#1 — Blush

Use blush before you put on your makeup! If you are not a foundation user, try giving yourself some color before you start applying the cream or powder makeup.

Put a little cream blush on and below your cheek bones, and also a little on your forehead near the hairline. This will allow a youthful and natural-looking color to come through the stage makeup.

Apply the rest of your layers as usual: base, blushes and bronzers, decorative makeup, and fancy items.

#2 — Eye Wings

Eyeliner wings were exotic when you were younger, but now you have to be careful with the angle to prevent them from looking like crow's feet.

Start from the outside of the upper lid. Focus on keeping a sharper angle up, staying out of the crow's foot zone and shape. Support the shape of the wing by brushing a darker color of eye shadow directly above it in the same shape. Do not leave the line fine.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Ian Cartlidge, Leeds, United Kingdom.

#3 — Apple Cheeks

Do you automatically take your brush and dust a large amount of blush on the "apple" of your cheeks? Doing this emphasizes your nasolabial folds which are the lines that run from your nose to the corners of your mouth. These folds increase over time as gravity pulls the pads in your face down.

Instead of placing the blush directly on the "apple" of your cheeks, try this:

Buy a cover stick (less translucent, more heavily pigmented) in a neutral color that either matches your skin tone or is slightly lighter. Apply some of this into the crease and around the line of your nasolabial folds.

Apply the blush slightly higher and farther back from the "apple".

#4 — Jaw Bronzer

Is your jaw line getting mushy? Sweep bronzer along under the jawline, around the end of the jaw and up behind your ear.

Your mileage may vary, but if you use these makeup tips your audience may see subtle cues of less mileage. 

Not that mileage is bad, by any means! But, visual performance art means putting forward your best visual presentation of yourself along with your art. You are still you.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Michael Baxter, Santa Clara, California.

• Color Levels: Teeth and Skin. How far should you go in bleaching your teeth or tanning your skin?
• Belly Dance Makeup to Go With Your Costume. Things to consider when choosing makeup colors and deciding how much to apply.

• Hygiene vs Dance Opportunities. Public service announcement to avoid losing gigs.

Saqra (Seattle, Washington, USA) is a powerful dance artist and a master instructor. Her fluidity, grace, and technical skill is highlighted by her friendly demeanor and clear joy of the dance. She did not inherit the diva gene.

Saqra won titles in Belly Dance USA (Oregon), Belly Dancer of the Year (California), Belly Dancer of the Universe (California), Wiggles of the West (Nevada), and many other competitions. She was voted "Best Kept Secret of 2005" and "Instructor of the Year 2008" by readers of Zaghareet Magazine.

Saqra's journey in this dance form began in 1977 and has led her to study with many of the best dancers in the world, including in America, Canada, Turkey and Egypt. Saqra continues to travel and study both in the USA and abroad and prides herself on proper research for anything she teaches. Folklore, fakelore, and stage creativity: all three are valuable, and Saqra clearly presents for each what they actually are. Saqra is constantly expanding her expertise in the traditional ethnic forms of the dance, the modern stage variants, and the continuing evolving fusion techniques, all these areas combined keep her material fresh and current.

Saqra is widely known as an event promoter, musician, music and instructional video producer, and a registered hypnotherapist in the state of Washington. That is enough stuff to start explaining what she has been doing in belly dance since 1977. Visit her at www.saqra.net

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Michael Baxter, Santa Clara, California. In the photo, Saqra is holding her Teacher of the Year 2008 Award from Zaghareet Magazine.