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| Tate's Winning Design, Courtesy Syfy |
This week’s “Face Off” treated us to an early Halloween. The remaining six veterans and four newcomers had two challenges to tackle in this episode, and both were nice and creepy.
Foundation Challenge
When the artists entered the lab to find boxes sitting in front of their models, all I thought was “Hellraiser!” But that’s just me. Instead, the Foundation Challenge was to take the tiny inspiration offered to them in the box and base a cool make-up on the item.
Each box contained a different and unique set of teeth. The guest judge for this challenge was award-winning make-up artist, Valli O’Reilly. She encouraged them to let the human elements shine through.
Laura got a set of demonic-looking teeth; Frank got purple alien-like teeth; and, Scott’s teeth had a cartoony quality. Tate’s gnarly-looking cowboy and Miranda’s slave girl with the wired teeth were two of Valli’s favorites.
Roy’s teeth were gold and pointy and he designed a textured reptilian man that Valli loved the most. Roy won the challenge and gained immunity from elimination. However, this didn’t prevent Roy from bringing his A-game in the Spotlight Challenge.
Spotlight Challenge
Trick or Treat! The artists were super exited about this Halloween-themed make-up. In the lab, McKenzie presented them with the choice of five classic Halloween costumes that they had to turn into creatures of the night...with a twist. They needed to add a “trick” element to their treat; for example, LEDs or a blood gag.
Their choices were: Vampire (Lyma, Laura); Devil (Alana, Roy); Scarecrow (Eddie, Frank); Clown (Scott, Laney); and, Skeleton (Miranda, Tate).
Each artist made their choice and went to work on their design. It was kind of cool seeing what gag they’d choose to incorporate. Tate’s skeleton was a “Lady of the Cemetery” with a beating heart, and Scott’s serial-killer clown (aren’t they all?) would rip out his heart and it would make a honking noise.
The biggest drama was Miranda’s initial lack of a concept and subsequent scrambling to achieve her “Day of the Dead” skeleton design. She was like a tornado in the lab (a Mirandanado?) and took over with her massive undertaking but, guess what? It all worked out in the end. Girlfriend needs to see what an amazing make-up artist she is and get more confidence!
Laney was really enjoying making her creepy clown and was first to hit the molding room. She even fabricated intestines for the clown to pull out during the reveal. She made a bad choice when she chose to use real cotton candy for the clown’s hair. As Roy pointed out, when heat hits it, it melts. Yep, it melted. Still cool though.
Scott had some trouble with his mold cracking and this prosthetics/Halloween products salesman panicked that he may end up going home on a Halloween challenge. Breathe, Scott!
The hectic last day nicely brought the looks together despite some of the glitches. Even Miranda’s look gets completed because clearly, she’s a superhero!
Reveal
We can often predict which designs the judges will like or not but there were some surprises in this episode. They also mixed up the order of their top and bottom looks. Normally, they have the artists come to the judging stage, alternating between the good and bad looks. Have you noticed that? Of course you did! This wasn’t the case tonight.
After sending Laura, Miranda, Eddie and Frank back to the safety of the make-up room, the judges announced their favs and blahs.
Top looks: Laney for her sweet and evil killer clown with the hairy armpits from which Ve is probably still reeling; Roy’s winged devil with the cool colors and facial sculpt; and, Tate’s skeleton holding a beating heart. Glenn called Tate’s design a “superb display of visual story-telling” and this ultimately led to him winning the competition.
Bottom looks: Scott’s “reincarnation of a serial killer” clown that looked thrown together; Alana’s “uninspired” devil that had a face like a “cat-bunny;” and, Lyma’s diseased, bat-like vampire that was desperately starved for a greater sculpt and paint job. Sorry, Lyma, back into the coffin you go. Sadly, this talented gal was eliminated but the judges were very encouraging about her potential.
Did you think the judges got it right? What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
Next week, Elvira will be guest starring as the remaining nine bring art to life. Watch “Living Art” on Syfy next Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.